by Peggy Bechko
“I don’t think screenplay writing is the same as writing — I mean, I think it’s blueprinting.” -Robert Altman
“A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the costumes and make-up, the actors’ reading of a line or emphasis of a word, the choice of lens and the pace of the cutting – these are all part of the translation.” -David Nicholls
Great quotes on screenwriting and some agreement. Blueprint, instruction manual, that’s what many view the screenplay as. And it strikes a familiar chord with me. While screenwriting is, indeed, writing, it’s also blueprinting. The story is taking shape in your head, the characters coming alive and at the same time what you put down on paper must be an engaging blueprint that many others will follow. It must be clear and it must be gripping.