Screenwriting for Authors - Don't Make These Common Mistakes

1. Screenwriting for Authors - Don't Make These Common Mistakes Screenwriting is wildly different from writing a novel or true-story book. It is a different medium and needs to be treated as such. It is a very difficult form that few authors are able to master. With this in mind, here are a few of common mistakes pointed out by Nadel Paris of new screenwriters. Hopefully, this article will help you to avoid them and make your script or book into a movie more enticing to Hollywood. STARTING TOO LATE -Novels can and often do start at a leisurely pace, with scene descriptions, character backgrounds, etc. Because screenplays generally run a maximum of 120 pages, much of which is white space, a screenplay has to get moving sooner. UNNECESSARY DESCRIPTION -Screenplay description is minimalist, just enough to tell the reader where we are and a general tone of the place. Leave the rest up to the director and/or art director. STATING THE OBVIOUS -one tendency of beginning screenwriters is to have characters state what we just witnessed on the screen. For example, if we are watching a track meet and John crosses the finish line first, it is unnecessary and boring to have a character say "John won the race." FORMAT -Screenplays must conform to a strict format, for purposes of shooting. The first thing a producer or Hollywood Reader (whose job it is to read scripts for their bosses) does is check the format. If it's wrong, even a little, they throw away the script without further attention. LENGTH -Feature Film scripts are usually 90 - 120 pages, though close to 100 is usually preferred. The reason is that one page of a screenplay is considered to

2. translate into one minute of screen time. Industry execs will generally not read a script that is of improper length. TOO MUCH DIALOGUE -One big newbie mistake is to write page after page of dialogue. Movies are primarily a visual medium. There should be a good balance of dialogue and physical action, favoring action. Action does not necessarily mean gun fights and car chases. It means the characters are doing something. Nadel Paris is a published author, recording artist, musician, music producer, and songwriter. Nadel has written numerous screenplays, but her first love is novel writing. Her expertise in young adult drama has allowed her to write captivating coming-of-age stories in both English and French. She is truly amazing at what she does. She is imaginative and keen observer which makes her a good writer. For more details about Ms. Nadel, visit here: http://nadelparis.strikingly.com/