10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Jurassic World

8. Don't Overstuff Your Plot

Ever heard the phrase "the simpler the better?" For lots of reasons, that piece of advice could have really helped the screenwriters behind Jurassic World, who - unfortunately - attempt to cram so many concepts and ideas and secondary plots into the movie that they never spend any time actually developing any of them. They're all undercooked. Zach and Gray don't really get along with each other, and they're neglected by their workaholic aunt, and their parents are getting divorced? That's a lot of heft for two secondary characters, don't you think? Then there's the main story, which isn't really a main story at all, and is either about a genetically-modified dinosaur on the loose or a government attempt to weaponise raptors, depending on how you want to look at it. Despite its ambitions, it all feels like much too muchness. A movie focusing on just half of these plotlines would have been able to touch on them in more detail, and - as a result - the film would have felt more focused and a bit less... well, all over the place. Remember: a screenwriter's job is to tell a story in the most effective way imaginable. So do that.