When it comes to tips for writing a screenplay, I’ve seen them all. As a ghostwriter and writing coach, I’ve come across all sorts of screenwriting advice and to be frank, a lot of it is terrible.

Unless someone’s written A LOT of script pages, they probably have no idea what advice is actually useful for beginner screenwriters. It’s a very specific form of writing that involves a very specific set of lessons…luckily for you, I know screenwriting inside out.

Having worked on 100+ scripts as a ghostwriter, I know exactly what works and what doesn’t. And, having coached writers for the past two years, I’ve seen hands-on what writing advice for beginners ends up causing more harm than good.

To save you time on your screenwriting journey, I’ve put together this list of the 10 worst pieces of writing advice for screenwriters and what great scriptwriting tips to take instead.

Terrible Script Writing Advice for Beginners

Take these with a grain of salt…

1. Description is BAD

Okay, first things first, over-description is a huge mistake that a lot of beginner screenwriters make. The action line should be used infrequently to convey just the essential information – it’s not an invitation to dive into deep prose and complex metaphors.

However, getting rid of all descriptions is a terrible thing to advise! Description is a key part of a script for communicating visual and audio information. You need to set the scene in every scene. That means describing the setting as well as small details like costumes or props when necessary. We don’t need to know exactly what each character is wearing in every scene, but a note here or there is a great way to elevate your script to the next level.

It’s so important to include a line of description about every new character as they are introduced. Never use more than one sentence and try not to describe anything that an audience wouldn’t know, but this is your chance to add a little flair and lead the reader in how they feel about a character from the jump.

Good screenwriting tip: Show don’t tell! Try to convey information using action and visual notes before relying on description.

2. You need to hit a daily page count

Whilst a daily page count goal can be a great motivator and progress tracker, it does not work for everyone every day! Even the fastest scriptwriters will face scenes that take all day to work on…only to have written half an actual page of script.

The problem with strict goals is that they do not account for the realities of writing: not every day is the same, some pages are more difficult than others, and quantity never outweighs quality. Failing to hit a goal that you thought was ‘realistic’ can result in feeling like a failure and ultimately demotivates us much more than motivates us.

Yes, treating writing as a discipline means going in every day ready to write, no matter how ‘creative’ you might feel, however, the number of pages shouldn’t directly correlate with your achievement for that day.

Good screenwriting tip: Instead of a page count, set a writing time goal e.g. work on this script for the next three hours. This way you’re measuring progress by effort, not output.

3. The Hero’s Journey is the only way

Can we be honest for a moment? The Hero’s Journey is overplayed to the nth degree. Of course, it has its place in teaching new screenwriters the fundamentals of plot and character development, however, it’s kind of extremely boring.

Personally, I detest the beginner screenplay exercise of watching a movie and writing down each of the 12 hero’s steps because…well, most movies don’t follow them! It’s a tried and true framework for writing a script outline that works, but it certainly isn’t the only way to do it.

Great script ideas should be fresh – that means not limiting yourself to just one way of telling a story.

Good screenwriting tip: Read as many scripts as you can to understand the variety of plot structures and stories that work. Study scripts you particularly love and try to identify the key story moments and how they move the plot forward.

4. Screenplays are creative

This one might ruffle some feathers but I’m here to set the record straight – screenplays are technical documents, not vessels for creative writing. In the broadest of terms, a script is a set of instructions given to the cast and crew in order to make a movie. This is why the ‘rules’ are so strict – they dictate pieces of information that are essential for other crew members to be able to do their jobs.

If nothing else, please remember this one piece of advice: never get creative in the scene headers! They are potentially the most important set of instructions for the crew and have to follow a very particular structure.

INT/EXT

This tells the entire crew whether they are shooting an interior or exterior location. The info be placed on every document distributed throughout the shoot and isn’t to be messed with. The ONLY exception is for scenes that take place in both such as in a car. In this case, you can use I/E.

LOCATION

Keep it as simplified as possible, no flair is needed. The ideal location is something like ‘BEDROOM’ or ‘SUPERMARKET PARKING LOT’.

DAY/NIGHT

This is where I see the most mistakes. Your only choices for time signature are DAY/NIGHT or in very specific and extreme circumstances DUSK/DAWN if the lighting is essential to the scene. This is because the time sig is a direct instruction to the lighting and rigging departments on how to light the scene. IT IS NOT A CREATIVE CHOICE!

I promise you that if any producer/agent/script reader sees a writer being creative in the scene header, the script is going immediately into the reject pile.

Good screenwriting tip: Study script formatting and rules before you start writing and use script formatting software that automates the writing process.

5. Just start writing

I’m never going to advise someone not to write when inspiration hits, however, starting a script with no plan or outline is a recipe for complete disaster. With such long-form and complex projects like screenplays, it’s incredibly difficult to just ‘make it up as you go along’. There are many plotlines to be tied off, character arcs to be considered, and the importance of a satisfying ending…without pre-planning for all of these you’re likely to end up in a self-inflicted story knot and just give up.

A great screenwriting methodology to keep in mind is that every single scene in a script should work to move the plot forward. If you could remove a scene and it wouldn’t impact the rest of the script…then you probably should just take it out. Think about it, when you don’t know where the plot is going, it’s really difficult to know whether a scene is actually impacting it or not.

Good screenwriting tip: Use a script outline to create a rough version of the plot ahead of writing. It can be as sparse or detailed as you want so long as it outlines the story, characters, and ending.

6. Write the treatment first

Look, I know how daunting the task of writing a script is. Putting together 60+ pages using nothing but your mind is a humongous undertaking and I understand how the treatment can look oh-so tempting by comparison.

I’m sorry to tell you that writing the treatment first is just a waste of time. To write a great film treatment, you’ll need to have a detailed summary of your script at the ready. This will touch on every scene with just enough detail to convey the major plot line…and that’s really hard to do without a finished script. In other words, you’re just going to end up rewriting the entire thing by the time your script is actually completed.

Good screenwriting tip: If you’re not ready to dive into the whole script, try to channel your inspiration into writing just one scene instead. It can be from any point in the screenplay and might just unlock more ideas for what happens before and after the action.

7. Never use adverbs

Adverbs seem to be every screenwriter’s worst enemy. The reason they’re frowned upon is that adverbs can encourage lazy writing and over-direction, particularly when it comes to character action.

Instead of actually describing how and why a character does something, a writer can conveniently throw in an adverb like ‘angrily’ or ‘smoothly’ and move on. Compare the following sentences:

“He walks slowly.” vs “He trudges along the silent path.”

‘Trudges’ clearly evokes a far more interesting image than ‘walks slowly’ and when you apply this logic to the whole script, it can make quite a difference.

But with everything, moderation is key. Adverbs have a time and place in scripts, it just isn’t all the time and everywhere! They should be used sparingly and when appropriate in order to add information, not gloss over it.

Forcing yourself to avoid adverbs altogether – especially as a beginner screenwriter – can cause far more stress than it’s worth. Reducing the number is a skill that takes time to learn and master so don’t hold yourself to a perfect standard from day one.

Good screenwriting tip: Have an online thesaurus open at all times and use it to replace boring verbs with more interesting and dynamic words.

8. You don’t need FinalDraft

For those of you who don’t know, FinalDraft is the industry standard software when it comes to screenwriting…it’s also the only one that is ever used. If you want to be taken seriously as a screenwriter, you need to be proficient in FinalDraft.

Not only does it perfectly format scripts in line with the most up-to-date industry practices, but it is also just the best at doing it. Once you know how to use it and get to grips with the shortcuts, writing on FinalDraft becomes second nature. It formats everything for you so you don’t waste time doing it manually and it eradicates small formatting errors that would out you to an agent as a beginner screenwriter.

The price is significant, but if it’s something you can afford I absolutely recommend investing in FinalDraft sooner rather than later. It’s a game-changer.

Good screenwriting tip: Start with the free 30-day trial to see the difference FinalDraft makes to your screenwriting process.

9. Narration is cheating

This is something I hear again and again: always avoid using voice-over. The reality is that in many cases, narration can be lazy screenwriting. It totally goes against the screenwriting golden rule of “Show Don’t Tell” by literally having a character convey all exposition and emotional development directly to the audience.

But let’s be real. If you’re a first-time screenwriter, it’s a great tool to have at your disposal. Narration can work brilliantly when well-written and if it’s the catalyst you need to start writing a script as a beginner, then I say lean all the way in!

Play around with narration as you write and soon enough you’ll realise that you no longer need the crutch.

Good screenwriting tip: Include narration on your first draft of the script then, when you read it back, try to replace each VO line with on-screen action. How could you show that information instead of telling it?

10. Think about the camera

This is, without a doubt, the WORST screenwriting advice I have ever come across. If I am reviewing screenplays for coverage, feedback, or recommendation and I read the word ‘camera’ or a shot description, the script is an instant reject.

The screenwriter’s role is just that – to write the script. Camera angles, shots, and movements are the responsibility of the cinematographer and director – how would you like it if the DoP told you how to do your job? Any mention of the camera reveals a lack of experience as a screenwriter and a lack of respect for the rest of the crew…in other words, it’s a huge no-no.

Think about it like this, reading a script is supposed to feel similar to watching a finished movie: characters are introduced one by one, you understand things in the order that the writer intended, and you don’t know things that aren’t conveyed visually or audibly. Referring to the camera (or any other off-screen department for that matter) is like seeing the camera on the screen during the film. It’s a surefire way to break to take the reader straight out of their suspended disbelief.

Good screenwriting tip: Think about the script as a finished movie – everything word written within it should be directly related to what an audience would see/hear. If the information doesn’t exist within the realm of the film, it shouldn’t exist in your script either.

Need More Help? Start Here…

Screenwriting is tough. There are a lot of rules, countless best practices, and about a million mistakes to make along the way. But, it’s also something that anyone can learn! You don’t need film school to become a great writer, you just need to be willing to put in the work to perfect the craft.

Here’s where to start: