So You Want To Be a Screenwriter, Huh?

Aloha! Ni Hao! And hello and welcome to South China Stories.

George Orwell hard at work

I recently started working on writing screenplays based on or inspired by some real life adventures. In doing so I realized that a lot of people don't have a clue on how to go about it!

For one thing, there are two types of screen plays one would write--on spec (i.e. unsold and unsolicited) and one that is comissioned (i.e. an actual buyer wants your work!).

Besides that, what type of screen play do you want to write? Is it for an epic film? A TV drama or recurring series? Or is it for new media like the web or E-books?

Regardless of what its intended audience, you must be able to write a script, and that is the issue at hand. If you try to just write it using a simple word processor, then you are going to waste a lot of time--and I do mean a lot--typing up redundant details per page. A script takes on a very unified formula and it has to be to exact standards; you can't simply try to market a script written like a manuscript for a book publisher. These are two different animals.

Script writing software to the rescue! The standard is Final Draft, and Expect to pay $200 or more for a copy. It's available for both Windows and Mac (sorry Linux! Not yet) But what about really good free software?

It's called Trelby. Rather than duplicate what is already on their site I've listed the links for downloading the program as well as the online user's manual. You can see screenshots of the program HERE.

I wish any of you well with your future scripts and if someday someone buys your story, don't forgot who got you on the "write" road!

Download Trilby HERE

Basic instructions for Trilby are HERE  

Online Trilby user's manual is HERE

Below are some useful links to help you on your path with writing

WikiPad This program is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac. It works directly with Wiki sites and very intuitive and user friendly.

Script Frenzy This site has a lot of "get started" pages and info for new screenwriters.

Don't forget to check out my article(s) on where to get free web space and a couple of free short URLs you can use until you actually buy a domain name. Also a great article on creating an online business card.

Happy writing! China Mike