Afterword

There are two ways to become a better screenwriter: 1. Writing Scripts and 2. Watching Movies. We mentioned previously how the more you write, the more skilled you become as a writer. Watching and analyzing movies will also help your writing.

Now that you have an understanding of movie structure, as you watch a film take notes. In particular, look for how the movie executes the structural steps we went over in the chapter on outlining. Write down the time when events happen. How far into the movie does the main character’s world get turned upside down? What time does the low point occur?

Look at how other movies handle subplots. Study the emotional beats. Even analyzing bad movies can be informative as you see what making the wrong script choices mean.

No matter what stage you are at, working on your first draft ever or rewriting your twentieth feature-length script, you can always improve as a writer. I know that can be intimidating to think about: there’s never a point where you “arrive” as a writer. But it is also an exhilarating concept. You CAN and WILL get better. You will discover new ways to tackle plot issues. Your confidence will grow and you will feel comfortable deviating from traditional structure. Writing is a journey that has no end destination. The journey is the point.

As writers, we write. We can’t help it because we are storytellers. Embrace it. Embrace the journey.