Every great screenplay starts with a blank page—and a lot of questions. These questions and many more can creep up at any stage in the process, so it’s always good to remind yourself of a few fundamentals along the journey. If you’re just beginning your screenwriting journey, you’re likely wondering how to get your ideas on the page, how to structure a story, and what makes a screenplay stand out.
The good news? There are time-tested tips and tools that can help you write with more confidence and clarity.
Whether you’re working on your first short film or the pilot for your dream TV series, these 10 screenwriting tips can help you build a stronger foundation for your script.
Ten Tips to Write a Better Screenplay:
- Start with a Solid Outline
- Know Your Characters
- Use a Script Writing Software
- Re-Write Your Script
- Raise the Stakes
- Avoid Common Cliches
- Read Other Screenplays
- Finish Your Script
- Write Visually
- Enjoy the Process
1. Start with a Solid Outline
Creating an outline can feel like a grueling chore. It’s not as exciting as writing dialogue or action, and it can leave you creatively drained. But outlining is a critical step for defining your story before you ever begin writing.
Your outline can be as short as a few paragraphs or as long as you need it to be. This step is all about figuring out what works best for you and what best suits your story.
If short bullet points help keep you on track, great. If you prefer detailing every scene in advance, go for it!
Think of your outline as your story’s cheat sheet. If you start running out of momentum, going off on tangents, or feeling lost, your outline is there to guide you back.
Let’s say you get to the beginning of Act Two and suddenly have no idea where to go next. With a solid outline, you can zoom out, reorient, and find your path forward.
Of course, your story might change along the way—and that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to revise the outline as you write. Use it to check that you’ve hit all the necessary beats, then adjust as needed.
There’s no one-size-fits-all method here, but having some kind of plan is always better than having none.
Need a little extra help? Check out our guide on writing an effective screenplay outline!
2. Know Your Characters
‘It’s the story of a guy or girl who goes on an adventure to defeat the evil villain.’
But—who is that guy or girl? So many writers fall into the trap of writing a plot instead of a story. Plot is what happens. Story is how your character reacts to what happens.
Your character can be anyone—brave, goofy, flawed—but they need to feel like themselves at all times. It all comes down to knowing them inside and out.
Think about Christian Bale’s Batman vs. Adam West’s Batman. Are they the same person? Not even close.
One way to deepen your understanding is through character profiles. There are tons of downloadable templates online. Try writing a short bio—what was their childhood like? Who did they date in high school? What did they want to be when they grew up?
The goal is to uncover how your character views the world. Dig deep into their wants, dreams, and fears. Once you do, your characters will begin to organically shape your story from the inside out.
3. Use a Script Writing Software
Scriptwriting software like Celtx can be a helpful way for beginners to improve their screenwriting skills.
It provides a standardized format, making it easier for producers, agents, and other readers to understand and evaluate your work. And features like built-in script breakdowns help you analyze your structure and identify weak spots early on.
Celtx also allows you to export your script in professional formats like PDF and manage other parts of the production process—all in one place.
Bottom line: using software like Celtx helps save time, stay organized, and give your script the polish it needs to get noticed.
4. Re-Write Your Script
Changes are you’ve heard this truth nugget before: writing is re-writing. It doesn’t matter if you’re Aaron Sorkin: your work will always need to be re-written and there’s no getting around it! Your first draft is just the beginning.
This can always feel like a pain point in the process because you’ve finally written ‘Fade Out’ after months of hard work. The last thing you want to do is go through the whole process again and again, but there are some helpful ways to tackle a good ol’ fashioned first draft re-write.
The best way is to take some time away from the script. Not a few hours but at least a few days or, ideally, a few weeks. This will give your brain the chance to cool off from the writing process and create some separation between you and your work.
Looking at your script a few weeks after it’s written will be an eye-opening experience, trust me! This is when you tackle the first re-draft.
Once you’ve gotten your script to a good place, you might be feeling pretty confident. This is when you send it to a trusted friend for feedback. They don’t have to be in the industry, just someone who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth.
Use this opportunity to get their thoughts on the story and see what questions they might have about the characters. Get all the information you can and re-write again.
Repeat this process as necessary before sending to competitions, agents, producers, etc. and you will be amazed how much more responsive people will be to your work. It’s hard work but this is the only path to screenwriting excellence!
5. Raise the Stakes
Your story needs to have stakes. What happens if your protagonist doesn’t get what they want? What’s at risk?
For example, if we take Jurassic Park, the stakes are to survive and escape from an island covered in ferocious dinosaurs. These are high stakes because it is literally about life and death. If they don’t escape, they will be eaten. The stakes couldn’t get much higher.
Whereas if we look at the film Little Miss Sunshine, it’s about Olive’s journey to a beauty pageant. On paper the stakes are much smaller, but the internal journey of the characters is where the stakes are. It’s about self-worth, family dynamics, and personal triumph.
Stakes can be external, internal, or both. If your script feels slow or flat, ask: what’s the worst thing that could happen to my character right now? Then—make it happen.
Keep turning up the pressure. The harder your protagonist has to fight for their goal, the more your audience will invest in their journey.
6. Avoid Common Cliches
Your character walks into a bar and suddenly bumps into their dream date and spills a drink over them. A moody vampire who only listens to gothic rock metal. Your downtrodden divorcee character turns to booze.
We’ve see it all before.
Clichés are common because they’re easy. But they also make your script feel tired. One of the best ways to stand out is to subvert expectations.
Check your script for any classic movie tropes and ask yourself ‘What can I do better?’ Whether that’s switching the location to somewhere surprising, giving a character a new and untapped depth, or just making the dialogue more unique. Write a ‘meet cute’ that doesn’t involve someone literally falling. Give your goth character a surprising love for bubblegum pop. Let your divorcee find purpose in raising bees, not just hitting the bottle.
Challenge yourself to swap the obvious choice for something unexpected. It’ll make your writing more original, more personal, and far more memorable.
7. Read Other Screenplays
One of the fastest ways to grow as a screenwriter? Simple. Read screenplays.
There are tons of amazing resources online that provide free screenplays – from the classics, to recent hits, and even pilots. Make a habit of reading them.
You’ll start to absorb structure, pacing, and dialogue rhythm just by seeing how others do it. It’s a chance to learn the blueprint of a film before it ever hit the screen.
Reading screenplays will sharpen your instincts and inspire your own writing in ways you won’t expect.
Start with these great sites:
8. Finish Your Script
Act Two hits. The story stalls. You walk away for a day… then a week… then longer. The script sits, unfinished.
Don’t let that happen.
Push through and finish, even if you’re unsure. Even if parts feel messy or broken.
A complete draft—flawed or not—is something you can actually revise. But you can’t fix a blank page. You don’t need perfection. You need momentum and persistence.
Cross that finish line. Then go back and shape it into something stronger.
Related Reading: What Should the First Draft of Your Screenplay Look Like?
9. Write Visually
Screenwriting is a visual medium. When you write, think about what the audience will see on screen—not just what the characters say.
Instead of writing that a character is “sad,” show us the emotion through action: She stares out the rain-slicked window, untouched coffee growing cold beside her.
Cut down on internal thoughts and lean into images, gestures, and atmosphere. Screenwriting is about what can be filmed—so every word should help the reader imagine what the scene looks and feels like.
Want to practice writing visually? Rewatch a favorite scene and try writing it out as a script, using only what you can see and hear.
10. Enjoy the Process
Don’t forget why you started.
Yes, writing is hard work—but it should still bring you joy. Take breaks, go for walks, and remember that inspiration often strikes when you’re not staring at a blank page.
Watch movies, read books, meet friends, try new things. Your best ideas often come from real-life experiences, not forced brainstorming.
Refill your creative tank often, and your writing will be better for it.
Conclusion
The bottom line? Keep going.
Screenwriting is a craft—and like any craft, it takes time, effort, and a whole lot of trial and error. Some days the words will flow, and other days they won’t. That’s okay. What matters is showing up, writing anyway, and remembering that every script you finish makes you a better writer than the one you were before.
So take the pressure off, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to rewrite, reshape, or start fresh.
And if you need a place to organize your ideas, format your script, or just keep everything moving—Celtx can help.
Found this helpful? Try these articles next:
- 10 Common Screenwriting Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
- 10 Must-Know Tips for Researching Your Screenplay
- Plot Outline Techniques: How to Structure Your Story for Maximum Impact
