When you tell someone you’re a writer, they too often lump you under a giant umbrella with poets, playwrights, novelists, and composers of legal documents. When in fact, different kinds of writing require different skill sets. For instance, being a screenwriter and being a novelist are demanding in very unique ways, and the writer of a great novel isn’t necessarily going to be able to adapt that novel into a great movie. Sure, any writer must have the creative juices flowing, have a good grasp on story, and must have the ability to explore their imagination unfettered. However, a novel has the freedom to dive into rants, long narrations and tangents, the freedom to construct a piece of literature with a plethora of structural examples to choose from, or lack thereof.
Writing a screenplay is a much different beast. It must be short, concise, and to the point, , so that agents and execs are able to read through it despite their busy schedules. In addition, it has to adhere to a very specific format on the page, which is almost impossible to figure out unless you have Final Draft or free screenplay software like Celtx.
Also, a screenplay must grasp the reader’s attention from the beginning. But most importantly, it must be a visual narration. The story must always be depicted visually, for the screen, and the screenwriter must avoid all temptation to explain a character’s internal dialogue and emotion in the action. Because of this, good screenwriters become experts in the interpretation of human behavior and body language. How does one depict frustration? Breathing deeply, throwing things, or even better, performing a task that illustrates the specific agitation perfectly; something that fits the plot like a fictional line of logic. It must have verisimilitude, it must be believable, and it must be entertaining. My hat goes off to all the struggling screenwriters out there! Write on!