Most new writers have difficulty getting  their story told . They often have great ideas but ideas are nothing good until they become a screenplay or at least a story that can become a screenplay. Most new screenwriters stare at the blank page as a huge obstacle, and it is because the page must be filled with interesting and fascinating action and dialogue that will interest both the reader and the viewer.

Dialogue is typically the last thing screenwriters think about when writing their their screenplay. Although dialogue should be kept to a minimum in the film treatment, by the time screenwriters advance  to this phase, the characters should have come alive and started talking to them.  If you have prepared the rest of your story well, premature writing and dialogue will strangle your creation. It’s true everyone must find their own  method for writing scripts, but it doesn’t make sense that if you already know your thoughts, theme, and characters before writing.

Writing a film treatment can be the answer to this process. Some writers view writing the treatment as a necessary evil. Writing a film treatment is one of the most effective methods for developing a story. It is the roadmap to the screenplay. It help you to organize the major plot points that are required  in a screenplay. The film treatment should not be considered a permanent document. Rather, it is a dynamic vision  that changes as the characters and their motivations push the story forward.

The length of treatments varies significantly.  As a general rule of thumb however a treatment should be approximately 10 percent of the total length of the intended script . For example, if you completed screenplay will be 2 hours then the screenplay will be 120 pages, then 10 percent will be 12 pages.  Most importantly, the treatment must be well written and you the writer must know the story and characters well.  The characters essentially create the plot.  Consider starting with the treatment so you know all the problems you may run into.  The screenplay will be a lot easier to write if you have a good treatment.  Additionally, you maybe able to sell the treatment and receive funding for the screenplay.