How to make your first Feature-Length Screenplay.

So, you have dreams of making a film and you want to begin writing it? but you're either too afraid or don't know where and how to start. That's okay, we've all been there, that's why I'm here making this guide in hopes that I can assist you and give you the confidence you need to go out there and get your Screenplay done. Now I'm going to be completely honest with you, will it be easy? absolutely not, but don't let that scare you or hold you back. I haven't gotten my Script sold or anything yet and I'm still currently updated it little by little till I'm 100% satisfied with it, but at least I got the first and most important step done... and that's finishing at least the first draft of my Feature-Length Screenplay.

So with that out of the way, let's get started shall we? I hope by the end of this you'll gain some confidence and start your Screenplay.

Making an intriguing story

Now obviously the first and most important thing is coming up with the story for your Screenplay, right? if you haven't came up with the plot yet, then what are you waiting for? get to thinking and outlining right now. If you have by now came up with your idea for the plot, and just need to find the courage to get to typing it out, then I'm here to help you with that so continue reading a long. When I first came up with the idea for my Screenplay, I was a bit skeptical, what if it's a dumb idea? what if it's not original? what if nobody likes it? these were the kind of questions I would ask myself and it would do nothing but just hold me back. If you're having these kind of thoughts, then I will encourage you in changing that. Obviously if you want to get your Screenplay out there, you need it to have an intriguing story, but don't make this discourage you and make you doubt yourself or make you want to completely change your story and make it something you never wanted it to be, your own story that you have in mind can still very much be an intriguing one, it'll just take some hard work, dedication, and some creative thinking.

Making your brilliant Screenplay

So here we go, I will now try to encourage you and give you some tips and advice on making your first Feature-Length Screenplay.

The most important thing I believe you need to have while making your Script is Patience. Patience will take you a long way, I won't lie... there will be times when you suddenly come at a stop during the middle of your Script and run out of ideas. Don't panic, this is completely normal, it has happened to me numerous times while writing. I believe most people call this "Writer's block" there are a few methods on how to get through it, but I will share with you what usually do to overcome it. I recommend you watch some of your favorite movies or shows or even read your favorite books, this will help you get some inspiration and come up with ideas, obviously without stealing anything, we do want to be original but there's nothing wrong with taking some inspiration from stories that have impacted your life. Secondly, I highly suggest maybe going outside on a walk, or a car ride, take inspiration from the outside world, stuff always happens in the world, take advantage of this and go outside, listen to conversation between two people maybe, look around you and see what is going on, maybe there is something you see that will make you say "That could make a cool scene for my movie." while probably making it a bit more dramatic or changing a few details up to make it more entertaining for the reader and hopefully down the line, the audience. We all have our different methods in getting over this, but I just shared with you some of mine, just keep in mind that even though at the moment the ideas have just suddenly stopped flowing it does not mean they're gone forever, the most creative minds don't have ideas flowing in their head 24/7 but they always try to find ways to come up with more. You'll also need a ton of patience because while writing your Script you might encounter the feelings of just wanting to get it done already because maybe the process feels to long, therefore you will end up rushing it and your story will not come out the way you wanted it to initially be and you will end up with a mess on your hands. Take your time, relax, the longer the process and more thought you put in to your Script, the better the result will be, just remember that. Just because it's only the first draft doesn't mean you should just make it sloppy, the better your first draft is, the less work you'll have to do in your future drafts when you edit. I won't lie, this was a mistake I made, when I finished the first draft of my Script it was only 99 pages, you see that? not even 100 pages long, and now I'm five drafts in and it's 143 pages long. Maybe if I took a bit more time with it and didn't rush it, I wouldn't have had to make this many drafts, I remember after I finished the first draft I stopped working on it for a while and started looking for ways to sell it or get it into competitions and then I looked back at it and thought to myself "Yeah, this isn't going to get sold or winning any sort of competition whatsoever." and it was difficult for me because I felt like I already worked extremely hard on it, but now I'm grateful I did that because like I said, the more time you take with it, the better. Just remember to always have patience and not make the same mistake I did.

Now remember when I said I was going to help you get over your fear and your self doubt? well here it is. So, you have your idea ready, now there's just one thing holding you back... and that's fear. I experienced this when I came up with the idea with my Script, you're not alone, trust me, I'm sure most Screenwriters have been there. The thing is you can't let your fear get the better of you, you think all the successful Screenwriters and Filmmakers would have had the success they did if they let that happen? of course not. Doubting your abilities won't do anything but hold you back from bringing your wonderful stories to this world. There are ways of getting over your fear just as there is when you run out of ideas, lucky for you. The main thing I did was starting off small, you might wonder what I mean by that. Well, what I mean is write short scripts, no longer than 30 pages, or even 15, or even 10, whatever you're comfortable with. Write as many as you need to until you gain some confidence, read them and analyze where you can improve and what you're best at. Let some Friends or Family read them as well and let them criticize them, as long as it's constructive criticism of course and they don't try to bring you down. Another Important thing to keep in mind is to not think too much about the aftermath, this can also cause you fear, if you think too much about what comes after you finish your Script and if you'll ever get it sold or made, you'll try too much to "Perfect" it and all your creative Ideas could be thrown out the window because you're too worried about what other's might think, write your story, if it's something that comes from the heart and you're passionate about, then deep down that's all that matters. The rest will take care of itself, you just keep writing for the fun of it, don't worry too much if whether someone will like it or not, make it an intriguing story for you, pretend as if you're the audience.

I also strongly advice for you to read other Screenplays, like a lot. Reading other Screenplays will obviously help you gain knowledge about the subject and you'll learn about formatting and learn how to make intriguing dialogue, so read as many Screenplays as you can, and pay big attention to detail while reading.

The Final touches (Editing your Screenplay after you have finished)

Now if you didn't know this, then I must tell you, the harsh reality is, more than likely you won't fully be satisfied once you initially finish your Script. There is no problem with that, and it doesn't mean you're a bad writer, most Screenwriters make more than 1 draft in each of their Screenplays, so don't feel bad because of it. You got the toughest part out of the way, and that's finishing the story, now all that's left to do is add a few more details and edit a bit of the dialogue maybe, add a few more scenes if you need to, basically anything you can to improve the story you already made, while still keeping in mind everything I told you previously.

Remember, I will always stay posting tips and advice on Screenwriting, if you're into it and want to keep reading about it and learning something new, simply click on the "Screenwriting" forum. Always keep on writing on bringing your wonderful stories to life. I hope this helped you gain some confidence to start writing your first Feature-Length Screenplay.