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Beginning screenwriters often make the mistake of letting characters talk, and talk, and talk... Talking heads might work for the playwright, but it certainly is not good screenwriting. Film is a visual medium. Show the story! Don’t just tell it. Action speaks louder than words – always. An excerpt from Shane Black’s screenplay Lethal Weapon illustrates: “Riggs straps on his .9 millimeter Beretta. Downs a shot of whiskey. Pauses, looking at a photograph on the wall. Riggs, much younger, along with a pretty and vivacious woman in a wedding gown: his wife. He stares at…

The action world is full of memorable one-liners. Gangster films have sinister mobsters and ruthless hoodlums. Dramas are all about serious realism while screwball comedies can get away with fart jokes. Adventure films have exotic locales, but if you’re writing a western, you better have dusty towns and six-shooters. Science fiction scores with aliens and futuristic technology. And when it comes to slasher films, don’t hold back – the audience is actually rooting for the killer. Understanding film genres (and sub-genres) is important, because let’s be honest: people…