I have a confession to make. Back in the day, long before I had any consistent professional screenwriting contract work, I Disgusting Ideas for writing an outline.
Excuses for not doing so include:
- “I wanted some creative freedom.”
- “I don’t want to suffer from analysis paralysis.”
- “I want things to be discovered.”
Looking back, after signing over 15 professional screenwriting contracts, producing 10 feature films (and counting), a miniseries, and working in development as a script reader/story analyst for Sony Pictures, I can To put it lightly, all of this is naive mumbo jumbo.
Here’s a quick breakdown and guide to why screenwriters should and need to learn to use an outline.
What is an outline?
An outline is an important tool for screenwriters, providing a clear overview before translating the story beats and rhythms into screenplay format (locations, scene descriptions, and dialogue).
By creating an outline, a screenwriter can draft a general list of consecutive scenes and moments, arranged in the order in which they appear in the script. Typically, these are presented in bullet point or numbered format, with each entry providing a concise description of what happened in each key scene and storyline.
This structured overview allows the writers and their collaborators (see below) to make creative and editorial decisions before committing to writing the scene in complete filmic detail.
For example, if your outline shows redundant, repetitive, or unnecessary scenes, these scenes can be adjusted, rearranged, or deleted to simplify the story and save time before detailed writing begins.
Screenwriters who embrace the outline (as mentioned above) use it as a means of organizing and polishing elements, such as:
- idea
- visual effects
- scene
- sequence
- distortion
- turn
- plot point
- character arc
- storyline
These are the components that make up the narrative structure of a screenplay.
An outline allows you to roughly draft your script without having to limit yourself to specific details before the actual writing process begins.
How to create an outline
Now, if you’ve done your homework and research, you’ve probably heard experts and veteran screenwriters talk about using index cards to manage, manipulate, and organize scenes before writing a script. All of this is great, but the practice of outlining reflects the time-tested method of using index cards.
This traditional method involves jotting down scene breakdowns on separate cards, which can then be rearranged or discarded to optimize the flow of the story.
You can save some trees and some clutter by writing your outline on your computer using a simple document or on a beat board, and within that document you can create a bulleted list or a numbered list.
It’s just as easy to cut and paste scenes and move them up and down the list. It’s easier to delete them or put them aside with just a few clicks.
Here’s the thing. While some screenwriters are enamored of the old-fashioned index card method (perhaps because they read about their favorite famous screenwriters using index cards), when you become a professional screenwriter, you’ll need to learn how to write an outline for a movie. every A screenwriting contract you sign.
It’s very simple:
- You typically use a numbered list that looks exactly like this. In the first numbered point, you start at the beginning and write a general description of what happened in the first scene. Any conversation is concluded by explaining what was said or conveyed.
- After that, you will proceed to the next scene.
- Then comes the next scene.
- You can have a short description Like these, but you also want to make sure you convey exactly what is happening in each scene, so generally consider at least 3-4 sentences. For more important scenes that require more description, feel free to write an entire paragraph.
- Then you continue the whole story until the enddetailing all the twists, turns, story and plot points, etc.
Think of it this way, you’re telling the entire story (from beginning to end) through visuals and brief breakdowns of dialogue and exposition.
There’s no end to the number of scenes you should have. In my Lifetime thriller outline, I usually have about 80 scenes total. Sometimes less. Sometimes just a little more.
One last tip on this. When you do this (and when you write your screenplay), write like a film editor.
Read more: Why screenwriters should think like film editors
Most professional screenwriting contracts require an outline
Don’t get me wrong. If you’re someone like Steve Zaillian or Aaron Sorkin, you can probably do whatever you want when it comes to preparing for assignments.
But you’re not, and neither are most working screenwriters.
Most professional screenwriting contracts break the paywall like this:
- Start-up fee
- outline
- first draft
- Attach draft
that’s right. In most professional contracts, an outline is the first thing you need to write. that’s why you need To get rid of any bias or resistance to outlining, learn how to write an outline and enjoy the benefits.
Read more: Professional Screenwriting Assignment Guide: Sample Contracts and Feature Breakdown
Why and how Outlines are the best collaboration tool
We’ve covered an outline of the benefits screenwriters offer you. But let’s talk about something more important—outlining as a collaboration tool.
Film and television are collaborative media. If you are a writer, you must submit your novel to editors and publishers. But when it comes to getting their stories into the hands and minds of their audience (i.e. readers), the words an author writes are ultimately everything.
Screenwriters don’t have that freedom.
It just starts with the script. In order for someone (besides someone in the industry) to experience your movie story, someone needs to get the script, hire a development executive, hire a producer, hire a director, hire a crew, hire actors, etc.
Through a writing assignment, you are hired to write about other people’s ideas.
Selling a screenplay is difficult in Hollywood—even for established professionals.
As a professional, what you do most of the time is write on assignment, a studio, network, streamer, or production company hires you to write a script based on a story they own the rights to, and they need to rewrite the script, and they want Adapt the intellectual property rights to the screen, or an original concept they came up with.
So, in short, be prepared to collaborate. The main collaborative tool in the screenwriting process is the outline.
Read more: 5 things to look forward to in a paid screenwriting assignment
How screenwriters save time (and headaches) with outlines
As screenwriters, we all know that the script is a house of cards. Whenever you’re asked to change anything, move scenes, add scenes/storylines/characters, delete scenes, or edit scenes, it’s a difficult process because you’re (hopefully) trying to build the script while interweaving all of it elements all create an excellent cinematic story.
When you move one thing, it greatly affects the rest of the script and all the work you put into it.
However, with an outline, you can make many collaborative decisions before you even write the script. This is where the “index card” process comes into play, because you and your development lead, producer, or director can move the individual clips around before “gluing” them into the script.
Because each bullet or numbered point is a brief description of what’s happening and what’s being said in each given scene, you can easily tweak, adapt, and configure the entire vision of your story before you start writing your script.
Outlining is when those difficult discussions can be had and those many story and character notes can be applied. It’s much easier to do this at the outline stage.
When you start writing scripts, you’ve already solved most of the big collaboration problems.
This is where things get really exciting. Once the outline is complete and agreed upon (you’ll write it, submit it, get notes, submit another draft), you can start writing the script – and the actual scripting process is much easier because you’re already in the outlining process Many problems were solved. You’ll be shocked at how quickly you can write.
It gets better.
Read more: 10-Day Screenplay Solution: Learn How to Write Fast
Contours can mean fewer notes
Once you submit your first draft, you’ll get far fewer notes because you’ve already agreed on nearly every element of the collaboration during the outlining process.
That’s why you’ll find that 99.9% of screenplay contracts have an outline written into them. It helps streamline the process and ensures the writers and company are on the same page (pun intended).
Read more: 7 Ways Screenwriters Can Survive and Overcome the Task of Writing
Start using an outline before you become a pro
Don’t wait until you get your first assignment. Now let’s start working with outlines. Hope you see the benefits.
Remember, you still have plenty of creative freedom and room for discovery. You can change anything at any time.
- Silhouettes give you structure. Structure is necessary for screenwriting because you are essentially writing a blueprint for a film story that hundreds of other people will use to realize it.
- Great structure leads to great pacing, which allows for better reading of the script and keeps the film’s story moving.
Think of the outline as the foundation of your script. Once you start writing a screenplay, you can establish the story and characters and embellish them with style and movie magic.
Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.
As a production writer, he participated in numerous studio meetings with companies such as Sony, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, Disney, Warner Bros., and numerous production and management companies. He previously signed a development deal with Lionsgate and has taken on various writing assignments, including producing the miniseries Blackout, starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Hayley Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric Larsa and Bruce Bucklina star in the thriller Hunter’s Creed and many more thrillers from Lifetime. Follow Ken on Twitter @ken电影 and Instagram @KenMovies76
