How can you write a screenplay that is both original and marketable?

1 Find your premise

The premise is the core idea of your screenplay, the hook that grabs the reader's attention and sets the tone for the rest of the story. It should be clear, concise, and compelling. A good premise can spark your imagination and generate multiple possibilities for your plot, characters, and themes. To find your premise, you can start with a genre, a concept, a question, a character, a situation, or a combination of these elements. Then, you can refine your premise by adding a twist, a conflict, a goal, or a stakes. For example, the premise of The Matrix is: A hacker discovers that his reality is a simulation controlled by machines and joins a rebellion to free humanity.

3 Structure your plot

Your plot is the sequence of events that make up your screenplay, the framework that supports your premise and characters. It should be engaging, coherent, and satisfying. A common way to structure your plot is to use the three-act structure, which divides your screenplay into three parts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution. Each part has its own subparts, such as the inciting incident, the midpoint, the climax, and the denouement. You can also use other methods, such as the hero's journey, the save the cat beat sheet, or the eight-sequence model. For example, the plot of The Silence of the Lambs follows the three-act structure and the hero's journey of Clarice Starling.

4 Write your scenes

Your scenes are the building blocks of your plot, the units of action and dialogue that move your story forward. They should be relevant, clear, and impactful. To write your scenes, you can use the scene heading, the action, and the dialogue. The scene heading tells the reader where and when the scene takes place. The action describes what the characters do and how they do it. The dialogue reveals what the characters say and how they say it. You can also use transitions, parentheticals, and shots to enhance your scenes. For example, the scenes of The Social Network use sharp dialogue, dynamic action, and varied locations to tell the story of Facebook's creation.

5 Polish your draft

Your draft is the first version of your screenplay, the result of your creative process. It should be readable, consistent, and professional. To polish your draft, you can revise, edit, and format your screenplay. You can revise your draft by checking your premise, characters, plot, and scenes for any issues, such as logic, clarity, coherence, and originality. You can edit your draft by correcting your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. You can format your draft by using the standard screenplay format, which includes the font, the margins, the page numbers, and the elements. For example, the draft of The Shawshank Redemption uses the Courier font, the 12-point size, the 1.5-inch left margin, and the 1-inch right margin.

6 Get feedback

Feedback is the input from others who read your screenplay, the source of improvement and validation for your work. It should be constructive, honest, and specific. To get feedback, you can share your screenplay with your peers, mentors, consultants, or readers. You can ask them to comment on your premise, characters, plot, scenes, and draft. You can also ask them to rate your screenplay on a scale of 1 to 10, or to use a coverage template that includes a logline, a synopsis, an analysis, and a recommendation. For example, the feedback of The Sixth Sense praised its premise, its twist, its suspense, and its emotion.

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?