In my series The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby (number two of which Flora in Love has been longlisted for the Guardian children's fiction prize 2014), Blue tells the story of her crazy family through a series of diary entries and transcripts of the films she is forever taking of them.
For me, writing those film transcripts felt very different to writing the more traditional diary parts – faster, with less detail and more emphasis on what is being done than what is being said. When the Guardian children's books site suggested I write a list of top ten tips for writing a screenplay, I asked a group of experts for advice. Here's what they said.
Top 10 tips for writing a screenplay
1. What's your story about? Try to think how you would pitch it in one line.
2. Whose story is it? Who is your hero, and what is happening to him or her? Think about how he or she going to change by the end of the story.
3. Know your audience. Very few films appeal to everybody – who are you writing for?
4. Make sure the structure of the story is strong - the narrative action (ie what actually happens) is the most important thing, not your skill at describing the details of a room or what the weather is like. Plan ahead – your story needs a beginning, middle and end. Try dividing your screenplay into three acts, and end each one with a hook.
5. The end should always be in the beginning. This doesn't mean you have to tell your audience what is going to happen at the start! But every step of the story, from the very opening scene, should contribute to that ending.
6. The Russian playwright Chekhov once wrote: "never have a loaded rifle on stage if you don't mean it to go off". Don't introduce random elements: if a gun appears, someone is going to have to shoot it. If no-one's going to shoot it, take it out.
7. Tell your story in a series of scenes with as little dialogue as possible. Show the characters doing something rather than talking about it. For example, slamming a door is much more effective than saying "I am cross".
8. Write from the heart. If you don't care about what you're writing, nobody else will either. This absolutely includes the great moments when the aliens explode or the baddie slips on a banana skin.
9. Write what you know, but use your imagination! Write characters and stories that have never been seen before, that defy reality – but give them emotional truth by drawing on your own experiences.
10. Remember a screenplay is only the beginning of a long journey into a story becoming a film. And the journey involves the collaboration of lots of other people so be prepared to take on board much discussion and lots of different opinions. It's very important not to mistake an opinion for a criticism!
Now you are ready to enter our amazing screenwriting competition
In The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby, the narrator Blue doesn't just write a diary, she uses her camera to record the things that happen to her family. In this extract from the book, you can see that even arguments can be funny. Now it's your turn! For your chance to win a video camera to film your own exploits, enter our competition by writing a scene introducing your family in a bizarre situation!
Natasha will judge the entries and the best will receive a Toshiba Camileo X150 Full HD Camcorder with a 10x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom (or similar model) plus signed copies of the first two Bluebell books: After Iris and Flora in Love. Two runners up will win signed copies of the books.
The deadline is Sunday 24 August so you have the whole summer hols to write this!
To enter you need to email the screenplay of your scene introducing your family in a bizarre situation of your choice to childrens.books@theguardian.com with the heading (and this is important): "Natasha Farrant screenwriting comp".
Entries must be under 1000 words anyone aged 9-17 can enter.
Winners and runners up will be informed by Tuesday 9 September 2014 and we will publish the winning entry on the Guardian children's books site.
Now read these Terms and Conditions
1. The competition to win Toshiba Camileo X150 Full HD Camcorder with a 10x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom (or similar model) plus signed copies of After Iris and Flora in Love, with two runners up winning signed copies of After Iris and Flora in Love ("the Competition") is open to children between 9 and 17 years of age who are UK residents, excluding employees or agents of Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM"), its group companies or their family members, or anyone else connected with the Competition. We reserve the right to ask for proof of age of entrants to the Competition.
2. To enter the Competition you must email your screenplay which must be less than 1000 words long to childrens.books@theguardian.com. You must also include the name, contact telephone number and email address of your parent or guardian. We reserve the right to ask for parent's or guardian's consent. We will use this information only in relation to the Competition and we will not keep it for longer than necessary.
3. Please check that your parent or guardian is happy for you enter the Competition based on these terms and conditions.
4. If you have any questions about how to enter the Competition, please email us at childrens.books@theguardian.com with "screenwriting competition: query" in the subject line.
5. Submitting an entry to the Competition is confirmation of acceptance of these terms and conditions.
6. Only one entry is permitted per person. Entries on behalf of another person (except those made by a parent or guardian in accordance with clause 2 above) will not be accepted and joint entries are not allowed.
7. The closing date and time of the Competition is 18:00 on Sunday 24 August 2014. Entries received after the closing date and time will not be included in the competition.
8. There will be one winner and two runners up which will be chosen by Natasha Farrant from all eligible entries.
9. The prize is a camcorder and signed copies of After Iris and Flora in Love, with two runners up winning signed copies of After Iris and Flora in Love
10. The winners will be notified by email within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner and his or her parent cannot be reached or fail to acknowledge such notification within seven days. If a winner rejects his or her prize, then the winner's prize will be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled to select another winner.
11. The prize will be sent to the winners by 30 September 2014.
12. The prize is non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and is not redeemable for cash or other prizes.
13. GNM reserves the right to change the prize at its discretion or to offer an alternative of similar value in the event the original prize offered is not available.
14. The winners may be required to take part in promotional activity including the use of his or her photograph in connection with publicity about the prize.
15. GNM requires the consent in writing (which may include email) of the parent or guardian of the winner if he or she is under 16 years of age in order to publish the winner's name, age and town or city of residence on guardian.co.uk. If GNM does not receive such written consent from the parent or guardian of the winner then we may award the prize to another entry.
16. We take no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of entry is not proof of receipt.
17. No purchase is necessary.
18. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall exclude liability for death, personal injury or fraud, as a result of negligence.
19. Any personal data submitted by the entrant will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and GNM's privacy policy.
20. GNM reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Competition with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud). The decision of GNM in all matters under its control is final and binding.
21. GNM shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.
22. Details of the winners can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address: Children's book site, Guardian News & Media Limited, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU.
23. The promoter of the Competition is GNM whose address is Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU.
24. The Competition will be governed by and interpreted according to English law and the English courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to deal with any disputes arising in connection with it.
Good luck!
• With thanks to Martyn Auty, Life and Soul Productions; Francesca Brill, writer; Victoria Fea, ITV; Michelle Kass, Michelle Kass Associates; Alexi Kaye Campbell, writer; Chris Kuser, Dreamworks; Rebecca Watson, Val Hoskins Associates for their help in writing the screen writing tips!
Don't forget to enter our young critics competition as well, and you could win all of the longlisted books plus book tokens.
