Movie Outline Screenwriting Blog

You might be desperate to get your screenwriting ideas noted down and formed into a completed work. After all, if you are successful, you may reap considerable rewards both financially and in terms of your levels of personal fulfilment.

But as with most things in life, the process is not straightforward. It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to complete screenplays, usually including many drafts of your work before you’re happy with it. Of course, there are ways of making the task easier. For example, you can invest in reputable screenplay writing software. This software makes structuring your ideas much more straightforward and means you will not veer away from the accepted industry format.

However, there is more to screenwriting than this. One way in which you can increase the chances that your creation will be completed is by ensuring you get into a routine. It is no good simply waiting until you feel inspired and energized before you sit down in front of your computer.

Instead, you must be disciplined and organized and have a routine in place that you rarely deviate from. It is only by operating in a structured fashion like this that most people find they are able to push ahead with the project.

It takes a certain kind of single-mindedness to be a success in the screenwriting field and you must not consistently let procrastination get in the way of your work – although let’s face it – we all do it sometimes!

So, once you have your screenplay writing software installed and clear ideas in your mind about your creative direction, you might well benefit from developing and sticking to a firm schedule.

All too often writers, especially experienced writers, get lazy. They get comfortable in their own writing shoes with their tried and tested screenwriting habits and while this makes knocking out a screenplay a hell of a lot easier than it was when they first started writing.. back in the day, it also sometimes leads to stale material and obvious choices, whether that be for dialogue, characterizations or plot.

So the next time you sit down in front of your computer, take this advice, if you want to know how to write a script: Don’t take the obvious option! If it’s easy to come up with then chances are maybe the audience would have expected it too.

For dialogue, acknowledge your initial idea for a witty retort then step back, chew it over and play around with a few more by turning the dialogue on its head and experimenting with something you would not normally write or that particular character would not typically say. Even if it doesn’t work at first the process will get you thinking and open your mind up to new ideas to make the dialogue fresh and less “on the nose”.

And for plots, instead of surging from one chase scene to an action-packed confrontation between the hero and villain, why not insert something unexpected into the mix? Or create a surprising chain of events and progression of scenes that keep ’em guessing! In short: lead the audience down a familiar route and then turn your story 180 degrees. If you do this your script will be less predictable and it will leave your audience begging for more…

If you have a wide range of screenwriting ideas and are keen to get them down in black and white, you may question the importance of format.

Many people think the ideas themselves are the most important factor, rather than how they are presented. This is a common misconception. While substance is certainly crucial, the presentation of your screenplay is also incredibly important.

Readers at a film studio or agency will have limited time in which to go through your script. If they find the format of your material confusing, or if it strays too far from the standardized format, they may simply assume you are not taking it seriously and give up. You must get the layout of your screenwriting right, or you may well sabotage your chance.

However, it is now possible to use screenplay writing software which helps you to follow an industry-approved format and layout. Experienced screenwriters understand that the structure of your script is just as important as the story it tells.

When working on a screenplay with screenplay writing software, you will be writing in an industry-approved format, which can allow you to write without having to worry about how professional your script will look.

This can, in turn, help with the writing itself, as if you feel that you are writing an authentic, Hollywood-standard script, you may find yourself writing better than ever. Many respected writers use screenplay writing software to create work which goes on to become a hit, and you can do the same.

September 13, 2010  (London, UK) — UK software publisher Nuvotech today launched a new “lite” version of its popular professional screenwriting software Movie Outline^®. This new cross-platform creative writing tool is aimed at the first time writer who needs the ability to outline their story and format their screenplay but cannot stretch their budget for the professional features of its big brother application.

“We realized that in these tough economic times many of our potential customers wanted a way to outline and format their movie projects but simply could not afford the price tag of our professional application”, said Dan Bronzite, CEO. “While Script It! does not have the many powerful story structuring, character development and import/export features of Movie Outline 3, we believe that it is the perfect choice for novice writers keen to make the transition from their regular word processing software into a tailored solution.”

Same Concept, Lower Price…

Script It! is based on the same innovative writing methodology of “step-outlining” that has proved so popular with users of Movie Outline. This “sequence” approach allows you to plan the structure of your screen story and professionally format your screenplay step by step.

New Features

Although Script It! doesn’t have many of the “pro” tools of Movie Outline it does have a few new handy features including an enhanced interface design with more work space, a “Glossary” with over 250 screenwriting / filmmaking terms & definitions, a “Character Name Wizard” with over 140,000 first and last names that can be filtered by gender, origin and meaning, and a “Scratch Pad” that allows you to organize your notes in one place and categorize them into folders such as story ideas, research, character notes, plot lines and script snippets.

Learn more about Script It! or download a free demo.

Pricing and Availability

Script It! will initially only be available as a download from the Nuvotech Software Store for $79.95.

About Nuvotech

Nuvotech is a software and Web 2.0 services company based in London, England. It was founded in 1999 by produced screenwriter Dan Bronzite to publish innovative software and services for the creative industry. Its most recognized brands are Movie Outline a cross-platform screenplay development application and Hollywood Script Express a script copying and delivery service in Los Angeles.