Every movie ever made, from the Academy Award winners to the box office flops, can trace their origins back to one thing: an idea. Be they inspired by books or constructed in dreams, ideas form the basis of movies, books, television shows, etc. All it takes is someone saying, “I have an idea that would make a great movie!” If you’ve ever had this thought, you’re obviously going to want to know to write a screenplay if you want to make it a reality. There are some simple steps you can follow to set yourself on the path of the screenwriter.

First and foremost, you’re going to want to invest in a copy of Final Draft. Final Draft is a computer program that was made specifically to write screenplays. It will automatically format your screenplay properly, keep track of characters, locations, and whatnot, and even give you basic tips on formatting and writing. While you can do this with any word processor, Final Draft makes it immensely easier and it is simple to use. The program itself can be expensive, but you’re going to need it if you want to get serious about writing. It is the industry standard, and most production houses will not touch a screenplay that isn’t in this format. If you can, get it early and practice with it.

When sitting down to flesh out your idea, you’re going to want to start with a treatment. This is a very important step in the writing process. These are typically five to six pages long and detail the movie from start to finish. Some can run even longer, up to thirty pages or more. Treatments will let you see how your movie will progress and allow you to make changes to the basic story without having to re-write an entire script. It’ll also give you an idea on movie length. Is it a feature or a short? You’ll also have a chance to see all your characters, how they react, and how the story flows. Treatments typically do not contain dialogue, though you can add a few lines here and there to get a sense of how they meld with the story. Keep a treatment basic: don’t add a lot of explosions or camera movements. Leave those for your actual script. What you’re doing with a treatment is seeing if your idea is feasible and if it can make a good story.

When you’re done and comfortable with your treatment, it’s time to begin the real writing process. Stick with your treatment as best you can to avoid getting lost in the story. Don’t get excited and start adding “cool” or “exciting” elements where they don’t really belong. Keep your dialogue grounded as best you can. You can accomplish this by acting out the scenes in your head and saying the lines as you would say them. Try to keep it from feeling too artificial. Also, keep in mind that the more you add, the more money it’ll take to create the screenplay. The budget it something a producer is going to take into consideration, so try and keep it as low as possible. You can accomplish this by avoiding length action or stunt sequences, keeping the locations and characters to a minimum, and cutting out any unnecessary scenes. You also want to make sure you get your screenplay registered with the Writer’s Guild of America. This will ensure your work is protected, so make sure you include the WGA number on your cover page.

Once your screenplay is finished, read it from front to back and make sure you’re happy with it. Make any necessary revisions and changes, and make sure you like it before you start looking for a producer. These are professionals that excel in selling and producing your movie, so they’re the people you want to talk to in order to make your screenplay into a movie. If you’re good enough, they’ll want to pick you up. Most of the time, these producers work mainly in independent films, so you’ll have a better shot than if you try for the major studios. Listen to them and make any revisions to your script they want. While they won’t typically change your entire story, remember that you have creative control. Work with them, and they’ll usually work with you. Always bear in mind that if you script isn’t selling, it’s all right to rewrite or scrap it. Don’t become obsessed.

Stay with it long enough and you just might have the next big blockbuster on your hands.

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