I need help with writing a script I think I made it to long and I don't know how to make it shorter,any ideas?

Question

I need help with writing a script I think I made it to long and I don't know how to make it shorter,any ideas?

Answer 1

It's called compression and it's one of the most important skills in screenwriting. Read your script and ask yourself, does that really need to be in there, does it push the story forward? Sometimes your best written scenes don't do anything to push the story forward and you have to get rid of them. It's painful, but necessary. (Keep them for later scripts, you never know.)

I find it best to read scripts on paper, not on the computer. And don't hesitate to use a red pencil all over it. Rewriting, which needs to be done many times, even by the best, is almost like starting over.

Read lots of good scripts, you can find them free online, do a google search. Reading good scripts is extremely helpful for writers.

Go to amazon.com or the bookstore or library and see what screenwriting books they have. Browse through them and see which ones click with you and get them. There are a lot of them, most actually are pretty helpful and technically correct, it's just what speaks your language.

Good luck!!