Everybody and their mom’s got an idea for a screenplay. So, what separates the wannabes from the Diablo Codys? Hard work, of course, but knowing where to start doesn’t hurt either. If you’re going to be a screenwriter, you’ve got to immerse yourself in screenplays. Eat them, breathe them, sleep with them tucked under your pillow. Lucky for you, some of the best are available for free via websites like The Daily Script, Drew’s Script-o-Rama and Weekly Script.

You can not only pick up formatting by downloading scripts of your favorite films; you can spend hours dissecting them. You can figure out how many jokes happen per page, when the first act becomes the second and how much of a character was on the page before the actor ever stepped in. Start by reading screenplays in the genre you’re most interested in, but don’t forget to check out scripts by the big guns like William Goldman, Judd Apatow, Diablo Cody and Shane Black among others.

Want more tips on how to unleash your inner Tarantino? Check out Mahalo’s guide to writing a screenplay.

Image: Creative Commons photo by Mahalie