12 Screenplay Writing Tips to Make Your Writing More Professional (with Video)

There are lots of screenplay writing tips out there.

Experts on structure, technique, theme, outlining, character development, and dialogue abound. Coaches and contests. Agents and producers. Friends and relatives (gulp!). Often their ideas and advice are at odds with one another.

There are cats to be saved in the first act… obstacles to overcome in the third… and readers to shock and amaze in between. It feels like anyone who has ever read a screenwriting book, tried to write a script, or, heck, even just watched movies will tell you what you should write. That you MUST do this or you can NEVER do that. Screenplay tips fly around as if there is some magic, one-size-fits-all advice that could cover every screenplay idea or every writer.

So, who should a screenwriter listen to?

While we’re reluctant to offer MORE screenwriting do’s and don’t in the form of script writing tips… here we are; writing an article about ‘it’em. Pffft…!

So! Instead of making yet another boring, bulleted list of “Screenplay Writing Tips,” we figured we’d do something a bit different; we’re going to let the screenwriters speak for themselves.

Here are some successful screenwriters offering screen writing tips about how to write that fantastic script, break into the biz and become the next Diablo Cody, Jordan Peele, or Sian Heder.

So take a break from reading blog posts about screenplay writing tips. Listen to the writers of “A Quiet Place,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “Uncle Drew,” “The Hustle,” “You Are My Friend,” “What They Had,” “Dadido,” “Nutcracker and the Four Realms.”

They not only finished their screenplays, but they also got them sold. And not only sold — but these movies got MADE! Our ultimate screenplay writing goal! 😀

So without further ado… Here are 12 best writing tips in Variety’s video: “Screenwriting Tips from Hollywood Professionals.”