GENERAL WAFFLESON!!!!

*hugs*

anyway, I'm kind of a newbie at scripting, but I'll tell you what I know!

The show-don't-tell rule is especially difficult in script writing, as you can only tell it in the dialogue and script directions. Try to imagine the character in your mind, to the point where you pretty much become the character (I've never tried it, but I've heard uniting them with a song works really well for this!). Then put yourself into the scene you want them to be in. What would you do in that situation? I've found it helps when you verbally and physically act out the scene, too! Whatever they would do, make bullet points about it, then, write it. 

Dang, all this talk about scripting REALLY makes me want to script! see ya'll later, and hoped this helped! 

I'm writing a screenplay, my dad is into filmmaking so he has some books I've been reading. I'm not an expert but here's what I know. There's basically certain guidelines  you need to follow to make a screenplay, like specifying if it's an interior or exterior shot, the location, and time of day, before each scene. Here's an example.

EXT. BILLY'S HOUSE. NIGHT.  

And then here you describe what's happening.When someone says something, you do it like 

BILLY

hello! 

He walked across the gravel to her .

GIRL

what are you  doing here? 

I hope that makes sense and I hope that helps! It's really helpful to look up the screenplay to one of your favorite movies and read through it to see how they did it.  

GW AHHH IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU!!!!

Ahem. Sorry. 

There was a thread a few months back that had lots of good playwriting advice. I'll give you the link later.  

http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/puddingsplace/node/407573

Really it's just explaining format, but yeah, lots of good tips. 

Ayyyyy, GW! We meet again!

Well, I wrote and shot a 10-minute detective short film last summer and it was... uhhhhhhh, an educational experience... So here's some things I figured out.

If you're trying to write realistic dialogue, it helps a lot to read it out loud- especially if you're writing jokes. Some things that are perfect on paper need to be rephrased to work when said out loud.

A lot of just generic writing tips can apply to scriptwriting too. If you're doing a sci-fi thing, for instance, look up "tips for writing sci-fi"; so you can really get the story down and get your characters to work well in it.

And finally, never ever try to put a sub-plot about mouthwash into a 10-minute long detective movie. Just don't. Warning based on experience.

Hey, GW! Good to see you!

I've written a few scripts of varying quality, so I might be able to give some tips. If you're having trouble with formatting, there are several sites that could help. I've also found that having an example script to look off of is helpful. Scriptwriting is pretty different from writing prose, so getting used to it is a big thing. I usually envision the scene first, instead of just working it out as I go, then pick out the dialogue and write that down, since it's the backbone of the script. Then you can add stage directions and whatever else. As for the show-not-tell rule, I have trouble with that too, even in other writing. I think it would be kind of like if a character was dancing around something they want to say, or hinting at it instead of saying it outright.

I'm not sure if any of this helped in the slightest, but there you go!