| You’ve read dozens of screenwriting rules online, if not hundreds or even thousands. Beginning screenwriters cling to these rules, vowing to never break them in order to set themselves apart from all the ‘bad screenwriters’ out there. |  |
But think about it: If every beginning screenwriter is committed to following the same set of rules, how is anyone ever going to stand out?
In this post, I’ll share the 7 “Screenwriting Rules” that are killing your creativity…and your career.
Click here for more...
In this post, I’ll share the 7 “Screenwriting Rules” that are killing your creativity…and your career.
Click here for more...
Hold On a Second
Yes, there are a few fundamental tenets that should generally be adhered to.
I’m not advocating rebellious, reckless writing. Only that you always put story first, not rules you read online or in books.
Think About It: Why are screenwriters so willing to follow these rules, and ignore it when their favorite movies don’t? Write like your heroes, not your peers.
1) Story Is Guided by Page Count
Every screenwriting book has its own map for what story event should happen when. Inciting incident by page ten, midpoint at page sixty and so on and so forth.
But here’s the truth: Every story is different, and every story requires a different sequence of events.
Too many writers lock into these page counts. They obsess over hitting the beats in the right spots, and in doing so, they totally cripple the natural flow and momentum of their story.
Let your story guide you, not page count rules.
2) Your Protagonist Has to Be Likable
Your hero does not have to be a good guy. He doesn’t have to do likable things. He just needs to be interesting, compelling and active.
Audiences often love characters that don’t do likable things. So don’t get too caught up on this rule.
See: Walter White, Mark Zuckerberg
Yes, there are a few fundamental tenets that should generally be adhered to.
I’m not advocating rebellious, reckless writing. Only that you always put story first, not rules you read online or in books.
Think About It: Why are screenwriters so willing to follow these rules, and ignore it when their favorite movies don’t? Write like your heroes, not your peers.
1) Story Is Guided by Page Count
Every screenwriting book has its own map for what story event should happen when. Inciting incident by page ten, midpoint at page sixty and so on and so forth.
But here’s the truth: Every story is different, and every story requires a different sequence of events.
Too many writers lock into these page counts. They obsess over hitting the beats in the right spots, and in doing so, they totally cripple the natural flow and momentum of their story.
Let your story guide you, not page count rules.
2) Your Protagonist Has to Be Likable
Your hero does not have to be a good guy. He doesn’t have to do likable things. He just needs to be interesting, compelling and active.
Audiences often love characters that don’t do likable things. So don’t get too caught up on this rule.
See: Walter White, Mark Zuckerberg
3) Plot Comes First
Too many screenwriters outline story before they have a strong idea of who their central characters are. This is a critical error, because story comes from character.
It should be impossible to know anything substantial about your story before you’ve defined the character that will be driving it.
4) Set Up the Plan Before It’s Enacted
Beginning writers are often taught to be transparent with their story telling. A big example of this can be found in third acts of amateur screenplays everywhere.
New writers set out their big ‘rescue’ or ‘get the girl’ plan in dialogue before the hero pursues it. They reason that this way the audience will be able to follow along and keep score as the hero concludes their journey.
But this deflates all the mystery from your story.
Be very careful what you set up, and use the tunnel effect to your advantage whenever you can.
Stories, like life, unfold gradually.
5) Write What You Know
This maxim should never be taken literally. If you’re a writer, chances are your daily experiences don't differ much from those of your colleagues.
You spend your days sitting at a desk writing, or at a day job thinking about writing.
Think about this advice as broadly as possible. Write about who you are and what drives your decisions. Apply what you know and who you are to your stories, without limiting yourself to actual life experiences.
Combine your life experience and perspective with your imagination and you’ll have a unique story to tell that’s distinctly yours.
6) Your Screenplay Should Be X Number of Pages
This is very much related to item number one on this list. Just like you shouldn’t be worried about specific beats happening by certain pages, you shouldn’t be pre-occupied with where FADE OUT happens.
Write your story as long as it needs to be, with no extraneous scenes. However many pages that takes is exactly how long your script should be.
7) Your Antagonist Has to Be Unlikable
This is one of the worst pieces of advice out there, and just like the ‘likable protagonist’ bit, it’s all over the place.
Good characters are complex. The only thing your antagonist has to do is get in the way of your hero.
A likable bad guy can be very fun to watch, and if every antagonist is blindly bad, that’s boring.
Generally, Ignore All Absolutes
So many screenwriting rules tell you to ALWAYS do this or NEVER do that. It’s this mentality that handcuffs good writers.
Keep an open mind as you write. Even if it means doing that one thing that screenwriters are never supposed to do.
What Now?
Be judicious with which rules you follow. While all of these rules are rooted in something helpful, too many writers take them as gospel.
Remember: Screenwriting rules are not absolute. When taken absolutely, they will stop any good script dead in their tracks.
Good stories are surprising. They adhere to some rules. They break others. Don’t be afraid to write the screenplay that makes the most sense to you, even if all the books say you’re doing it wrong.
Because how much can writing 'by the book' really help you when you're trying to write for the big screen?
What other bad screenwriting rules are out there? Comment below.
Too many screenwriters outline story before they have a strong idea of who their central characters are. This is a critical error, because story comes from character.
It should be impossible to know anything substantial about your story before you’ve defined the character that will be driving it.
4) Set Up the Plan Before It’s Enacted
Beginning writers are often taught to be transparent with their story telling. A big example of this can be found in third acts of amateur screenplays everywhere.
New writers set out their big ‘rescue’ or ‘get the girl’ plan in dialogue before the hero pursues it. They reason that this way the audience will be able to follow along and keep score as the hero concludes their journey.
But this deflates all the mystery from your story.
Be very careful what you set up, and use the tunnel effect to your advantage whenever you can.
Stories, like life, unfold gradually.
5) Write What You Know
This maxim should never be taken literally. If you’re a writer, chances are your daily experiences don't differ much from those of your colleagues.
You spend your days sitting at a desk writing, or at a day job thinking about writing.
Think about this advice as broadly as possible. Write about who you are and what drives your decisions. Apply what you know and who you are to your stories, without limiting yourself to actual life experiences.
Combine your life experience and perspective with your imagination and you’ll have a unique story to tell that’s distinctly yours.
6) Your Screenplay Should Be X Number of Pages
This is very much related to item number one on this list. Just like you shouldn’t be worried about specific beats happening by certain pages, you shouldn’t be pre-occupied with where FADE OUT happens.
Write your story as long as it needs to be, with no extraneous scenes. However many pages that takes is exactly how long your script should be.
7) Your Antagonist Has to Be Unlikable
This is one of the worst pieces of advice out there, and just like the ‘likable protagonist’ bit, it’s all over the place.
Good characters are complex. The only thing your antagonist has to do is get in the way of your hero.
A likable bad guy can be very fun to watch, and if every antagonist is blindly bad, that’s boring.
Generally, Ignore All Absolutes
So many screenwriting rules tell you to ALWAYS do this or NEVER do that. It’s this mentality that handcuffs good writers.
Keep an open mind as you write. Even if it means doing that one thing that screenwriters are never supposed to do.
What Now?
Be judicious with which rules you follow. While all of these rules are rooted in something helpful, too many writers take them as gospel.
Remember: Screenwriting rules are not absolute. When taken absolutely, they will stop any good script dead in their tracks.
Good stories are surprising. They adhere to some rules. They break others. Don’t be afraid to write the screenplay that makes the most sense to you, even if all the books say you’re doing it wrong.
Because how much can writing 'by the book' really help you when you're trying to write for the big screen?
What other bad screenwriting rules are out there? Comment below.
