Screenwriting is hard. I don’t think that’s a revolutionary statement. For this reason, it’s important to set yourself up for success by making sure that you invest in yourself. Here’s 3 essential investments every screenwriter should make in themselves.
1. Read The Greats
Before you start hacking away at those keys, do some research. And by research, I mean reading. You’ve seen many movies in your lifetime but have you read any scripts? So make a list of your favorites, classics, or just movies similar to what you want to write and try to study them. You’ll be surprised at how much you enjoy scripts for reading pleasure and there are several floating around in cyberspace just waiting for you to get a hold of them. The Script Lab, Movie Scripts and Screenplays, Simply Scripts, and Go Into The Story are good places to find scripts.
2. Find The Right Software
Screenwriting software helps so that you don’t have to memorize those margin lengths and spacing rules. There is intuitive and easy to use screenwriting software that’s available. The option used by professional screenwriters and filmmakers is Final Draft. There’s also Movie Magic Screenwriter too. Do some research to find out which software suits your writing habits best.
3. Get Feedback
Every writer from Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan to Steven Spielberg needs feedback. As writers, we can never see our own work for what it really is. Our sight is blocked by our own bias for our own creation. We need criticism from other in order to make our work better. It doesn’t matter who reads your script as long as you’re getting feedback. When you get feedback, be sure to consider each note individually. You’re not a perfect writer and the person giving you feedback isn’t perfect either.
These 3 essential investments every screenwriter should make in themselves will help make your life as a screenwriter better.
Be sure to check out my other posts
– 5 Things Screenwriters Need To Do Before Typing A Single Word
– 3 Things Every Screenwriter Needs
– 1 Major Reason You Shouldn’t Sell A Script To Hollywood
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