A post on Industrial Scripts identifies the most important tips you need to get started on your story. While some of their tips focusing specifically on screenplays, including formatting requirements, several are applicable to any kind of creative writing.
- Read. “The first lesson you will take from writing your first screenplay is that reading books and screenplays is the ideal way to start your journey,” the article states. You can find the scripts to many classic films online and plenty of books in the library. You should also read craft books, which may contain exercises to help you practice.
- Get a good idea. “This might seem an obvious statement, but it is more important and harder than it seems,” the article says. Practice observing people move about in the real world and imagine what they might be doing. Create scenarios that would put them in difficult situations or force them out of their comfort zone. Don’t rely on one inspiration for a great idea. Your script will probably be an amalgam of multiple ideas from multiple sources.
- Write with purpose. “Everything you write must be of significance to the story,” the article states. “Every piece of dialogue, action and even the sounds you include have to add information to the script to move the narrative forward.” If your story doesn’t move forward with every scene, your audience will get bored. You have more leeway with prose than cinema, but not that much. Choose your scenes and words carefully. Question everything you add.
