Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Screenwriter?

Every aspiring screenwriter eventually looks in the mirror and asks the same question early in their journey: “Do I actually have what it takes to do this?”

It’s not about selling a script or becoming famous. The real question is whether you can sit alone with a blank screen and a blinking cursor—day after day, year after year, script after script—and keep going.

Success as a screenwriter isn’t driven by talent alone. It requires specific mental, behavioral, and creative attributes—the qualities that allow writers to endure the process long enough to grow into professionals.

The good news is that these attributes aren’t innate gifts. They’re skills, habits, and mindsets that can be developed with time and focus.

With that in mind, here are the core attributes every screenwriter needs, and how you can actively work toward building them throughout your screenwriting journey.

Being able to visualize scenes and movies in your head. 

Screenwriting isn’t like writing short stories or novels. It’s a visual medium. You don’t have the benefit of going deep into backstory or inner thoughts of your characters for pages and pages. Everything has to be seen and heard on the screen, and within the confines of an average cinematic window of 90-120 minutes (give or take). Within your script, every page is valuable real estate that you can’t afford to lose, so each word has to count.  

If you can’t see your story playing out before you type a single word, the industry insider reading your script won’t either.

Vision is the ability to imagine:

• How a scene unfolds moment by moment
• How tension escalates visually
• What the audience would be watching, not just hearing

It’s not about being a director and writing camera angles, dolly shots, and pans. That’s not a screenwriter’s job. 

• It’s about being able to think in images, movement, and cinematic cause-an-effect. 
• It’s about being able to envision a scene, sequence, first act, second act, and third act of a movie unfold.  
• It’s about being able to think like a film editor and describe the scenes in a way that the script reader feels like they’re watching a movie instead of reading a story.

Having strong cinematic vision allows you to write leaner scene description and scenes that feel alive instead of literary. Screenwriters that don’t sharpen their visionary skills and foresight often either overwrite their scripts, explaining emotions instead of showing them, or underwrite them, leaving scenes vague and flat. 

Train yourself to watch movies with a more observant and analytical eye. Pay attention to scenes. 

• How do they unfold?
• Where do characters enter and exit a scene, if they do at all?
• How are scenes intercut? 
• How long or short does the scene stay in a moment or on a character? 
• What information is shown rather than told?
• How much emotion and character is showcased visually, rather than through dialogue?

Practice writing short scripts or scenes visually, with no dialogue. But before you type a single word, see the scene in your head. Deep into your screenwriting career, this type of visualization is key in telling cinematic stories.

Lastly, remember that you don’t have to be typing to be writing. Visualization is key. See it before you type it. 

Being able to push yourself and not get bored. 

Screenwriting can be lonely. There’s no boss hovering over you. Even when you’re a pro and have deadlines and note sessions with higher-ups waiting, you’re still alone when you’re writing. You still need to push yourself. 

And early on in your screenwriting, you need even more drive to keep you moving forward. You need to be able to set your own deadlines and be as objective with your own work as you can. 

Drive is what keeps you writing when:

• The novelty of starting a new script wears off
• The second act of the script begins to drag
• The awesome idea isn’t as exciting as it was when you started
• No one is reading your scripts yet

Without drive, you’re chasing ideas instead of finishing scripts. You start strong, stall halfway through, and convince yourself you’ll “come back to it later.” And you usually won’t.

Drive isn’t about enthusiasm. It’s the ability to keep going once the enthusiasm fades. 

Stop waiting for inspiration. Always commit to making personal deadlines and regardless of your mood, what you’re going through in your daily life, and how the script is going. If you need a reset, take a few days off. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a strong misconception that you need to be writing every single day. However, you do need to be able to reset quickly and get back to writing with excitement. 

Here’s one last trick to attain personal drive - choose your concepts wisely. Don’t just choose the first idea or two that comes to mind. Always be sure that you choose a concept that’s exciting to you. Sure, it’s great to pick concepts that are marketable. But you need to ensure that whatever cinematic story you’re writing is a hybrid of something someone will want to buy and something you’ll be excited about returning to day in and day out. 

Setting your own deadlines and meeting them.

You can’t create your own drive without self-discipline. They go hand in hand, but they are not the same thing. Drive pushes the engine forward while self-discipline is what turns it on every day. 

Pro screenwriters don’t have the luxury of writing when they feel like it. When you have great self-discipline, you’re turning what could end up being a mere hobby into the true professional craft of screenwriting. 

You need self-discipline to:

• Write even when the writing isn’t fun
• Hit page goals consistently
• Write fast, but well
• Work without having anyone else holding you accountable
• Treat writing sessions and writing time as non-negotiable

You need to learn how to respect your own commitments and goals, and deliver on them as you would with any employer. 

Create a realistic writing schedule and process, and stick to it. One way to create some great self-discipline is to write under pro deadlines. The days of taking six months to a year to finish a script should be over. Most pro contracts give screenwriters just one-to-two months to finish a first draft, followed by two weeks for rewrites. So, try to find a way to get on a pro-like schedule.  

Here’s an optional process that works on the pro level.  

• Focus less on writing days/hours/minutes, and focus instead on writing sessions.  
• With each writing session, write ten pages - no matter how long or short it takes, timewise. 
• Then, during the next writing session, reread your previous pages and tweak them as you do. 
• After that, write another ten pages. 
• Continue this process with each writing session, allowing you to finish a 100-page script (give or take) within just ten writing sessions.  

This process keeps self-discipline easy and attainable. You can also tweak this process as you wish, as long as you stick to whatever you commit yourself to. You’ll quickly find that this self-discipline will truly drive you to finish scripts much, much faster, with first drafts that feel more like strong second or third drafts.

Having concepts that excite you and are well thought out. 

Ideas are the seeds that you, the screenwriter, grow into flourishing scripts. Without great ideas and concepts, you won’t be able to develop marketable scripts to launch your career as far as possible script sales or using them as writing samples for paid assignments.

Not every idea needs to be high concept, but they must be rich and compelling enough to fill 90-120 pages. You need to take your time developing concepts before you commit to writing scripts for them. 

There should be no rush when it comes to conjuring and choosing concepts. You need to choose ones that:

• Excite you as a writer
• Excite you as a movie fan
• Keep you invested as a writer through the long haul

But you also need to choose ones that:

• Are enticing for studios, networks, streamers, distributors
• Add moxy to your stack of spec scripts that managers and agents will consider
• Work as great writing samples for potential writing assignments   

Screenwriters often underestimate how much time should be spent on exploring multiple ideas  and concepts. Don’t make that mistake. Have fun with it. 

Practice concept development as a completely separate skillset. Write loglines. Explore “What If…” scenarios. Pressure-test concepts by visualizing a broadstroke three-act structure centered around them to avoid chasing gimmicks (gimmicks are not fully developed concepts). Look up writing prompt lists to help get your creative juices flowing. Have fun trying to blend genres. Take a concept that’s been successfully done before and try to flip it on its head to offer a new twist on it.   

The key thing is to find ideas that you don’t just decide to write. Find ones that you need to write. If an idea doesn’t excite you on a conceptual level, it won’t survive the grind of execution.

Wanting to learn all aspects of the craft. 

Screenwriters who resist learning the craft and resist growing their knowledge base usually plateau quickly. You should always be seeking to learn more and more about the craft of screenwriting. 

• Learn as many formatting ins and out as you can
• Study all of the different structures you can use
• Study produced screenplays and movies with an eye on story structure, pacing, character arcs, etc. 
• Learn the general guidelines and expectations of the industry
• Explore the many different ways you can tell your cinematic stories better or differently

The best screenwriters are perpetual students of the art and craft of screenwriting. They never settle or get complacent. They’re always looking for ways to be better. 

Shift your focus from outcomes to process. Don’t always measure success and growth by industry doors opened. Measure yourself by skillsets gained and tools attained.

Even for those destined for screenwriting success, it usually takes multiple years to get to the pro level. That’s normal. You aren’t failing as the years go by with little to no success. So use that time to grow and evolve. Don’t stay stagnant. Try different processes. Explore different structures. Attempt different genres. Study your craft - and practice it. Learn from your mistakes and triumphs as you do. 

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and be ready for the long haul. 

Screenwriting is all about the long haul. You need to be patient. If you don’t have patience, you’re not going to last too long. Most screenwriters quit not because they lack talent, but because they expect successful results too fast. 

Hollywood development is a slow process. It takes a long time to get the contacts necessary to get your foot in the door. It takes longer to get a script read by decision-makers. It takes even longer for those scripts to work their way up the ladder. And all too often, momentum can stop on a dime, forcing you to start the process over with another prospect. 

It also takes time to build the necessary stack of scripts you need to be taken seriously by the industry. One script isn’t enough. They need to see proof of not only talent, but longevity and a true body of work. They don’t want one-hit wonders. They want true professionals who can handle multiple genres and types of scripts. So be patient and take your time to build that stack of excellent spec scripts up.

Shift your focus from outcomes to process. Instead of rushing to finish one script and putting all of your eggs in that one basket, take a year or two to gain more knowledge and finish more scripts. If you write under pro deadlines, you could have three or four scripts done in a year if you include time for rewrites.  

If you go in knowing that it’s not going to happen right away, you’ll quickly learn patience and be able to use your time to your big picture advantage. 

Handling feedback, notes, and rejection with grace and professionalism. 

Every screenwriter faces difficult notes, sometimes harsh feedback, and seemingly endless rejection. It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie working on your first couple of screenplays, or a seasoned pro with box office hits and critical kudos -  you’re going to need thick skin to survive in this industry. Especially as a screenwriter. 

Screenwriters without thick skin:

• Defend instead of listen
• Take notes and negative feedback as personal attacks
• Shut down after criticism
• Become self-conscious and stop sharing their work
• Start taking a more cynical outlook in the industry as a defense mechanism 

Notes aren’t about you. Notes are about the pages. Don’t take anything personal. And understand that rejection is less about them not liking you, and more about your scripts not being right for them.

Seek feedback early and often when you first start out. Don’t expect rave reviews and glowing script coverage. Instead, expect constructive criticism. Want it. Need it. Use it. Learn how to not only look at notes/feedback from others objectively, but also learn how to be objective with your own work. You can accomplish that by stepping away from a script once you finish it, and then coming back and reading it cover to cover with objective eyes after a couple weeks to a month away from it. You’ll see the flaws. You’ll see room for improvement. You’ll be able to separate yourself from the writing process blinders and read your script not wanting to be done with it, but with more objective eyes.

Be able to work well with others.

Cinema is a collaborative medium. It only starts with the screenplay. You need to be able to collaborate well with: 

• Managers and Agents
• Development Executives
• Producers
• Directors
• Actors 

They’ll all have notes for you. You need to be able to take the notes with grace and find ways to choose your battles wisely, find common ground with ease, or (most likely) deliver on what those above you need to get your script made. 

Collaboration requires flexibility, communication skills, and humility. If you cling too tightly to every word, you’re going to struggle in the industry. 

Practice collaboration early and often. Partner with another screenwriter and co-write a script. Learn when to compromise and when to stand firm. And always remember that the goal is about developing and writing the best cinematic story, not protecting your ego.

Using industry-standard software (and tools within) to support your craft. 

Final Draft Screenwriting Software is the industry-standard. It’s always best to be comfortable with the industry standard tools so that when you do make it, you’re well-versed and ready to collaborate with ease.  

Software doesn’t solely make you a better screenwriter. But it does remove obstacles that can slow your growth.  

Using Final Draft allows you to:

• Master proper formatting with ease
• Focus on storytelling instead of page layout
• Use additional tools like outlining, beat boards, and revision tools
• Get comfortable with the software that your eventual collaborators will be using

Invest in Final Draft. Learn its features. Go beyond the basics. Explore the tools. Be ready for success.

All of these necessary attributes are attainable. If you feel like you’re lacking in any of them, there’s time to adapt and learn. No screenwriter is perfect. But you do need to do your best to attain these attributes for the long haul.

Have fun. Focus. Learn. Push yourself. Have thick skin. Be patient. Collaborate well with others. Ultimately, embracing these qualities with commitment and persistence is what will sustain you as a screenwriter and allow your craft to grow over time.