Good Looks Will Get You Far

by Dave Trottier

After a tweet that touted my book, Two Screenplays, someone tweeted back, "DT sold perfectly formatted scripts that never made a movie, SKing [Stephen King] never cared about formatting and sold stories that made 22 movies." Actually, three of my scripts were produced; four, if you count one that I didn't receive a credit for, and I sold six more. But that's not the issue.

The tweeted point is that formatting may not be that important. If it's not that important, how important is it? There are two competing myths out there at opposite ends of the spectrum.

First myth: formatting is not important. Second myth: formatting is so important it has to be perfect.

Formatting is important. First, formatting your script is like dressing it appropriately for a job interview. Naturally, your qualifications (the story) are more important, but a good first impression can open the reader's mind to your wonderful story.

Second, it makes sense to "speak" in the language that readers, producers, and agents most easily understand and expect; and that language is proper format. If a magazine editor asks you to write your idea as a poem, would you hand it to her formatted as an essay?

Some established writers will say that their formatting is not great or they don't worry about it. That works for them because they're pros and have already proven they can write. "Yes, Mr. Stephen King, I'd love to read your script."

There's a third reason to format your script properly. Using screenplay format will help you better present your story as a possible movie. Just as applying principles of meter and rhyme can help a poem, applying principles of formatting can help a screenplay.

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Many screenwriters understand the importance of appearance and work overtime making the formatting perfect. As Dr. Format, it's good for my business that screenwriters believe formatting has to be perfect. Take it from me, it doesn't.

It's hard to find two people in this business who agree exactly on every point of formatting. You hear different things from different people, but virtually everyone responds positively to a script that meets generally accepted formatting guidelines. No one throws out a script because there is not a colon after FADE IN, but when poor formatting becomes a distraction, then you may have a problem. Write a script that is clear and readable, but don't get so concerned about your formatting that you buy a hand gun.

Formatting is important to the writing and reading of a script written on spec, but it does not have to be perfect. Simply do your best work and keep writing.