Time Management

Time Management

Managing your time correctly when writing a screenplay is vital. If you spend too much time or get hung up on the minute details in a script, you may end up with a novel rather than a script. A common problem when writing a screenplay is spending alot of time trying to think of an amazing idea, because the longer and harder you try to think of an idea, the less likely it is to come to you. Taking a small idea and adding things to it is away of getting past this, and playing games to pop random things into your head is also a good way to get started. This is a sure fire way to get you writing, rather than spending a colossal amount of time thinking. Also, first ideas are often the best.

Alot of writers spend alot of time thinking of characters, and create elaborate ideas which end up being hard to portray. The less time you spend creating a character and listing all their traits and mannerisms, the more time you can have breathing life into that character through their actions, which will add alot more depth to that character. You learn more from a character by the way they act in situations, rather than in descriptions.

Some production companies and screenwriting competitions will ask for a sample of your script before they want to see the whole thing. In this situation it is important that this sample is representative of you entire script. For example if the sample is to be 10 pages long then there is no point making an excellent 10 pages and having another 108 pages of rubbish, in  other words all parts of a script should have equal amounts of time spent on them.