So you want to be a screenwriter, but where do you start? What tools and resources are necessary to learn to be a screenwriter? Do I have to spend a lot of money to get started? These are all common questions, which I will answer in this article.

Easy tips on how to write a movie script:

1) Read as many screenplays as you can. Learn the format and language of how screenplays are constructed. For instance, screenplays are always written in the present tense and often use minimal description to set scenes and create atmosphere. The rule of thumb is: never write more detail than you need. There is a standard shorthand that is common to most scripts, as well as certain terminology that is used to set up scenes and indicate transitions. Reading lots of screenplays will allow you to learn how professional screenwriters use this jargon. You can pick up some free screenplays to study at ScreenwritingTips.com.

2) Use computer software to format your scripts. As mentioned above, to succeed in Hollywood, you have to use proper screenplay formatting and jargon. People who work in the industry are used to screenplays following an accepted format and layout. If yours does not, you are out of the ball game before it has even started. If you’ve got the money to spend (0-200), I suggest Movie Magic Screenwriter as the software of choice. In my opinion, it FAR SURPASSES the competition, even the prevalent and ever-popular Final Draft. If your budget is tight, there are also many low-cost software options available (under 0), as well as free templates that plug into MS Word.

3) Learn to outline your stories. You can do this on a computer, or you can use the “traditional” method of breaking down your screen story through the use of index (3×5) cards. Either method will allow you to move your scenes about and find the proper flow of your story. During this process, you may discover “miracles” that will take your story to the next level… or you may find out that that “precious” scene you’ve been thinking about is not even needed! Beginners often have too much material for their story, or too little. They must find the happy medium. Outlining helps get clarity and allows you to see what can be chopped or what must be enhanced. Storytelling is an art.

4) Purchase some screenwriting books to help you learn the process of storytelling and how to structure your story. William Goldman, screenwriter extraordinaire, is famous for saying that screenplays are, “Structure, structure, structure.” Movies don’t have time to meander like novels. They need to be tightly constructed, with no flab. There are some great books on the market. Hit your local bookstore to familiarize yourself with a few. One of my favorites on how to write a commercial screenplay is Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT! Snyder really focuses on the importance of your STORY IDEA and how crucial it is to creating a screenplay that will sell in today’s Hollywood. I also like HOW TO WRITE SCREENPLAYS THAT SELL by Michael Hauge because it starts with the basics and lays out proper story construction. It’s an easier book to get a grasp on and is great for beginners.

Many individuals across the world dream of achieving recognition for their screenwriting but only a relatively small number succeed in realising these aspirations.

However, a man in the US is now one step closer to achieving his ambition, it has been revealed. According to reports in the Quad News, less than a year after graduating from his course of media studies at Quinnipiac University, John Kelley has sold a screenplay to a small production company in Minnesota.

Called Norm, his offering is one of four such creations he has completed and there are two more on the way. Potentially using screenwriting software, the talented youngster works on his scripts after finishing his day job as an assistant research executive at Millward Brown.

Commenting on his success with Norm, he said: “Selling it was always a pipedream, but to be able to say it’s going into production, that’s a dream come true.”

He went on to suggest that through his screenwriting, he aims to make people laugh.

Meanwhile, Mr Kelley added: “Norm is the story of a meek, balding, OCD-ridden, overweight high school teacher whose life changes when he lies to his mother in her dying moments and subsequently inherits from her a family heirloom that once belonged to Marie Antoinette.”

His script was a finalist in the 2010 American Screenwriting Competition but it was the way in which he used screenplay writing software in the process that gained more attention. Writers use professional screenwriting software when creating their pieces not only to format and stylize them, but to receive constructive criticism for their work and to review the efforts of others.

While the process of creating an offering of this kind has not got any easier over the years, there is now support in the form of script writing software that is available for those keen to get involved. This script writing software can help individuals structure and plan their work more successfully in line with industry standards.

Whether you are trying to win contests or sell your script, it is important that you take advantage of every opportunity you can to increase your chances of success.

Some people have estimated the odds of a good screenwriter selling a script to be in the neighborhood of 1 in 5,000.

What if you could cut that in half just by one action? Now, you’re at 1 in 2,500.

Then, what if you could cut that by 1/5th by taking a series of actions. Now, you’re at 1 in 500. And if you continue on that path, sooner or later, you’ll get to 1 in 10 or even 1 in 2.

If you don’t believe that, let me ask you this: What are the chances of Charlie Kaufman selling another screenplay?

He wrote BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, ADAPTATION, and other screenplays. Would you say that his chances of selling another screenplay are pretty high? Would you be shocked to hear that he sold another script in the next six months? I doubt it.

But if you’d met Charlie Kaufman when he first began writing, wouldn’t you say he was right in there with the 1 in 5,000 odds against him?

My point is this: Everyone starts at 1 in 5,000 odds and it is up to us to shift the odds until they are in our favor. Shifting those odds is just a matter of constantly improving and taking advantage of the opportunities that come to us.

Below is 22 ways to improve your screenwriting. I’ve started with the most obvious and built to some ideas that are out of the ordinary.

I present this list so you will always have a way to improve your screenwriting, even if you are trapped in your room by yourself with no money and no contacts.

1. Write every day.

2. Read produced screenplays and search for what they did well. Read for a contest and see the difference between the winners and the ones that didn’t make it.

3. Take a screenwriting class. I can easily recommend a few.

4. Get feedback on your writing.

5. Critique another writer’s scripts.

6. Join a screenwriting group.

7. Take your favorite screenplay and transcribe it, noticing the choices the writer made.

8. Select a technique to improve and use it in one or more scenes.

9. Write the same scene a completely different way.

– Reverse a scene or character

– Increase the stakes

– Change who prevails in the scene

– Use a twist to change the end of the scene

– Put the characters in a worse position

10. Have another writer write one of your scenes in a completely different way.

11. Take a character to an extreme to see what other possibilities are available.

12. Take a line of dialogue or description and rewrite it 10 different ways or more.

13. Stretch yourself: Give your character an unsolvable problem and then solve it.

14. Pick a scene in a movie you like and write it. Once you have completed it, read the writer’s script for that scene and see how he or she wrote it differently.

15. Watch a movie, stopping it at the end of each scene. Write down what happened in the scene, how the characters changed, what was the in and out points, and what was the most interesting part of the scene.

16. Take your best idea and top it in some way! Sometimes, it is not about the writing. It is about the thinking and the breakthroughs and getting used to coming up with fresh ideas. Force yourself to top your best ideas on a regular basis and soon, you’ll have the best ideas in Hollywood.

17. Find out what a producer or reader wants in a script. This can shift your chances dramatically. It may save you from writing something that has no chance of success.

18. Take an acting class.

19. Do a read-through with actors.

20. Shoot a short on DV. For anyone who has done this, you’ve had the experience of seeing actors bring your script to life. Until you do, you can’t imagine the amount of pride and embarrassment you’ll experience. But directing even one scene will change how you write.

21. Give yourself permission to write from your heart with no holding back.

22. Decide that you will constantly improve your writing until you are one of the best screenwriters there is.

There you are. 22 ways to shift the odds of your success. Many of which do not even require that you leave your computer. If you’re serious about writing, I wouldn’t let a day go by without doing at least one of the above.

A 1% improvement every day is a 365% improvement over the next year. Keep doing that and sooner or later, you’ll be in Charlie Kaufman’s league — making those 7-figure deals.

When we think about favorite movies, it is the rich and engaging story lines and the captivating characters that make them memorable. There are, of course, other important elements at play, such as costumes, settings or a favorite actor that is part of the film. But the core of any movie is the script, which is the vessel for the storyline, the conflict, the characters and the dialogue, and details a visual translation of those ideas. Without a good script, there is no great movie! On first glance, being a movie screenwriter may seem to be an overnight way to make millions. In fact, it is a very difficult task that requires skill, endurance and some luck. If you believe you have the ability. Learn all the ins and outs of a script through Screenwriting Class or Script Writing Classes.

Script writing is a skilled art, but often a forgotten ingredient in the silver screen success story. If you’re looking for a different avenue through which to enter the film industry, here’s a rundown of the essential components of a script and essential script writing elements. Screenwriting Class, Script Writing Classes helps to gain from reading screenplay books before he/she start his/her own masterpiece. By taking advantage of these tools that are been provided by theses Screenwriting Class, Script Writing Classes.

Somebody who wants to learn screen writing will be able to have a greater chance of success in screenwriting and filmmaking with the following tips.

These classes help in:-

1.How to develop ideas for your screenplay that will sell

2.How to format your manuscript properly

3.How to network with Hollywood so that you can get your script read

4.How to market your screenplay to various parties

5.History and principles of filmmaking and story design

6.How to find a screenplay editor that you can trust

If you have a creative, imaginative mind and a good grasp of the written word, script writing could be a perfect career or hobby for you. There is a range of Script Writing Classes available to teach you the necessary skills and give you appropriate practice, guidance and experience before putting your ideas and work out there. An integral aspect of script writing is mastering the written word, including punctuation, spelling, proof-reading and structure. There are a number of other courses that can further develop these skills.

Anyone who is looking to make their way in the world of writing for TV and movies need to go to these Screenwriting workshops that will provide a basic platform to the young and budding script writers who are ready to join the silver screen’s roll of honor.

Screenwriting contests come in numbers, because of a wholesome curiosity within the film industry everywhere in the world. These competitions open the doorways to new ideas from amateur to skilled screenwriters to further enhance film industry. With a hefty money award together with gives from numerous producers and development executives, screenwriting contests are undoubtedly the stepping stones for many who need to share their stories to the world.

Of course, before being able to be part of screenwriting contests, one has to know how to write a screenplay. The very first thing that it’s best to know when writing a screenplay is that you must comply with the international guidelines for screenplay. Because of this your script should have the motion set in current tense and the dialogue should be written well. Also, the font utilized in writing screenplays is Courier with a size of 12. This is the set commonplace and needs to be followed to the letter.

It wouldn’t hurt to be taught more about writing screenplays in case you have an interest in becoming a member of screenwriting contests. In case you are itching to say your story, then this is one of the best place for you to start. It would assist lots when you read extra screenplays to get a greater feel for it and when you are at it, why not be part of seminars in screenwriting? Take into account that it is best to at all times be direct with your writing. You need not add any gildings to your work since your job is to put in writing the script only.

At all times make sure that you evaluate your work for grammar or spelling errors and if you’re not happy together with your work, you may at all times edit it several times. As soon as you’re already accustomed to the duty, you may be discovering it that a lot easier for you to be a part of screenwriting contests both locally and internationally as well.

Earle X. Kottler

Syd Field gave us the plot point – a clearer definition of what was previously known as the “twist” – as well as other concepts such as the “pinch” and midpoint. His work is still a valuable start point for screenwriters.

Syd Field’s midpoint analysis moved us towards four-act structure, which is well established in many cultures, whereas western culture still tends to dwell on three acts.

It seems as though Syd Field had some issues with the mid-point, one of them being that the inclusion of the mid point and consequently four act structure does not fit well with all stories – his attempt at preciseness resulted in a consequential lack of broadness and hence greater critical analysis as a template.

Hollywood has implicitly accepted four act structure – most movies now have a high point midway – usually a catastrophic event for the protagonist. Resistance to four-act structure is probably a result of our theatrical heritage.

But moving light years ahead in terms of structure is the Hero’s Journey.

Ironically, Campbell published Hero with a Thousand Faces before Syd Field published his work. Vogler wrote an easy to read update in 1992 (The Writer’s Journey). The Hero’s journey is a well established anthropological analysis of stories across cultures.

Depending on the interpretation, there were 17, 18 or 19 stages to the Hero’s Journey. But a modern, detailed analysis reveals at least 106.

There is some rejection of the Hero’s Journey as a universal template primarily because the archetypes (Mentor, Shape Shifter, Threshold Guardians etc) refer to the Quest, Fable, Fantastic et al genres. However, this is a misunderstanding as a metaphoric and symbolic interpretation leads to such classics as Midnight Cowboy and Get Carter, the original Michael Caine classic.

Ultimately, the Hero’s Journey is a much more sophisticated study of Story Structure than Syd Field’s analysis – and story structure is the most fundamental and critical of the skills that screenwriters need to possess.

Other theorists, such as McKee in Story are not as structure orientated, but their input when debating structure, is also indicative to it’s importance. For example, McKee rightly states that the screenwriting process should involve a step-outline, treatment and then a words-on-paper first draft.

The thing that held us back was this idea that a template had to be broad, which made sense if that template had to explain many stories. But a conceptual leap is the understanding that detailed templates, which may not each explain large numbers of stories, when taken together, can be more useful tools.

Further, whereas Syd Field’s analysis left the screenwriter with yawning gaps – the need to fill 30 and 60 pages – detailed templates overcome this problem.

Whereas Syd Field had difficulty with four acts, we are now playing with story structures with potentially 150 acts. This is the natural result of analysing sequences as opposed to acts.

It is like comparing today’s scientific analyses to Middle Aged analyses using Fire, Water, Earth and Air.

In conclusion, it is time screenwriters moved beyond Syd Field.

A detailed Hero’s Journey analysis and related story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com

Why is it that it is almost impossible to break into the Entertainment industry? Why do they make it so darn hard? In order to break into the Entertainment Industry, for the most part, you really must  know someone who knows that “someone” that will give you a chance, even if just to pitch your screenplay and give them a chance to say “thank you but no thanks”.  Although, there are those very few screenwriters that somehow are lucky to get discovered by an Agent or someone who just happens to be looking for the kind of script they happened to have written.

If screenwriting is your full time job and you are a professional screenwriter, congratulations are in order as you’ve lived thru many query letters, pitches, and  ”No’s” before someone gave you a chance. However, if screenwriting is your full time job and you have not yet optioned, won a competition, or pitched your script to someone  then you must find a real day job and continue to pursue your screenwriting on the side. I know this sounds mean but it is the honest TRUTH. Do not give up though, as there are many avenues out there that you can venture and then who knows, you might get discovered.

If you have a short (2-45 pages long), you should check out InkTip. You can post your copyrighted screenplay shorts on their site free of charge. You just have to make sure you have a catchy, intriguing tagline to get people’s attention.  Many Agents, producing companies and the like go to this site and review the screenplays posted. If the information you post catches their attention, the agent or producing  company may contact you and request that you submit the short to them.  InkTip offers a good variety of services such as: posting your full screenplay (80-120 pages) for a fee of course, listing in their Magazine, newsletter, leads, and so on. I have posted content on InkTip before, and it’s worked out OK for me. If you are on a tight budget, you may want to try the exposure by submitting a short. What do you know, someone may contact you and you may even option out your script. InkTip asks that any material you submit has been properly copyrighted, as they will not be responsible for anything. They are only there to help screenwriters get the exposure they need.

Other avenues you can try too is submitting your screenplay to Scriptapalooza. They have different kinds of competitions, and their screenplay competition is held once a year. Their competition is already underway so you can try to submit your work in next year’s competition. Scriptapalooza does charge a fee for the script submission. Another opportunity out there is Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Competition, there is a fee and they also hold their competition once a year. I think in terms of competitions, theirs is very reliable (not that the others I’ve mentioned above are not). I say this because of their process and who reads the screenplays.

There are other competitions and websites out there, but take my advice and don’t fall for them. Personally I have used InkTip , I’ve also enter Scriptapalooza‘s & the Nicholl Fellowships competitions three years ago. It was my first time trying it out, and I only did because a Professor in College told me I should submit a story of mine as a screenplay. I guess he thought it was that good. Anyway, I entered their competitions, posted my short on InkTip just to see what happened. From InkTip I received several requests to submit my short, then from Scriptapalooza I was a quarter-finalist (out 5000+ entries), now unfortunately I only received a Thank You letter from Nicholl Fellowships. The point I am trying to make is, it was my very first try (like I said, just for the heck of trying and seeing what happened). I didn’t even try hard enough and I got all that. It makes me wonder, perhaps now if I try really hard then maybe, just maybe I’ll sell one of my screenplays.

Overall, it is true the Entertainment Industry is tough but there are many ways you can break into it. You just have to be careful not to fall for any competition or whatever screenplay editing scams out there that just take your hard earned money. The key is PERSEVERANCE.

When you are embarking on your journey to take your movie idea and put them onto the page. It helps to use top-notch script writing programs. This article will explore the top five best scriptwriting programs used in the movie industry today

5. Montage (Mac users only)

The only screenwriting software exclusively developed for Mac OS X. Melding the theory that a simple user interface, combined with powerful and intuitive features, provide the best writing experience, Montage makes it easy to create, edit, and manage screenplays on your Macintosh. From the ability to import and export Final Draft documents, to using custom, pre-formatted templates for film, TV, and theater, Montage guides both the first time screenwriter or the seasoned veteran, from start to finish.

Retail Price: 9.95 U.S.

4. Scenewriter Pro

SceneWriter Pro is totally different in that you don’t have to worry about pages or writing in a linear fashion from start to finish, you write on a scene-by-scene basis and you may write in any order you wish!

However, SceneWriter Pro formats your script to Hollywood Industry Standards, but that’s only a small fraction of the benefits that writing your script in SceneWriter Pro offers.

From outlining, character development, location lists, project notes and of courseindustry standard formatting, SceneWriter Pro’s non-linear, scene-by-scene approach to writing will make writing that multi-million dollar blockbuster a piece of cake.

Retail Price: .00 U.S.

3. Celtx

This program is ideal for you writer/director/producers. Celtx helps you pre-produce all types of media – film, video, documentary, theater, machinima, comics, advertising, video games, music video, radio, podcasts, videocasts, and however else you choose to tell your story. Unlike scriptwriting software and sites, you can use Celtx for the entire pre-production process – write scripts, storyboard scenes and sequences, develop characters, breakdown & tag elements, schedule production, and prepare detailed and informative production reports for cast and crew.

Retail Price: free. An indie filmmaker’s favourite word.

2. Final Draft

This screenwriting software is excellent for writing and formatting a screenplay to meet the screenplay submission standards set by the theater and film industry. It is the only preferred screenwriting software using WGAW Registry for online submission.

The current version, Final Draft 7, contains over 50 movie and television templates. It also offers the feature of allowing users to assign computer generated voices to their characters, who then read the script aloud. How cool is that!

Retail Price: 9.00 U.S.

1. Movie Magic Screenwriter

Used to format screenplays, teleplays and novels. Magic Screenwriter is the grand daddy of them all. It’s the official script writing software of the Writer’s Guild of America and has been used by writers of the following movies: Pirates of the Caribbean, Crash, Babel and many more. The newest version has an outlining ability that really helps you organize your scenes.

Retail Price: 9.95 U.S.

If you are serious about making screenwriting your profession, Movie Magic Screenwriter or Final Draft would be a wise investment.

Also keep in mind that a few of these programs offer free demo trials of their software.

To learn more valuable filmmaking and screenwriter tips, visit www.ianagard.com

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22 Ways to Improve Your Screenwriting
By hcroasmun

Whether you are trying to win contests or sell your script, it is important that you take advantage of every opportunity you can to increase your chances of success.

Some people have estimated the odds of a good screenwriter selling a script to be in the neighborhood of 1 in 5,000.

What if you could cut that in half just by one action? Now, you’re at 1 in 2,500.

Then, what if you could cut that by 1/5th by taking a series of actions. Now, you’re at 1 in 500. And if you continue on that path, sooner or later, you’ll get to 1 in 10 or even 1 in 2.

If you don’t believe that, let me ask you this: What are the chances of Charlie Kaufman selling another screenplay?

He wrote BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, ADAPTATION, and other screenplays. Would you say that his chances of selling another screenplay are pretty high? Would you be shocked to hear that he sold another script in the next six months? I doubt it.

But if you’d met Charlie Kaufman when he first began writing, wouldn’t you say he was right in there with the 1 in 5,000 odds against him?

My point is this: Everyone starts at 1 in 5,000 odds and it is up to us to shift the odds until they are in our favor. Shifting those odds is just a matter of constantly improving and taking advantage of the opportunities that come to us.

Below is 22 ways to improve your screenwriting. I’ve started with the most obvious and built to some ideas that are out of the ordinary.

I present this list so you will always have a way to improve your screenwriting, even if you are trapped in your room by yourself with no money and no contacts.

1. Write every day.

2. Read produced screenplays and search for what they did well. Read for a contest and see the difference between the winners and the ones that didn’t make it.

3. Take a screenwriting class. I can easily recommend a few.

4. Get feedback on your writing.

5. Critique another writer’s scripts.

6. Join a screenwriting group.

7. Take your favorite screenplay and transcribe it, noticing the choices the writer made.

8. Select a technique to improve and use it in one or more scenes.

9. Write the same scene a completely different way.
- Reverse a scene or character
- Increase the stakes
- Change who prevails in the scene
- Use a twist to change the end of the scene
- Put the characters in a worse position

10. Have another writer write one of your scenes in a completely different way.

11. Take a character to an extreme to see what other possibilities are available.

12. Take a line of dialogue or description and rewrite it 10 different ways or more.

13. Stretch yourself: Give your character an unsolvable problem and then solve it.

14. Pick a scene in a movie you like and write it. Once you have completed it, read the writer’s script for that scene and see how he or she wrote it differently.

15. Watch a movie, stopping it at the end of each scene. Write down what happened in the scene, how the characters changed, what was the in and out points, and what was the most interesting part of the scene.

16. Take your best idea and top it in some way! Sometimes, it is not about the writing. It is about the thinking and the breakthroughs and getting used to coming up with fresh ideas. Force yourself to top your best ideas on a regular basis and soon, you’ll have the best ideas in Hollywood.

17. Find out what a producer or reader wants in a script. This can shift your chances dramatically. It may save you from writing something that has no chance of success.

18. Take an acting class.

19. Do a read-through with actors.

20. Shoot a short on DV. For anyone who has done this, you’ve had the experience of seeing actors bring your script to life. Until you do, you can’t imagine the amount of pride and embarrassment you’ll experience. But directing even one scene will change how you write.

21. Give yourself permission to write from your heart with no holding back.

22. Decide that you will constantly improve your writing until you are one of the best screenwriters there is.

There you are. 22 ways to shift the odds of your success. Many of which do not even require that you leave your computer. If you’re serious about writing, I wouldn’t let a day go by without doing at least one of the above.

A 1% improvement every day is a 365% improvement over the next year. Keep doing that and sooner or later, you’ll be in Charlie Kaufman’s league — making those 7-figure deals.

Hal Croasmun is a writer/producer and the author of “33 Ways to Break into Hollywood.” He publishes the ScriptForSale newsletter with articles about screenwriting and interviews with A-List screenwriters at http://www.ScriptForSale.com

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Australia is not Hollywood. Australia is not Hollywood. Australia is not Hollywood.

Sometimes, I have to remind myself. It’s the only way to preserve my sanity.

See, I’m an independent film producer who’s been involved in the film industry since before I was a teenager (over 20 years now, eeesh!). And because I grew up in Los Angeles, the film industry was all around me.

It never even occurred to me that people might consider a career in film “impossible”.

So when I got to Australia and started looking for screenplays, I was genuinely surprised by how few people were doing it. At first, I saw it as a tremendous opportunity. Over time, I began to realize it was a tremendous obstacle.

Without many screenwriters in Australia, the screenwriting community remains small, which makes it a very lonely profession. (Writing’s always a lonely profession, but when no one around you even understands what you do, it gets downright desolate.)

As it turns out, many Australians who WOULD turn their ideas into screenplays DON’T… simply because they don’t think it’s feasible.

Well, I disagree.

If you can excel at screenwriting in Australia, you can get noticed. The local industry is continually crying out for quality material. Why shouldn’t it be you that writes it?

But Australia is not Hollywood. So the career path of a screenwriter here is not quite so obvious.

That’s why I’ve identified five different and clearly-marked paths that would-be Australian screenwriters can take. I don’t know if these are the ONLY paths, but they’re the five that I could identify without much thought.

If you’re looking to write a screenplay, pick a path and write FOR it, and your chances of seeing something in return for your efforts will multiply exponentially.

1) Write for the Government

It’s no secret that government funding dominates the Australian film industry. And many would-be screenwriters see government money as the only source of income. It’s not, but it’s the most obvious. To attract government funding, you’ll need to understand what those funding sources need to see in a screenplay (specifically, cultural relevance). In Australia, most of the competition is writing for this market, but it remains alive and well).

2) Write for local producers

Australian producers exist in a difficult environment. They typically have very little script development money, and can’t claim development expenses against their taxes unless the project goes into production. The result? Films get pushed into production prematurely. Australian producers aspire to make brilliant films just like everyone else does. To write for this market, research who’s who, who does what, and what they’re looking for. Craft something powerful that’s specifically designed for them, and you’ll get noticed very quickly.

3) Write to self-produce

Partly from a do-it-yourself attitude, and partly from the necessity of surviving in a small market, many writers aim to self-produce their work. If this includes you, you’ll need to learn the myriad other skills involved, which will necessarily limit the time and energy you can put into perfecting the screenwriting craft. Be sure to get objective feedback on your project before racing into production. Most writers misunderstand self-producing, assuming it’s the easiest (or at least most direct) route to a completed film. In fact, it’s about twenty times the work for half the reward. But it’s a viable avenue that can be legitimately considered.

4) Write for me (or someone like me)

Although I’m technically just one of the many producers who fall under category 2, I’m a little unique down here, in that I believe in applying “Hollywood” techniques to local stories. My philosophy is simple: If you make movies that make money, you get to make more movies — so let’s start making mainstream entertainment that can keep the quality industry alive. Many in the local industry reject that kind of American influence, arguing that Australian film should be pure and free of commercial considerations. It’s a valid point of view, and I absolutely respect it. But I want to reach out to the cineplexes, so I seek “High Concept” stories that can be easily marketed to a wide audience. There are several Australian producers with this philosophy, and we all fit into this category.

5) Write for Hollywood

Yes, believe it or not Aussie screenwriters, despite being this far away, writing for the Hollywood market is a legitimate and viable path. Ironically, many Australian writers have found it easier to “break in” to the Hollywood market than Americans. Largely the result of very few Australian films getting released in the US (and then, it’s only the good ones), Hollywood has a distorted perception of Australia, and makes assumptions in your favour. The challenge to this path is that, in the end, you’re competing with about 100 times as many writers, including the best in the world. Your skills had better be world-class, if you hope to compete.

So. Which path is best?

The simple answer is that there’s no answer to that question. It’s whichever is right for you, your project, your personality, and your goals. Don’t rule out — and don’t settle for — ANY of these, simply because they look easier or harder than the others.

The point is not which path to take.

The point is that there are at least five real, potential, viable career paths for Australian screenwriters.

So if you’ve got an idea for a screenplay, or you have any inkling that screenwriting might be something you’d like to do, I strongly encourage you to consider it seriously.

Australia needs quality screenwriters. We make 30-odd films per year, on average. If every one of them was amazing and powerful, or far-reaching and entertaining, the local culture would flourish.

Keep on writing!