Linklater offers valuable insights for screenwriters. Let’s dive into his seven key tips.
7 Screenwriting Tips From Richard Linklater
1. Choose Stories That Mean the Most to You
When writing, we should tell stories about things we care about, even if they seem small and inconsequential.
In the podcast Off Camera, Linklater said, “If you do something that means a lot to you, then the power of cinema will translate.”
Passion is the fuel of any artist, and drawing from your own life experiences is not only logical but crucial. Choosing stories from your life, or moments that resonate with you the most, is what connects you to the audience and also sets you apart.
Linklater explained, “Take something in Boyhood. A kid staring at a decomposing bird. I did that, I remember it, but will that mean anything to anybody else? I don’t have to think too much about that. It will. You just know.”
Keep a daily journal of moments that stick with you. After 30 days, review your entries and look for patterns. These recurring themes can indicate stories worth exploring.
2. Dedication Is Crucial
In a creative field, you have to be dedicated enough to overcome any obstacle, and there are many.
During an On Cinema talk at the 55th New York Film Festival, Linklater said, “Dedication to it has to be [a fugue state], particularly when you’re getting started. You have all this passion for it, but you don’t really have the experience within the medium, so I think you’re even more all in.”
Focus is crucial not only for a director but also for a screenwriter, especially at the early stages. Writing a screenplay is very different from writing a book. Translating every visual into clear, purposeful words requires practice.
Once you have decided to become a screenwriter, dive all in and do what it takes to perfect your craft.
3. Know Your Audience and Focus On What They Deserve
We all know there’s no pleasing everybody. So why, as artists, do so many of us have this strong inclination toward people-pleasing? Linklater strongly suggests against this habit.
While talking to Sam Jones on his podcast, Off Camera, Linklater said, “You just have to have faith that the best audience will [resonate], and you’ve got to pitch to the best. People who are feeling and thinking. I have an audience, very small, in my mind.”
There are so many topics that are often labeled as off-stream, non-commercial, or “too artsy” to be marketed as mainstream cinema. While that’s not entirely false, Linklater presents a different perspective on this in his conversation with Jones. He knows his loyal audience and writes for them.
He said, “This mythical audience we have—we know it’s small, but it’s deep, and we have a bond with them that we’re not going to lie to them.”
Being true to them means making movies for yourself. There are always many more who share the same interests as you do.
While discussing how to tell an interesting story with Fast Company, Linklater said, “We always joke, Ethan, Julie, and I, ‘The lowest-grossing trilogy in history is definitely the Before trilogy.’ The freest we ever were was probably the second one because no one knew we were making it. No one cared. We would look at each other every day and say, ‘You know, there’s about four people in the world who care about this movie.’ But we just realized that those characters were still alive in us, and had something to say in this new phase.”
Today, that trilogy stands as one of the most popular love stories in cinema.
4. Making Films Is All About Problem-Solving
While talking to Sam Fragoso on the iHeartRadio podcast Talk Easy, Linklater said, “We all need to be problem-solvers. Making films is solving problems, not complaining about them.”
While there is nothing wrong with venting to your close ones about your problems from time to time, as a filmmaker, your instinct should always be to work toward the solution.
As screenwriters, we face problems all the time. When a scene feels flat, ask three questions: What does each character want? What’s stopping them? What happens if they fail? Use this as a starting point for a polish.
5. “Inhabit the Space” of Your Ideas
Linklater believes that he needs to inhabit a space before he knows what he wants it to be (via Talk Easy).
While he was discussing his directorial process here, this tip can also apply to screenwriting. By inhabiting a space, he means living with a story. How can you make that story a reality? In his case, he takes it all the way to set, because he also directs his work.
“You go from inhabiting your own brain and your own storytelling impulses and ideas, but at some point you’re building up to inhabiting a real space,” he said.
Before writing each scene, spend 10 minutes visualizing it as a movie. Can you see interesting camera angles? Does the location add to the story?
From a practical perspective, you may as a writer consider what your scenes will eventually look like in action, especially if you’ll have a hand in direction, too. What settings are more cinematic? What settings are within your budget? This is especially true for indie filmmakers. Don’t limit yourselves, but try to get creative within your constraints.
6. It’s Great if You Go to Film School, but Fine if You Don’t
Linklater told Talk Easy that he started with the aim of getting into a film school for technical grooming. However, as he began filming on his own, even with his scarce resources, he just eventually taught himself as he went along.
Ultimately, he never went to film school.
Linklater said, “I tell aspiring filmmakers, it’s going to take twice as long and cost twice as much, you’re going to work twice as hard … but you have to enjoy it, you have to love every step of the way, which I certainly did.”
When he was asked about his cinematic theories during his first two feature films, Linklater said, “Before I made my first two feature-length films, I had made probably 20 shorts. Those were mostly just technical exercises.”
This is applicable to screenwriters, too. We can all agree that screenwriting is as theoretical as it can get, yet it’s one of those arts that you can teach yourself. Your efforts might get chaotic and take a little bit longer, but it’s worth a try. You might not be familiar with the jargon, but if you know how to do your job, does it matter?
Resilience and practice will get you there quicker than you think. Many self-taught filmmakers and screenwriters are legends in the film industry.
“If I want to accomplish anything in the world, I’ve got to just do this whole thing differently,” he said.
7. Watch More Films, Especially Indie Films
There is often no better way to learn than seeing what has worked for other creators.
Linklater told The Hollywood Reporter, “[Indie films are] not necessarily the films that want to make you make films, they’re not, but they’re the films that make you think that you can make films, which is as important as anything.”
Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or screenwriter, watching the works of your peers is one of the most important forms of encouragement.
Linklater firmly said that if you do not watch good films, “You’re not gonna make it, I can tell you right now, go do something else” (via 55th New York Film Festival).
While formal education remains optional, Linklater considers watching films essential for any aspiring filmmaker.
Richard Linklater has built his wondrous filmography by swimming against the tides every chance he could.
These principles—choosing meaningful stories, understanding your audience, and embracing constraints—offer practical guidance for screenwriters at any stage of their careers.
Let us know which of his tips resonate with you the most.
