Screenwriting 101
Writing a screenplay sounds simple enough. Right? It’s actually fairly simple. Honestly. But writing a compelling screenplay that gets a reader past the first page or so is a different issue altogether. Gaining enough interest to see your screenplay produced and actually made into a film is an entirely different story.
The two most important parts of a screenplay are story and characters. Aside from a solid theme, a legit sensible plot, believeable dialogue that moves the story forward, but that’s all. Simple. 🙂
We’ve been at this a while now and we’ve boiled this down into a simple process that we believe will help you get started, get unstuck, remove the block, or add to your story or characters.

Introduction
Our first class in the art and craft of screenwriting is in sculpting. Yes, sculpture. Hang with me here. This is life-changing information. A great sculptor doesn’t start by polishing the stone or carving the ear of the human figure. That would be foolish. First, the sculptor decides the size of the granite needed. Then he or she chips away the corners, gets the stone to the rough dimensions. Then she steps back and thinks, “That’s far too large for my statue of a child.” So she chips away again until the size feels right. Then they take it a step farther and chip some more off. As the child takes shape, they reassess and make decisions. Is this the right size? The right height? And so on. Eventually they are chiseling out the eyes, the nose, an ear, a toe. It took a while to get here but she took small steps along the way to ensure there would never be a moment to destroy the work and start over from scratch. If a sculptor’s process wasn’t something along these lines, she couldn’t afford another piece of granite. Paper, on the other hand, is not expensive and you’re using pixels anyway, right? But your time and effort is the most valuable limited resource you own. I’ll equip you with a process that helps you to never spend years writing a screenplay or ever scrapping your work and starting from scratch again. Why? Because that just stinks.
What is Art?
I would define art as simply “a created thing of beauty.”
- Created. Someone made it.
- A thing. It’s tangible. Something you can hold, touch, smell, feel, hear, display, taste, or view.
- Beauty. This is subjective for certain but true beauty moves us deeply and invokes an emotional response.
As we continue through the lessons, we will learn about:
- Professional Screenplay Format
- Screenwriting Apps and Software
- Outlining / Beat Sheet
- Screenwriting Resources
- Competitions
- And more
Screenwriting Lesson One
Our first lesson in screenwriting introduces the student to story conception and starting well. You will use secretly chosen aspects to aid in starting a story of your own using our story generator. So grab a pen or pencil, download and print out the worksheets or do it digitally. Just do it.
Story Generator
Pick random numbers for genre, protagonist, antagonist, setting/location, and a story element to include. All chosen totally at random, the student is then challenged to solve the problem, incorporating each of the story structure elements into a general story idea. After each student presents an off-the-top-of-your-head story, we let the dust settle then dig into the Save the Cat Beat Sheet.
Choose a Genre (1 to 15)
- Sci-Fi
- Action
- Western
- Mystery
- Horror
- Drama
- Comedy
- Adventure
- Noir
- Romance
- Fantasy
- Historical
- Satire
- Thriller
- Mockumentary
Choose a Protagonist (1 to 23)
- Pickpocket
- Thief
- Gangster
- Teenage Boy
- Teenage Girl
- Twins
- Teacher
- Coach
- Cop
- Detective
- Soldier
- Hunter
- Doctor
- Farmer
- Mechanic
- Veteran
- Old Man
- Old Woman
- Secret Agent
- Spy
- Prisoner
- Security Guard
- Gambler
Choose an Antagonist (1 to 20)
- Monster
- Government
- Principal
- Robot
- Aliens
- Gang
- Burglar
- Thief
- Detective
- Soldier
- Hunter
- Doctor
- Scientist
- Assassin
- Spy
- Mechanic
- Hospital
- Animal Hospital
- Security Guard
- Prisoner
Choose a Key Setting (1 to 22)
- School
- Ball Field
- Woods
- Wilderness
- Home
- Ocean
- Phone Booth
- Factory
- Office
- Lake House
- Farm House
- Space
- Ocean
- Island
- Iceberg
- Cruise
- Prison
- Church
- Courtroom
- Warehouse
- Video Game
- River
Choose a Key Story Element (1 to 40)
- Marriage
- Divorce
- Dating
- Storm
- Dare
- Apocalyptic Event
- Skating Rink
- Lots of Money
- Robbery
- Stolen Car
- Jewelry
- Bomb
- Gun
- Music
- Concert
- Wreck
- Explosion
- Dynamite
- Knife
- Blood
- Boat
- Book
- Ring
- Cloak
- Sword
- Crystal Ball
- Computer
- Time Machine
- Video Game
- Large Truck
- Camera
- Professor
- Judge
- Jury
- Puzzle
- Fight
- Game
- Natural Disaster
- Illness
- No Money
Character Generator
Each character must be engaging, mysterious at some level, and conflicted. Writing a unique yet realistic character can be difficult. This exercise will challenge you to accept a character as he or she is, before you command them, as the author, to do as you say.
Choose a Positive Adjective (1 to 10)
- Kind
- Generous
- Complimentary
- Giving
- Brave
- Responsible
- Loving
- Genius
- Physically Strong
- Positive Outlook
Choose a Negative Adjective (1 to 10)
- Thief
- Liar/Dishonest
- Angry
- Egotistical
- Dismissive
- Annoying
- Rude
- Grumpy
- Disobedient
- Dumb
Choose a Neutral Adjective (1 to 10)
- Mysterious
- Blunt
- Cynical
- Poor
- Wealthy
- Aimless
- Defeated
- Scatter-brained
- Quiet
- Accepts the Challenge
Choose a Secret (1 to 10)
- Alcohol / Drugs
- Odd Weakness
- Former inmate
- Great Loss
- Great Gain
- Committed a Crime
- Crazy Family
- History / Backstory
- Disease
- Forgetful
Choose a Guiding Ideology / Philosophy (1 to 10)
- Can’t Kill
- Lawful
- Strictly Religious
- Can’t Lie
- B&W worldview
- Must kill
- Family First
- Faith & Country
- Power Hungry
- Protection of Life / Way of Life
Character Development
This is the audio from our Film School 101 Character Development discussion on March 14, 2023.
Character Development
Table Read and Intro to Pre-Production
This is the audio from our Film School 101 Table Read and Pre-Production discussion on March 28, 2023.