How do screenwriters become good screenwriters?

Drink ayahuasca with a shaman

Professional screenwriter here. Well, not what you're thinking, but I got my degree in it and I sell a couple features a year. I wrote a Netflix original film and one that is as of yet produced. I also teach it at the college level at a community college, so nothing prestigious.

Biggest advice is to dedicate time every day to write. 20 minutes a day, just write, even if it's shit. Keep at it. It's a muscle - you work it to get it stronger.

Secondly, read a ton of fucking screenplays. The best way to be a better writer is be a better reader. This will also get you used to format, which is the most crucial element in screenwriting. Here's a couple links:

dropbox.com/sh/tvpa1kipnnhaye3/euPxVapYw9/Movie Scripts
Huge fucking database some based user made

imsdb.com/
Scripts, but format unreliable.

I recommend a couple books to aspiring screenwriters:
Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder.
20 Master Plots by Ronald Tobias
and The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley

First is about the three act structure which is something you should master. If you are breaking the standard three act structure, it should be for purposeful, specific reasons.
Second is another about specific plot building, and distills most film/book/narrative plots down into 20 categories. It is great for showing you how to build each one.
Third isn't a book you read, but a reference. Whenever you question a formatting question in screenwriting, this book is the standard that even Oscar winners use.

Use Celtx or Final Draft, too. Anything else is shit and won't work.

Best of luck, user. I was a Yea Forums surfer years and years ago and decided I wanted to join the industry and someone left me a post getting me started. Here I am now, hopefully giving you a start, too. Happy writing.

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they don't, but that won't stop you from working if you're connected

ah-bloo-bloo

tl;dr OP: read more scripts and novels. stay off Yea Forums. discipline yourself.

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Good sreenwriter =/= succesfull screenwriter
If you are not jewish you won't make it user.

I don’t get this shit at all. And it’s totally unique to the medium of writing, we get this thread weekly on Yea Forums yet nobody shows up on Yea Forums saying “I can’t sing or play any instruments and know nothing about music, how can I release an album?”
I suppose people think that because they are literate, that is itself qualification to decide to become a writer.

it's not just writing but acting as well. i'm surrounded by tons of 10/10 guys and girls out here who can't understand why they can't book decent roles. it's because you fucking suck at acting, don't take any classes to train, and think you can get by on looks. that doesn't work beyond shitty made for tv movies.

thanks my dude, how did you get into the industry? How do you sell your features

dunno lol

lol

Just B Urself

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