What are the best ways to write a family-friendly screenplay?

1 Know your audience

The first step to writing a family-friendly screenplay is to know who you are writing for. You need to consider the age, interests, preferences, and expectations of your target audience. What kind of themes, characters, and situations do they relate to? What kind of language, tone, and style do they enjoy? What kind of messages and values do they appreciate? You can research your audience by watching successful family-friendly films, reading reviews and feedback, and talking to potential viewers.

2 Choose a genre and a format

The next step is to decide what kind of story you want to tell and how you want to tell it. You can choose from a variety of genres, such as comedy, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, drama, or musical. You can also mix and match genres to create your own unique blend. You need to make sure that your genre matches your audience's tastes and expectations, and that it supports your main theme and message. You also need to choose a format for your screenplay, such as feature film, short film, animation, or live-action. You need to follow the conventions and standards of your chosen format, such as length, structure, format, and style.

3 Create memorable characters

The third step is to create memorable characters that drive your story forward. You need to develop your protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters with clear goals, motivations, flaws, and arcs. You need to make your characters likable, relatable, and realistic, but also distinctive, dynamic, and surprising. You need to give your characters dialogue that reflects their personality, background, and emotions, but also advances the plot, reveals information, and creates conflict. You need to make your characters face challenges, obstacles, and dilemmas that test their values, beliefs, and relationships.

4 Craft a compelling plot

The fourth step is to craft a compelling plot that engages your audience from start to finish. You need to outline your plot with a clear beginning, middle, and end, following the classic three-act structure or a variation of it. You need to introduce your main characters, setting, and conflict in the first act, develop your subplots, twists, and turns in the second act, and resolve your climax, resolution, and denouement in the third act. You need to make sure that your plot is logical, coherent, and consistent, but also creative, original, and unpredictable.

6 Polish your script

The final step is to polish your script to make it ready for production. You need to proofread your script for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors. You need to edit your script for clarity, conciseness, and consistency. You need to revise your script for structure, content, and style. You need to get feedback from others, such as peers, mentors, or professionals, and incorporate their suggestions and critiques. You need to rewrite your script until you are satisfied with the final draft.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?