Just as scriptwriters use special media-related vocabulary, they also mould their text into a specific format that is designed to accommodate the needs of their readers. This audience of potential collaborators needs to be able to glean certain information at a glance. Actors will want to see how many lines they have, producers will want a sense of the locations involved for budgetary reasons, and comic book artists will want to know how much space they have on a given page and how much will be eaten up by dialogue. It's for this reason that some script formats call out certain words in 'all caps' (LIKE THIS) or break text into chunks that feature consistent heads and typography. Overlong sentences or a convoluted structure will, therefore, not only keep readers from enjoying the content--as with any type of writing--but will also prevent them from actually being able to produce a script effectively. In a sense, this is a major trade-off in all forms of scriptwriting --it offers less of an opportunity to develop an authorial voice, but it provides a constant vehicle to practise trimming words and expressing ideas as efficiently as possible.

Specifically, the writing process involved in creating scripts--in its brainstorming, drafting, revision, rehearsal, second revision and performance stages--offers new opportunities to reach students with the following multiple intelligences

At the same time, media-based writing represents an authentic and powerful way to tackle problem-solving and decisionmaking skills. All scriptwriters--students and professionals alike --constantly grapple with questions like, How can I convey story elements indirectly, using devices such as sound? How can I use the script format and specialised vocabulary to help readers of the script see the same mental images that I do? Is my writing sufficiently clear for those who may help produce my video or graphic novel--and are the choices I've made realistic in terms of ability, budget and other real-world factors?

When students learn about how scripts are written and then practise scriptwriting themselves, they get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of media techniques and production. This knowledge can transform their understanding of other texts they encounter both in school and outside of school--making them more media-literate. For example, by grasping how scriptwriters compose for different audiences and purposes, students will learn about the parameters and formal elements of diverse media and discover more about the jobs of those who collaborate with scriptwriters--actors, directors, Foley artists, editors and producers. (Are any of your students interested in pursuing these as vocations or avocations? If so, scriptwriting provides a powerful vehicle for connecting these skills and talents to the writing curriculum.)

The bottom line is, having taught various forms of scriptwriting since the early 1990s, I can confidently say that there is nothing like seeing students for whom extended writing was previously a chore suddenly experience an awakening when it comes to scripts. Their focus becomes laser-like even as their eyes widen in response to a new realm of creative possibilities opening up to them. Writing no longer becomes a matter of staring at a blank sheet of paper or a computer screen. Sketches are quickly made on odd scraps of paper, muffled giggling can be heard here and there, and hands shoot up with urgent questions. Most gratifying of all, there's an overwhelming urge to share one's writing--even one's plans for writing--with others. In short, the joy of writing, and reading, comes vibrantly to life.

The assertion in the heading above might not seem so bold when one considers that scriptwriting is not just a subset of creative writing or narrative writing: it encompasses all modes. In fact, it's not even a genre of writing--that would be like saying 'book-writing' is a genre. Books can cover any topic and do so on a modest or vast scale, featuring a variety of tones and purposes. The same can be said for scripts.

what is the destination of the story and, what are the aspirations of the characters?

writing from the inside not the outside

1 Discover the Core Premise of the story 2 Define the genre of the story 3 Agree on the destination of the story 4 Describe the characters and their aspirations 5 Extend the Core Premise into a storyline

Screenwriting is very much concerned with steps, and at each step of the screenplay development, the document gets longer and more detailed

students can be asked to consider the first rule of screenwriting: what is your story about?