How to Write a Simple Screenplay (for Kids)

Last Updated: December 6, 2022

So, you love to write. Or, perhaps, you have to write a play for your homework? It can be a very hard task, and you might not know where to begin. If you follow these steps, it should be easy!

Steps

1
Write or type the name of the play on a piece of paper. When thinking of a name, make sure that you do not plagiarize the name of a book or popular poem. Think of what you want the play to be about before you name it; this will help guide you.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.}
2
Write down a list of actors and their parts. Do not worry about thinking of a lot of characters and focus on creating good quality characters. More ideas, and thus, more characters will come to you, but value quality over quantity.^{[2]
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3
Draw a picture of each character and write a paragraph about them so you feel like you know your characters. Think about how your character feels, what she/he looks like, and their personality.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.}
4
Write down your setting. Describe it. Is it in a park or at a factory? Is it sunny or raining? The little details are very important, because they give the work unity and clarity.^{[4]
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- Write down the setting place and time for every new scene.^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Melessa Sargent
  Professional Writer
  Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.} When something changes in a scene, record it. You would not want the screenplay to get its chronology mixed up!
5
Name your characters and some stage directions so that the performers know what they are doing. This will make it easy for the actors and actresses to study and practice their lines, and it erases confusion from the mix in the hectic play preparation process.^{[6]
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6
Write the lines! Make them fit with your characters' personality and emotions, and make sure that they are not bland or insipid. Be creative and avoid using overly dramatic scenes (unless it is a melodrama). Do not necessarily subscribe to theatrical cliches either (Male hero attempting to save a helpless princess). In other words, adapt the play to modern times and avoid centering it on over-used, tired story lines.^{[7]
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7
Assemble your cast. If you are in your school drama program, this will be done for you. If you are allowed to pick the actors yourself, avoid giving positions only to friends. Choose whomever you know that could play the part well.
8
Perform it! Whether you are performing the play at your school, or with siblings at home, ensure that you are ready and prepared. Do not expect for everything to work perfectly the first time, but persevere even if it was a disaster! If you begin to write very good screenplays, you may have a future job as a Hollywood movie director.^{[8]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How do you start a screenplay?

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020.

Melessa Sargent

Professional Writer

Expert Answer

Make sure you know your idea. Write exactly what you want to your script to be about in paragraph form, and really understand your characters as well. Once you've written it all out, you can start to to transfer your ideas and and put them on paper using the correct formatting.
Question

Can anyone write a movie script?

Melessa Sargent
Professional Writer
Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020.

Melessa Sargent

Professional Writer

Expert Answer

Anyone who puts their mind to writing a screenplay can do it. Using script writing software can be a great help. Consider using Final Draft, as it is very easy to use and follows industry standards.
Question

How do I convince people to join the cast?

Community Answer

Make roles which fit their character, as they might want to cooperate if you have a character which will fit them.

Warnings

Accept criticism. You may think that you have come up with the greatest drama since Hamlet, but your teacher may laugh at it! It will take a long time to learn how to create a screenplay, but if you can master it at a young age, then you have true talent.

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