Unlock your career as a screenwriter

A To-Do list that will take you from newbie writer with no track record to a professional screenwriter!

Learning how to become a screenwriter is not easy, that’s true, but it’s certainly not impossible, and if you have the drive and passion, you too can join the ranks of those who go from aspiring screenwriter to pro screenwriter.

So let’s get started!

Decide If Writing Is For You

Screenwriting can certainly appear to be an attractive career option. If you achieve a successful career,  you’ll be pretty much self-employed, potentially be paid a lot of money and be able to let your imagination loose to come up with stories people can enjoy and revere all over the world.

However, while figuring out how to become a screenwriter,  aspiring writers need to consider also that not everyone is cut out for a career writing screenplays and you need to decide whether it’s something you’re destined to do.

The truth is, a large percentage of screenwriting careers end before they even got started. Scripts are written, sent out to agents, managers, contests and so on, but no one in the industry seems to be interested. The rejection emails pile up and eventually the writer gets despondent and gives up. This is the career trajectory of the majority of aspiring screenwriters out there currently trying to break into the industry.

Why? Because of the super competitive nature of the film industry, lack of dedication or skills, etc. but does all this mean you should just give up now and save yourself the trouble of wasting all that time? Of course not! You need to try and give all you’ve got. When passion works along with dedication, nothing can go wrong. All of the obstacles described above can all be overcome if you have the desire to really learn how to become a screenwriter and put in the work required.

Life as a Screenwriter

It doesn’t matter how few people become successful screenwriters if you adopt the same beliefs as successful screenwriters and take the same actions, then becoming a screenwriter becomes much more probable!

When it comes to getting paid as a professional screenwriter, things aren’t exactly simple. The haphazard nature of a professional screenwriter’s salary, means most writers live from paycheck to paycheck. What differentiates them from all the aspiring writers who get despondent and give up, is that they held different beliefs and took different actions when they were learning how to become a screenwriter

So think and act like a writer and you’re a writer. If you are to have any chance of making it a reality, it is super important that you actually make the decision to become a screenwriter. This is the fundamental element that separates an aspiring screenwriter who turns professional from one who doesn’t. And all it requires is making one psychological mind-shift: make the decision to become a screenwriter.

Prepare your Writing Schedule

There’s no point in making the decision to become a writer if you don’t stick to the plan. And that plan means writing. It’s something of a cliche but the most important thing you should be doing if you want to become a screenwriter is to write every single day.

We all need a little motivation, though, from time to time and so here’s a tip from on how you can make writing every day a little easier: buy a calendar, decide how long you want to write everyday, put a cross through every day that you write for your committed time and keep going every day without breaking the chain of crosses!

Even if on some days you only write for ten minutes, it all counts. And it’s a powerful tool to get you in the rhythm of writing every day. Set goals for yourself, minimum word or page counts to achieve every day and make sure you stick to them.

Master the Craft of Screenwriting

To succeed as a screenwriter, you need to set free your creativity and, of course, you generally need to be great at everything: characters, plot, dialogue, description, theme, formatting and so on.

You need to focus on each aspect of screenwriting. You can’t just be writing away alone without any real direction or you may run into problems. So, you need to add some structure to your writing routine. Try to tackle each of the main areas of screenwriting: concept, character, structure/plot, scenes, theme, dialogue, description and formatting and mastering each, one by one.

Visit emagister.co.uk and find the perfect course that will help you enhance your skills as a writer. And once you have had time to practice and to create your own routine, if you think you now have it all, go and build your future as a screenwriter! The job is yours if you are brave enough to believe in yourself!

 

 

 speech writing, Writing, Screenwriting, Film