The on­ly as­pect of a film’s pro­duc­tion that is with­in a writ­er’s con­trol is the orig­i­nal screen­play it­self. Once a pro­duc­tion com­pa­ny gets hold of it, the writ­er is pret­ty much on the side­lines.

A perfectly written screenplay takes time and effort. Despite what anyone tells you, there are no shortcuts to writing a great screenplay. There are several common traits that you’ll find in every example of great dialogue. The most prominent aspects of strong dialogue are: brevity, plosives, reinforcement, and questions. Attention-grabbing dialogue uses a strong dose of each of those elements.

It’s easy to assume that a star wouldn’t possibly be interested in being in a low-budget film, but remember that even stars are not busy all the time. If the project is interesting enough they’d rather do it, even for a low salary, rather than sitting around doing nothing.

Writing a screenplay is a lengthy process that requires an organized mind. It’s not just about writing a great story, it’s about pacing, characterization, and (most importantly) intertwining the scenes in a logical, story-telling format. And even if you do manage to get a script completed, the odds of getting it produced are slim to none.

Some basic, yet essential writing tips on structure and format for today’s aspiring script and screenplay writers.