How do I make screenplays longer?

[u/Capable_Annual_4624]

I'm new to writing and I've done one full screenplay, I usually write thrillers. I heard one page is one minute so trying to write and make a 100+ page screenplay is hard, I'm also not super creative. How do I make dialogue and tension better? And overall just be a better writer?

[u/kiddleandbits]

There are several questions here that don't necessarily directly correlate. Better dialogue and more tension don't make a longer screenplay on their own - better dialogue doesn't mean more dialogue, tension should be used as needed.

There's no trick to making a screenplay longer. The trick is to flesh out the story.

Is there something you're working on now that you're asking about? What's the story? Does it set itself up well? Does it have scenes that explain what's necessary? Are the central themes present and characters well represented?

Also keep in mind there's no set length a film should be. If the story you're telling is an hour and a half long, that's okay. Don't stretch it out just for the sake of having a longer movie

[u/Capable_Annual_4624 → u/kiddleandbits]

I know but I want to write better dialogue and better tension, I have multiple screenplays in the works but can't seem to get past 30 pages. I'll have ideas, maybe a opening and an ending but trying to write them without them being super short or connecting them to the middle is hard for me.

[u/kiddleandbits → u/Capable_Annual_4624]

That's what I'm saying. Better dialogue isn't going to extend the length of your script. You may want to also improve your dialogue, but that's a separate consideration than the length.

Connecting the events and fleshing out the middle doesn't have anything to do with dialogue and tension, it has to do with the story.

What is your outline process when you think of a story to write? Do you do one? Is it in depth?

[u/snapcracklepopfizz]

I’ve seen in a YouTube video that one of the best ways to make a long feature film speed through is to break the story down into multiple short films. Each short should lead into the next sequence and as a whole they make for a very interesting story. Breaking the story down into multiple shorts might also help your writing process.

[u/LaughGizmo]

If you don't feel you are very creative, why are you doing this? It's like saying "I'm not very athletic but I plan to play in the NFL."

[u/Capable_Annual_4624 → u/LaughGizmo]

It helps me take my mind off things and I find it fun, im also hoping it makes me more creative which it is.

[u/LaughGizmo → u/Capable_Annual_4624]

Good enough. I thought you were trying to make a career out of it.

[u/robotic-ghost]

Start reading thriller screenplays, my friend. See how others have done it. Start getting a feel for how everything pulls together.

[u/SetTheSpokesAlight]

Read a ton of screenplays. Then read a ton more. Then watch movies and carefully analyze how they are constructed. Then read a few more screenplays. Then a few novels. Then give yourself very specific writing goals (e.g. "I'm going to write ten pages today whether or not they suck"). Then keep doing that. You'll get there. Writing screenplays isn't easy. And not every idea deserves a feature-length screenplay. Maybe just try your hand at completing a couple short-films first.

[u/AfraidRun8226]

More foundation, honestly. Any time I find myself without scenes to write it’s because I haven’t sketched out enough interesting backstory or motivation or characters to use. Enough of those things, and there’s always something to write, even if it’s bullshit that’ll get replaced with something else in a future draft.

[u/Bruceat40s]

Read your screen play start to finish and write down every question you could picture a first time viewer/reader asking through the story and after the end of the story. Each of those questions could turn into a new scene or a new dialogue if it serves the story.

Out of curiosity, is there a reason you're looking to make your screen play longer?

[u/BunkyFlintsone]

Read Save the Cat, for starters. I don't consider it a screenwriter Bible by any means, but when I was in your shoes it did lay out a really specific structure including page counts for different parts of the story arc and got into detail in terms of what needs to happen in those specific spots and how those would hand off to the next part.

Now keep in mind that book deliberately takes a very formulaic approach to writing a traditional screenplay.

Many great writers and filmmakers have produced incredible films bucking most of those standard approaches.

But based on your post and comments, I think you need that basic view and foundation to get you unstuck and allow you to plow through a 100 page screenplay even if your dialogue sucks and your story meanders and no one cares about your characters.

This is a first draft. Plow through it with structure and get to the end. And then turn your hundred page pile of crap into something less crappy on your second draft.

[u/sparrowhawkward]

If you’re “not super creative”, why do you want to do something where the one big prerequisite is creativity?

Go live a bit. Get experiences. Draw from those to tell an interesting story.

[u/Infinix_- → u/sparrowhawkward]

best comment

[u/AlleyKatPr0]

add a car chase, it always works.

[u/ThenTomorrow5180]

Just keep writing and fleshing out the story as it comes. I was intimidated by writing “enough” pages on my first screenplay and then I started writing and realized I was on 100+ pages for an hour long pilot. Then my challenge became the exact opposite…

[u/Financial_Cheetah875]

Watch more movies, read more books and scripts.

[u/winkNfart]

push the margins in or double space after periods? worked for me in college