Read!

From Betty:

WRITERS must read. Writers MUST read. Writers must READ!

You would be surprised what has been handed to us with the infamous question, “Will you read my screenplay?” We receive poetry (I’m not kidding), essays, and poorly-formed DIY scripts where the writer at least knew they should label dialogue with a character name. So yes, it’s important to buy your Screenwriters Bible and download FinalDraft (or something comparable)…but it’s much more than that.

Ask yourself, “Have I ever actually read a screenplay?” Then ask yourself, “Have I ever actually read an award-winning screenplay?” Then wonder, “Have I ever read the screenplay for my favorite movie?” If not, don’t do another thing until you go to simplyscripts.com and read a screenplay. I’ve found everything from WHEN HARRY MET SALLY to THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN to DIE HARD on SimplyScripts.

They have a great search engine. All of the screenplays on there are FREE. They don’t always stay up on the site (they rotate through them) but this is where you can pick one of your favorite movies and watch it as you follow along with the script. See where the actual movie changed a bit from the spec script. See how many pages were necessary for one of the most memorable scenes. I promise you, it’s less than you think.

Study scripts. You’ll not only strengthen your own writing, but you’ll be a necessary asset to any writing group where people actually read each other’s screenplays. You’ll be able to say, “If I were you, I’d go home and read the set-up to THE HANGOVER…notice how they had to change it for the set-up in the actual movie.” People will hang on your every word…and they’ll be begging to read your screenplay. Okay, maybe that last bit is kinda far-fetched, but you get the idea.

Remember, at only one minute per page, it should technically take the same amount of time to read a movie as it does to watch it.