4 Qualities You Need to Have to Break Into Screenwriting

Charlie Kaufman once said: “Everything I’ve written is personal - it’s the only way I know how to write.

Of course, the movies Kaufman co-created, especially Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich, reflect this vision. For example, Being John Malkovich mirrors Kaufman’s early years playing different roles in the drama club.

So, whatever you write for the screen will, at least in part, showcase your personality. And this idea makes us wonder - which qualities should a screenwriter have? Are there any characteristic features that make some screenwriters more successful than others?

Let’s explore this topic a bit more.

1. Power of Observation

It’s hard to imagine a screenwriter (and any writer, for that matter) who doesn’t observe what’s going on around them. Your surroundings are an excellent source of plot and character ideas and could be of great help if you’re experiencing writer’s block.

Now, you might say - observation is more of a skill than a quality. You’re right in that one can learn the power of observation, but it only comes to its full potential when it becomes a part of your nature.

What does it take to become better at observing?

Here are some helpful tips:

1. Learn to eliminate distractions. The goal is to focus on something or someone in particular and watch them in dynamics without being diverted by irrelevant noise.
2. Keep a record of your observations. Persistently write everything that grabs your attention. Avoid being too brief and provide as many details about the object of your observation as possible.
3. Try new experiences. Open-mindedness is a friend of observation, so keep yourself busy with different activities. It’s alright if some of them seem not to match your personality - you might find more exciting things about yourself.

If you need daily exercise, try a simple memory game. It will help you maintain focus and improve your attention span.

2. Perseverance

It’s rare for a screenwriter to craft a great story on a whim. In reality, you will go through all kinds of hurdles before you can say your story is a success. Naturally, it takes perseverance to get to that point.

Another example of how important this personal quality is for a screenwriter is handling the criticism you’ll be getting from different people. There can be times when a harsh word from someone will bring you down. But it’s perseverance that will help you keep going.

Is there a way to become more resilient?

Unsurprisingly, it’s about goal-setting - it needs to be as clear as possible and be based on the means and opportunities accessible to you. Develop a vision of the final result, whether it is a screenplay or your entire screenwriting career, and remind yourself of it when needed.

Of course, hurtful comments and unconstructive criticism can still get to you, even if you know exactly what you are aiming for.

In this case, it helps create something tangible - like a vision board - to serve as a reminder of the endpoint in your journey.

3. Being a Good Listener

On the other hand, criticism doesn’t always mean a bad thing. Surely, not everyone can express it nicely, but their ideas can still bear immense value to your professional development. So, you need to be a good listener (in addition to being observant) to differentiate constructive criticism from malicious intent.

Becoming a good listener is often about your perception. Most people listen to be polite, but you need to listen in order to learn.

For example, a person tells you your characters are boring. You can politely listen to it while anger is brewing in your head, or you can take a different perspective. What if this person means your character development is not dynamic enough? Now, that’s a point you can work on.

In other words, handle criticism like it’s a lesson. Indeed, sometimes it tells you to stay away from a particular person, but it can also give a hint at helpful insights.

4. Being a Good Conversationalist

Being a good listener comes together with being a good conversationalist. Both qualities require patience and time to learn, but listening helps you understand the idea better while being good at rhetorics helps express your point of view on this idea.

Becoming great at conversations often depends on your language skills, which also have a direct impact on your success as a screenwriter.

So, how do you improve your language skills?

One way is to develop your foreign language competencies. For example, learning conversational French can not only help you enrich your writing with foreign terms and show you as an erudite but also broaden your horizons.

In general, learning a foreign language improves flexible and critical thinking. It shows you how different cultures form a variety of viewpoints. You can use it in the process of writing a screenplay in many instances, from character to plot development. As a result, your story becomes more true to life and enriches the reader’s/viewer’s worldview as well.

Over to You

As you can see, there are a few qualities that can help you come to success in screenwriting. The good news is that they can all be acquired through continuous learning and persistence.

So, start working on your power of observation - it will help you spot ideas where others don’t see them. Perseverance and being a good listener will guide you through criticism, helping differentiate genuine advice from hurtful comments. Finally, becoming a good conversationalist is what you need to get your point across both in speaking and writing.

What are other qualities you think a good screenwriter should possess?

Let us know in the comments!

About Ryan Pell

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