by Jeffery Mack

Created on: April 29, 2009

Things you should know as a first time writer.

As a script/screen writer, the first mistake often made is formatting. What I mean is, a first time writer does not understand what it is they are writing. If you are writing a movie, and you are NOT the director, then what you are writing is called a SPEC script. That is short for Speculation. This is NOT the same as a shooting script which is what makes it onto the screen.

In A Spec script, there are certain words you never use. A big one is "WE". As in, "We see John exit the car". That, believe it or not, counts as camera direction and that should never appear in a Spec script. Don't use any of those new words you learned like CUT TO, DISSOLVE, or any of those. The only camera direction you are allowed to use is FADE IN, FADE OUT, or FADE TO BLACK. That's it.

Your job as a writer is to simply tell the story. Make the characters as engaging and memoarble as possible. But thats it. I can't stress this enough. Before you even think of writing a script, learn your craft. What I mean is, a script has a very specific set of rules that must be followed to the letter...so to speak.

A good script writing program can help with alot of the formatting issues...but not ALL of them. I won't get into all of the ' do's and don't's ' because there are too many classes and online materials for refrence on that. Just know that camera direction will make you like a novice when you're trying to show your skill.

Check your spelling! Sounds like a no brainer, but you'd be stunned at how many scripts get tossed away after reading the first line and seeing a misspelled word. You could've had the best script in the world, and no one will ever know it because you put a THERE when it should have been THEIR on the page.

Also, always start with FADE IN: , no matter what. No matter how different you want to be and make your script stand out. ALWAYS start with FADE IN:. Stay away from to many font changes as well. Meaning, don't use underlines and bolds and italics. Why? Remember, the person reading your script reads ALLOT of scripts and if your font keeps changing, it will mess them up. Also, a script is set up the way it is with so many lines per page due to TIME.

Time is a rule of thumb kinda rule but people still go by it today. And that rule of thumb is One typed page equals One minute screen time. If your font changes, that changes how many letters appear per line/page. Thus making your script time really hard to judge.

Writing is a cut throat business. People will look for any reason not to have read your two and half hour long opus to the dung beetle. So get your skills together, your facts straight, and always know exactly what your job is.

Learn more about this author, Jeffery Mack.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.