Screenwriting Guide
How to write a screenplay
Scripts often begin as voices and moments — an exchange, a scene, a premise. This guide covers what makes a screenplay work, how to start one, and how to shape scenes and dialogue into a script with momentum.
What makes a screenplay work?
A screenplay tells a story through scenes, action and dialogue. Every scene should do a job: reveal character, raise stakes, or move the story forward. Scenes that do none of these slow the whole script down.
The engine of a script is a protagonist who wants something badly and faces mounting obstacles. Before you write, know their goal, their fear, and what stands in their way.
How to start a screenplay
You do not need the whole structure first. Start with what you can already hear.
- Write the logline. Capture the premise in one sentence: who wants what, and what stops them.
- Name the goal and the fear. Decide what your protagonist wants and what they are most afraid of.
- Speak the opening scene. Dictate the scene you hear most clearly, dialogue and all.
- List the key beats. Jot the turning points you already sense; they become your spine.
- Dictate dialogue live. Speaking captures natural dialogue before it stiffens on the page.
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Screenplay ideas
If you are not sure where to begin, use these prompts to find the story:
- A scene you can already hear in your head
- A protagonist with a goal and a deep fear
- The worst decision your character could make
- A secret that drives the conflict
- A line of dialogue that reveals character instantly
- The moment of no return
- Something the audience knows that a character doesn't
- The choice that defines your protagonist
Writing with Your Book Pro? Pro turns your dictated draft into a structured script — with AI chapter breaks, editorial feedback and export tools built for your book type. See what Pro unlocks.
Common questions about writing your script
Ready to write the scene?
Open Your Book Pro and dictate your opening scene. No blank page — just your voice, captured and shaped into a script.
How long should a screenplay be?
A feature screenplay is typically 90–120 pages, roughly one page per minute of screen time. Television and short scripts differ. What matters is that every scene earns its place and keeps the story moving.
How do I structure a screenplay?
Many scripts follow a three-act shape: setup, rising conflict with a strong midpoint turn, then climax and resolution. Use it as a guide, not a cage — the goal is momentum and clear stakes.
How do I write natural dialogue?
Speak it aloud. Dialogue that sounds real on the tongue reads real on the page. Dictating your scenes captures rhythm and subtext that typing often flattens.
How do I know if a scene earns its place?
Ask what changes by the end of the scene. If a scene reveals character, raises stakes or moves the plot, it belongs. If nothing changes, cut it or combine it with another.
How do I start writing a screenplay?
Write your logline, name your protagonist's goal and fear, then dictate the scene you hear most clearly. One strong scene creates the momentum to build the rest.
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More writing guides
Writing a different kind of book? These step-by-step guides cover the essentials for each category.