Read Scripts

• Read scripts to find out what screenplays look like. Learn how to use your words to convey a visual medium. It's harder than it sounds!
  
  Check out Screenplays for You or Drew's Script-O-Rama online for examples.
  
  

Get the Software

• Most screenwriters use some form of screenwriting software. It takes the guesswork out of the formatting process. The Hollywood standard is Final Draft. However, this program costs several hundred dollars. A free option is Screen Styler, a Microsoft Word template. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it gets the job done.
  
  

Slugline (or Scene Heading)

• Screenplays have four major components. The first one is the slugline, which starts every scene, in ALL CAPS. This orients the reader to where/when the scene is happening.
  
  INT. SUSAN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
  
  (1) Int. indicates an interior scene. Ext. indicates an exterior scene.
  
  (2) Location: Examples include: SUSAN'S BEDROOM, SCHOOL HALLWAY or WOODS. Be specific, but don't be descriptive.
  
  (3) Time of day: Usually it's vague (DAY or NIGHT), but it can be as specific as needed (11:22 AM)
  
  

Action

• This is where the author describes what is happening on the screen. Remember, this is ultimately a visual medium, so you can only include what can be shown on the screen.
  
  For example:
  
  An ordinary-looking teenage bedroom. It's littered with clothes, and the walls are lined with posters of the hottest new bands.
  
  SUSAN, 17, is lying in bed but suddenly shoots up to a sitting position. She looks around in concern.
  
  The first time a character is introduced should be in CAPS, but only the first time.
  
  Descriptions should generally be kept short. Remember, most aesthetic decisions will be made by the director and designers, so keep it simple and only tell what is necessary to propel the story further.
  
  

Character Name

• Every time a character speaks, their name will be listed, again in ALL CAPS, in the middle of the page.
  
  If minor characters are used, you don't necessarily have to name each one. Things like MILITARY GUY #1 or STUDENT #4 are great because the reader immediately knows this isn't someone important.
  
  Be careful to have the character's names actually said aloud. Visual medium, remember? The audience won't have a script in hand.
  
  

Dialogue

• Dialogue will immediately follow the character name (also centered).
  
  SUSAN
  Hello? Is someone there?
  
  Unlike a book, there are no quotation marks around dialogue, unless a character is quoting something directly.
  
  

Putting It All Together

• Now, let's put all the elements together:
  
  INT. SUSAN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
  
  An ordinary-looking teenage bedroom. It's littered with clothes, and the walls are lined with posters of the hottest new bands.
  
  SUSAN, 17, is lying in bed but suddenly shoots up to a sitting position. She looks around in concern.
  
  SUSAN
  Hello? Is someone there?
  
  Like any creative endeavor, screenwriting is an art, and takes time and effort to master. Take a class. Buy a book (or several). Find a writer's group. And start writing!