Writing Tips

Writing Tips

How To Format A Screenplay

Formatting a screenplay is simple and easy. The challenge is putting in the magic – plot, characterization, dialog, pacing and so on. The success of that effort depends on the screenwriter’s talent, mastery of the craft and dedication. For now, let’s focus on the format. A screenplay is crafted in three acts: act one is 30 pages, act two is 60 pages, and act three is 30 pages. Each act tells its own story with a beginning a middle and an end which develops the plot and leads into the next act and eventually a satisfactory conclusion.

Act One sets up your story. It introduces the main character, sets the stage for the action, and states a problem. Somewhere around page 25 you should create an event that changes direction and propels your lead character into the next act. Consider My Darling Clementine, Wyatt Earp, and Tombstone. The Earps arrive in “the town too tough to die” to begin peaceful lives as entrepreneurs. The violence they encounter twists the plot and forces them into becoming officers of the law.

Act Two is where most of the action takes place. This is where your hero encounters numerous obstacles to achieving his or her goal. Your audience must understand the need that drives your lead character to overcome all the challenges thrown his way. Around page 85 the writer should create another twist that changes direction and leads into the final act. The Earps must overcome the challenges presented by the Clanton gang and the corruption of local law enforcement. The wounding of Virgil and the killing of Morgan Earp spins the story into the final act.

Act Three wraps up everything into a successful conclusion. The screenplay doesn’t have to have a traditional happy ending, but the ending must complete the story and fulfill the promises of the first two acts. The Earps and Doc Holiday face down the Clantons at the OK Corral and bring the story to a successful conclusion; the bad guys are defeated and Wyatt gets the girl of his dreams. That’s it. That’s how you do it. Now, go work your magic

.* * *

“One must not always think that feeling is everything. Art is nothing without form.”

Gustave Flaubert

“A good writer is basically a story-teller, not a scholar or a redeemer of mankind.”

Isaac Bashevis Singer

“He writes so well he makes me feel like putting my quill back in my goose.”

Fred Allen

* * *