Every Blake Snyder-infused, William Goldman-inspired cell in my eviscerate this screenwriting acolyte and show them the error of their ways.
But then I got to thinking…there are actually a lot of ways to practice screenwriting without writing a script.
I mean, sure, the BEST way to hone your screenwriting craft is to start (and finish) that screenplay of yours.
But if you’re mired in a creative block – or simply want to improve your skills before you type FADE OUT on your first script — here’s how to practice screenwriting with a couple simple exercises that take less than five minutes.
A Stress-Free Way to Learn How to Practice Screenwriting
Exercise #1: Master Your Scene Craft
The scene is the fundamental building block of the screenplay, just as the chapter is the building block of prose writing.
And knowing when to start and finish a scene and convey vital story information — all the while developing interesting, complex characters – is one of the best things you can do for your screenwriting game.
But what do you write a scene about? How to begin screenwriting a scene without….oh, I don’t know….knowing what the frick the scene is gonna be about.
Well…anything you can think of. Here are my faves to get you started:
- Random word in the dictionary
- A picture on Flickr or Tumblr
- A newspaper article
- Memory you have (or wish you have)
- Anything
- Take three random things and put them together (such as location, prop, and an occupation)
- Anything you find in those writing prompt books for fiction writers
The trick is to realize it’s not really about finding the perfect scene craft exercise. It don’t exist.
It’s about stretching your scene craft muscle and forcing you to get outside your scribbler comfort zone.
Exercise #2: Master a Single Element of Screenwriting
Don’t feel you have it in you to write an entire scene? Then why not focus on a single area of the screenwriting craft?
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “why is screenwriting so hard,” it’s because it requires so many different, often contradictory skills all at once. (You gotta know be creative, but also be structured, you gotta write for the market, but tap into your singular, individual voice.)
The best way to counteract this screenwriting overwhelm is to just hone in on one part of the craft.
- You could sharpen your screenplay description muscle by just heading to unique locations and writing what you see…and imagining what type of conflict there might be
- You could boost your dialogue skills by writing an imaginary “Extended scene” from your favorite movie or TV show
- You could work on your screenplay format game by formatting something challenging by writing a screenplay flashback or script montage
- You could enhance your character development abilities by coming up with interesting back stories for your friends (and enemies)
- You could, if you’re feeling super-lazy, come up with quick loglines of stories based on the title from a movie you haven’t seen
All of this is a way to practice screenwriting without causing the writer’s block-fearing hairs on the back of your neck to rise..and yet still make progress on your screenwriting goals.
Exercise #3: Write It Like You See It
Okay, first off, I know there’s no chance you’ll do this exercise. That’s because it takes time. And it’s kinda hard. And nobody does it.
But on the off-chance that you are slightly above-average — which I know you are —then I encourage you to give this exercise a chance.
It’s awesome and can up your screenwriting game quickly.
Here’s how it works:
- Grab one of your favorite (or least-favorite) books you’ve read somewhat recently
- Pretend like they have hired you to adapt the book into a screenplay (you can even pick a director)
- Find a memorable scene and read it over a few times (this is gonna be your audition piece!)
- Write the best scene you can
You don’t have to write it verbatim. In fact, please don’t. (Oh, how I wish the creative team behind LOTR didn’t feel beholden to the “sacred” Tolkien text.
You don’t even have to stick with what happens in the book.
But remember the director chose the material for a reason. They like something about it. It’s your job to respect the material but create something interesting and visual out of it.
The first one you do of these will be awful. And maybe even the fifth one.
But keep doing this exercise and you’ll get really good at removing the fluff—and in novels there’s a lot of fluff—and getting down to the essential parts of a scene.
Exercise #4: Guess What’s Next
This is a great exercise because you can play this with other humans that have no interest in upping their screenwriting game.
Here’s how it works:
- Put on a movie or TV show you (and whoever is watching) hasn’t seen
- As a scene begins, hit “pause” and write some brief guesses of what the next scene will be and where you think the story will go (“The bitter, solitary basketball coach is gonna “meet cute” with the spinster teacher who has a habit of husbands dying on her at the High-school dance”)
- Watch the scene and see how good your guesses are
- Do this 2-3 times for each movie/Tv show you watch
Couple things I hope you’ll discover in this exercise:
- Good stories have events that spin them in new directions
- Bad stories rely on cliché story turns you can see coming a million miles away
- Sometimes you come up with better story choices than the guys and girls getting paid far too much for their output
A Final Note
None of these exercises are a substitute for cranking through a full-length screenplay. If only to build up the stamina you need for such a project.
But try a few of these out and you’ll get exponentially better at screenwriting, without breaking a Final Draft sweat.
What’s Your Take on How to Practice Screenwriting, Without Screenwriting?
Have you picked up a trick learning how to practice screenwriting, aside from the usual “Write more scripts” mantra? Let us know in the comments below.
