Things You'll Need:
- Screenwriting software
- Word processor
- Outline
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Step 1
Use screenwriting software to write your screenplay. This will save countless hours of do-it-yourself formatting. Screenwriting software allows you to outline, create story boards and notes, flesh out plot or characters and format a perfect screenplay without hours of effort. The software will also save time when you edit your work. See Resource for scriptwriting software.
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Step 2
Divide your screenwriting tasks into small, actionable goals. Give yourself a fixed amount of time to write the outline, complete the first draft and edit your work. Small goals are easier to achieve than larger ones, help prevent becoming overwhelmed and create a map you can follow to a completed project.
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Step 3
Consider how long your screenplay will be. Determine how much time you need to complete your small goals. If your screenplay is 100 pages, and you give yourself 2 days to outline and 2 days to do a final edit, that leaves you 24 days to write the draft. At this pace you need to write a little over 4 pages per day.
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Step 4
Remember that a draft is a draft. Don't let perfectionism get in the way of doing the work. Unpolished work is what editing is for. Drafting creates your project's skeleton, not a final, flawless piece of art. By concentrating on getting the story out and worrying about fixing the flaws later, your pages will flow much more freely.
