Why Screenwriting is a Good Model for Novel Writing

Hint: It's because of rules

Proof I actually went to film school

The first thing I tell people who ask me how to get into writing is to take a screenwriting course.

When I went to film school I had already been writing creatively for a decade—and yet I learned and improved the most over the two years I spent taking screenwriting classes. Why? Rules. Screenwriting has a lot of rules.

Screenwriting is done the same way across the entire industry because there’s a lot of money that goes into making movies, and producers aren’t going to waste dollars on something they aren’t sure will work. Everyone writes in the same format, from the same outline (that we covered this month), and creates their characters using the same guides (that we also covered this month). So how, I hear you ask, can there be so many different movies?? Because people are creative. Even if they follow a structure, they still make individual works.

My first screenwriting prof asked us to write a full story in three pages of script, and when we all groaned, she added ‘you’ll be surprised how creative you need to get when put under limits’. I’ve since been convinced that rules nurture creativity, they don’t squash it, and they’re certainly not opposites. When you’re limited, when your hand is forced, your individuality bursts from the seams. It demands to be seen.

Sometimes when I bake I come up with an idea for a treat that incorporates several different elements. I have an apple cake with brown sugar icing and a glass glaze over the top. So I use several different recipes to make each component taste delicious, but put them together in a new and unique way.

I’m saying following a recipe (or a structure) makes you delicious treats (or a working plot), which you can then customize to make your own. A solid foundation, plus your individuality.

Have I convinced you yet?

Learn the rules first, and if you’re a screenwriter stick to them because producers like that, and if you’re a novel writer, twist them or break them to what works for you that will still make a delicious cake.

Oh, and if you get the chance, take a screenwriting class.