Some of the screenwriting rules I recently re-learned:
Always writing in present tense
Starting the scene with exterior or interior, location, and night or day, e.g.
1. INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT
"JOHN (65) walks to..
First time the character appears in a scene e.g. JOHN (e.g. 30, and few traits, e.g. playful, quiet) does this and that. Then he walks to SARAH (28, nervous, charming) and gives her a hug.
(dialogue and character names in the middle of the page)
JOHN
Are we still friends?
SARAH
What do you mean?
Write CUT TO at the end of every scene in the right corner, write THE END in the middle of the page at the end of screenplay.
The most important thing is the structure: inciting incident, plot point 1 and 2, resolution; major dramatic question. Etc.
In a play the character could say "I want to be a screenwriter" in a screenplay it mostly becomes clear through action.
Correct me if I'm wrong. I love screenwriting but I've done a lot of things in between and probably forgot a lot of rules and there could be different rules around the world.
Screenwriting programs: CeltX, Fade In, Final Draft
