The time span of a screenplay is compressed. If you want to write a multi-generational saga, make it a novel. Screenwriting style is simple. Screenplays are written at a high school reading level, so that any reader can breeze through one in less time than it would take to see the movie. Screenwriting is writing to others' specifications and desires.
Screenwriters are writers for hire.
Yes, there are obvious exceptions, but the films that break the rules are usually financed outside the Hollywood mainstream, often take years to get off the ground, and are almost never written by new writers trying to launch their careers. So before you make the leap into screenwriting, seriously ask yourself if you're willing to conform to all these restrictions just to see something resembling your work appear on the screen. Now all that's left is to see lots of movies, read lots of scripts, educate yourself with some appropriate books or classes . . . . and commit every day of your life to pursuing your dream. Choose Category in Menu. Enter Your Email.