The Basics of becoming a screenwriter by Lorenzo Destefano

Lorenzo Destefano is one of the most coveted screenwriters across the country. He is a dramatist, screenwriter, author, producer, director, and photographer born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. DeStefano has worked in theatre in the United States and the United Kingdom, written fiction and non-fiction, original screenplays and adaptations, produced and directed documentaries and narrative films. He is a member of the Directors Guld of America and a former member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. The decorated personality has written several interesting stories, including his 2022 debut novel, “House Boy”. His many plays reflect his fertile imagination. Lorenzo’s creative journey has been full of events and stories that have captured the hearts of millions globally. So, to help aspiring screenwriters, Lorenzo has developed a guide.

1. Make a Logline

A logline is a one-sentence synopsis of your story that highlights the protagonists, their objectives, the antagonists, and their struggles. The protagonist is the story’s primary character and hero, whereas the antagonist is its opponent or antagonistic force. A logline should express the main idea and the story’s emotional overtones.

2. Write a Treatment

The title of your script, the plot summary, a list of the key characters, and a brief synopsis are all included in the treatment, a more extensive (2–5 page) overview. Treatments are mainly employed for marketing objectives, much like loglines. Before determining whether the script is worth their time, a producer may first read a treatment.

The primary themes and turning moments of your novel should be highlighted in the synopsis. Anyone who reads it ought to have a clear understanding of the plot, the characters, and the writing style. They should have sufficient knowledge to identify with the characters and wish to accompany them on their adventure to see how it turns out.

3. Develop Characters

Make characters that oppose the main question and go through a significant metamorphosis to respond to it. Character profile worksheets are widely available online and might help develop the characteristics of your characters. Here and here are two that I’ve found to be beneficial.

4. Write a Draft

You have to map out a plot and outline. Write your script scene by scene, including the dialogue and illustrative action, using your outline as a road map. The most important pages in a script are the first ten. Usually, there are too many scripts coming over a reader’s or producer’s desk to read them all. Ten pages are all a hand has to hook them. They’ll keep reading if the script has engaging characters and the appropriate structural components. If not, it will be thrown out.

5. Rewrite

You have a much clearer understanding of your plot as a whole now that you have a finished draught. Rework the script, tighten the conversation, and improve the action. Most likely, you’ll need to repeat this process. It’s better to use white space on your pages while making the final version. It’s simpler to read and seems to go by more quickly. It’s discouraging to read a script with pages of detailed action descriptions and lengthy monologues when a producer must read several scripts daily.