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How to Read Like a Screenplay Writer

A screenplay writer must constantly seek material that is interesting, up-to-date and visual. When a screenplay writer reads a book, its language is only as important as its settings and dialogue--and above all else, its plot. A screenplay writer who works from the world of non-fiction reads biographies and narratives thinking about whether its characters are appealing and its issues important to a large audience. Screenplay writers definitely read everything with a different perspective than the rest of us. Read on to learn how to read like a screenplay writer.

Instructions

    • 1

      Watch movies that have been made from great novels like "Anna Karenina," "War and Peace" and "To Kill a Mockingbird." Then read the books on which the screenplays were based and the screenplays. Gain a sense for how the successful conversion was made.

    • 2

      Find successful screenplays that were based upon news stories or
      non-fictional sources like "It could happen to You." Study how these screenplays expanded an event into a plot.

    • 3

      Read popular fiction, looking for novels that may not have generated huge sales but that have interesting plots or appealing characters. "Forest Gump" was not an overwhelming success but its screenplay was.

    • 4

      Read classic fiction, looking for settings that would be cinemagraphic and characters that are unusual and appealing.

    • 5

      Read novels with an eye for what might be carved from their sometimes ponderous plots without losing the essence of their message and central theme.

    • 6

      Read trade journals for themes and topics that are of particular interest to studios. Even the best screenplay must be produced to have a life of its own.

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Screen Writing

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