Screenwriting rules… Foolproof tips and guidelines to help you craft something inspiring. Laws and principles that lead you down the creative path without losing your way. Of course, rules in any creative medium are always meant to be bent, broken and reshaped depending on the project. Regardless, there are so many sound tips out there it was time someone collected them in one place.
Below is an absolutely gigantic collection of screenwriting rules. Part 1 consists of over 50 articles by screenwriters of all levels, written to inspire screenwriters. There are literally hundreds of amazing tips for you to digest and apply to your own writing.
Joss Whedon’s 10 commandments of screenwriting | Danny Stack
Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling
The new 10 commandments of screenwriting | Screenwriting U
12 Essential screenwriting tips for aspiring screenwriters | What Culture
11 Laws of great storytelling | Writer’s Store
8 Essential screenwriting principals | Go Into The Story
10 Power principals to screenwriting success | Filmmaker IQ
Billy Wilder’s 10 commandments of screenwriting | Seraphic Secret
McKee and Me: Commandments and principles | Write, Write, Write
20 Common sense script rules in no particular order | Screenwriters University
10 Screenwriting insights I wish I had 25 years ago | Cracking Yarns
Screenwriting: How to break the rules | Script Shadow
The road ahead: 10 Tips for the screenwriter | Word & Film
5 Simple rules for turning your cool idea into a screenplay | IO9
13 Things you should do to get your screenplay rejected | The Screenplay Writers
10 Crucial screenwriting tips | Screenwriting Goldmine
12 Rules of screenwriting | Talentville
The 5 S’s of screenwriting: Principals of storytelling | Movie Outline
Top 5 screenwriting mistakes | Stigmata Script
10 Writing tips for authors from a screenwriting guru | Where Writers Win
6 Basic rules all screenwriters should follow | Suite 101
12 Screenwriting principals | Write, Write, Write
The Screenwriting rules of Charlie Kaufman | Go Into The Story
Thirteen screenwriting rules that can never be broken | Pete McCormack
The unrules of screenwriting | L.A Screenwriters
12 Screenwriting tips for beginners | Screenwriting For Hollywood
7 screenwriting rules that are killing your creativity | Script Quack
First 10 pages: 5 Major rules | The Script Lab
The ten rules of screenwriting | Film Slate
Screenwriting: Can you break the rules? | The Single Screenwriter
30 Scriptwriting tips in one post | Galley Cat
Breaking the screenwriting rules | Writer’s Store
Meet the reader: The (real) rules of screenwriting | Script Magazine
How to write Groundhog Day: 10 Rules for screenwriters | The Daily Beast
8 Rules for surviving screenwriting | Darlene Craviotto
10 basic rules of screenwriting | Startup Nation
The unrules of screenwriting: Rick Suvalles List | Scooty Woopin’ A Way
5 Screenwriting rules to improve your writing | Hardy Stevenson
Breaking the screenwriting rules from the inside out | Lee Jessop
6 Tips For Writing A (Money-Making) Script From A Billion Dollar Screenwriting Duo | Fast To Create
Screenwriting: A few hard and fast rules | Persistent Pen
Top 10 screenwriting tips from script to screen | Filmmaker Magazine
10 Rules for using parentheticals | Script Wrecked
Do you believe in script writing rules? | Script Larva
12 Rules to get your screenplay rejected right away | EZine Articles
The ridiculous rules of screenwriting | Lisa McNamee
The 5 immutable laws of screenwriting | About Freelance Writing
36 Basic screenwriting tips | Unforeseen Consequences
7 Strategy tips from the world of screenwriting | Big Spaceship
The three C’s of screenwriting | Script Magazine
SOURCE: Screenwritingspark.com
This is part 2 of the ultimate masterlist of many resources that could be helpful for writers/story artists/script editors/roleplay.
Improvement
Improve Your Writing Habits Now
5 Ways to Add Sparkle to Your Writing
Getting Over Roleplaying Insecurities
Improve Your Paras
Why the Right Word Choices Result in Better Writing
4 Ways To Have Confidence in Your Writing
Writing Better Than You Normally Do
How’s My Driving?
Describing
A Description Resource
55 Words to Describe Someones Voice
Describing Skin Colors
Describing a Person: Adding Details
Emotions Vocabulary
90 Words For ‘Looks’
Be More Descriptive
Describe a Character’s Look Well
100 Words for Facial Expressions
To Show and Not To Tell
Words to Describe Facial Expressions
Describing Clothes
List of Actions
Tone, Feelings and Emotions
Masterlists
Writing Specific Characters
Character Guides
Writing Help for Writers
Ultimate Writing Resource List
Lots of RP Guides
Online Writing Resources
List of Websites to Help You Focus
Resources for Writing Bio’s
Helpful Links for Writing Help
General Writing Resources
Resources for Biography Writing
Mental Ilnesses/Disorders Guides
8 Words You Should Avoid While Writing
Body Language
Body Language Cheat
Body Language Reference Cheat
Tips for Writers: Body Language
Types of Crying
Body Language: Mirroring
Grammar/Vocabulary
Words Instead of Walk (2)
Commonly Confused Adjectives
A Guide on Punctuation
Common Writing Mistakes
25 Synoms for ‘Expession’
How to: Avoid Misusing Variations of Words
Words to Keep Inside Your Pocket
The 13 Trickiest Grammar Hang-Ups
Other Ways to Say..
Proofreading
300+ Sophiscated and Underused Words
List of Misused Words
Wor