Welcome to our book on screenwriting! Because you are reading this, I assume that you are probably interested in writing your first screenplay. In our book, we try to have a little fun as you learn the process of screenwriting and guide you in how to write a screenplay in 3 days.

Screenplays are merely a way for storytellers to tell their tales using the visual medium, film. Storytellers have existed since the dawn of man with early cave dwellers scribing their accounts on cave walls. A few believe that only the most creative of us are capable of telling a story or writing a screenplay. I believe that any of us can do this if we have a story inside desperate to be told. Telling a story in screenplay format is like any other process. It requires an understanding of the basic elements, access to resources to complete it, and a plan of action to follow it through to the end. Each screenwriter approaches their screenplay differently and hones their craft in their own individual distinct way. Every screenwriter is as different as the stories they tell. Yet screenwriters all have one thing in common, the need to convey the story for film in the screenplay format. Otherwise known as the screenwriter’s language.

            This book will help you to understand the screenwriter’s language, how it is formatted, and some of the other basic elements that are essential for its composition. The beginning screenwriter should also study screenplays of their favorite films to see the blueprint that drove the film and how it translated from screenplay to film. Once I have introduced you to the basic elements, I invite you to schedule an uninterrupted 3-day creative writing marathon with the goal being a complete first draft of your screenplay. The book contains information on screenplay structure, screenplay format, character development and scene development, dialogue, where to get ideas, and much more!

SAMPLE EXCERPT ON "SCENES":

Screenplays are visual works of art for a visual medium. How do readers or directors get visual images from your screenplay? Every word that you put into the screenplay must translate into an image. If what you’re typing into your script cannot be translated into an image, then you are wasting the person’s time. If the image is not a location or you are not describing the location elements, or you are not describing how the actor looks or moves, or you are not presenting dialogue for the actors, then it doesn’t add to the final product… the film. Some of the famous screenwriters, like Tarantino, add personal comments in their screenplays. You’re probably not famous at this point so I wouldn’t try it. Stick to the rule that if it doesn’t translate to a visual image, leave it out.

The scene description section of the screenplay immediately follows the scene heading. The Scene Heading not only sets the location and time of day for the scene to unfold, but it also informs the director of what locations he needs and how many. I’ve had several independent film producers request a screenplay that has ONE location. They are on such a tight budget that all they can come up with is their uncle’s cabin and that’s it. Okay. Don’t do this. Not many of us can pull this one off. There’s a term in the industry for this. It’s called “talking heads.”  It’s when we have one location and people are talking back and forth and there’s no scene changes or action. There are instances where this has been done successfully, however. A great example of this can be seen in the movie Twelve Men. In this film about twelve jurors, it was done successfully, but for most of us, it’s certain death. We end up with a talking heads film.

The Scene Description allows us to visually describe the environment, whether it’s a majestic interior of a mansion or a run down slum. It also allows us to describe the tone and demeanor of the characters in the scene by having them racing in the room frightened, or mad, or happy, or carrying a sawed off shotgun. You set the tone of the scene for the supporting dialogue.

The book, "How to Write a Screenplay in 3 days" follows the author as he develops an original screenplay and shares with the reader the creative process from idea to structured screenplay.