10. Write To Your Strengths
There's nothing more embarrassing than listening to somebody who isn't funny trying to be funny, right? That's exactly how it goes for screenwriting, too. You wouldn't write a comedy if you knew that you weren't particularly good at writing jokes, then, would you? Thing is, everybody has an inkling of the kind of things they do well when it comes to screenwriting. If you know you're excellent at dialogue but not too great on story, consider writing something along the lines of a Robert Altman film. That's to say, don't feel pressed to include anything that you're just not very good inherently And this goes all the way back to the beginning of your process. Not a fan of heavy research? Don't write a Vietnam war movie, then, because it just won't work. There's a simple phrase that you've probably heard a lot: "Write what you know." It's a phrase with a good point, but one that only works for some people. You know what type of writer you are and you know your own strengths. Play to them. And if you're not sure, have somebody you trust take a look at your work and have them tell you what they like about your writing. The sooner you figure that out, the sooner you'll write something that feels like you. That isn't to say that you can't learn how to write great story if you're only great at dialogue right now, because you can. But shaping a screenplay around your strengths will just render the process far easier. All writers are better at one thing than they are at another - the trick is faking that you're good at all of 'em.