by Carl Hose

Created on: November 11, 2009

Writing for the screen is the same as writing a novel, yet different. As far as storytelling goes, the basics remain the same. Pay attention to plot, character, and setting. A story told for the screen still needs to have a beginning, middle, and an end; a story told for the screen still needs to captivate the audience.

The difference between writing for the screen and writing a novel lies primarily in the presentation. Stories told for the screen are written in screenplay format. This format is essential to telling your story for the screen. The format includes description, character cues, dialogue, and sometimes camera directions. A screenplay is written in third person, present tense. Only include in your screenplay what the audience can see or hear. Anything else will be overlooked by the director.

There are also storytelling devices that don't work well in a screenplay. Character thoughts are among these. The movie audience can't see what a character is thinking. You can always use a voiceover to express a character's thoughts, but you risk damaging the flow of your story by doing this. Having a character speaking over the film can be distracting. You characters' thoughts can sometimes be expressed in a flashback sequence, but films are typically linear, so flashbacks can also disrupt the flow of the story. They should be used sparingly, and only to impart information essential to telling your story.

The key to writing a good story for the screen is to think visually. If your character is agitated, show the agitation. You can't tell the audience he's agitated, but you can show him tapping his foot or sucking on a cigarette impatiently. If your character is in a confrontation with another character, he may look away from the other character often, as if he's trying to keep his anger in check.

Screenwriting is a visual medium. Unlike a novel, where the printed word is the end result, a screenplay is only a guide to the story that will eventually end up on the big screen. The words on paper are arbitrary. The writer, to some extent, loses his importance once the shooting of the film is underway. He's had the chance to tell the story in the initial writing of the screenplay.The story will appear onscreen as the director and the actors interpret it, using visual devices such as camera shots and special effects.

Learn more about this author, Carl Hose.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.