If you have ever tried to write a script then you will know just how hard it is to do and how strange those words appear on paper. If however you have dreams of growing up to be the next great scriptwriter like Roger Wolfson, then you are going to have to learn the principles of scriptwriting and how you can implement them in your work. Even the greats like Roger, from Fairly Legal and Saving Grace fame, have understood the need to work with others to hone their skills, and to practice until they get things right.
The key will be to practice all aspects of scriptwriting until you get it right, and here are the keys which you should be focused on.
Timing
Unless someone is ranting there is no diatribes in conversations, at least not in the main, so you have got to work on how you time certain phrases and punchlines. When you are speaking with friends and family pay attention to how we leave pauses and important silences in between words. We do this to convey emotions, sullen is long pauses and low tone, anger is fast and loud. The better a grasp you get of this idea of timing the better that you will be as a scriptwriter.
Vernacular
Having someone who is painted in a script as being highly intelligent speaking like someone uneducated makes very little sense, and visa versa. The believability of a character is not just in the way they look and the clothes that they wear, but rather the things that they say and the manner in which they say them. Not every character should speak as your mind does, so always bear in mind every aspect of the character in terms of who they are and how they would actually sound.
Fake Conversations
The hardest part of scriptwriting and something which will only come through being attentive and practicing is making those words in a conversation appear real. Whilst the situation that has been created is completely fake, the words which you use wis what will bring the entire thing to life, whilst that is a lot of pressure, this is the reality of the job.
Achieving
In the world of television or in a movie, every conversation is there to achieve something so you should always keep your eyes on the prize. This may be a moment to bring some comedy, or to inform the audience or it may even be a precursor to a later scene. The key will be for you to understand totally what this moment and this scene is about, what it is trying to achieve exactly, and then shaping the conversation in such a way that helps the scene reach that goal.
As mentioned above, the most important factor ins scriptwriting is that you work hard on making it real, understanding your characters and their motivations, and helping the viewer to move forward with the story in a relatable way, achieve that, and you’re headed for a great career.
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