One of the most searched screenwriting-related questions on Google is, "What are screenwriters responsible for?" Ending with a preposition aside, that's an incredibly loaded question that I'm going to try to answer. This question will likely prompt discord amongst screenwriters, because the breadth and depth of responsibility varies from screenwriter to screenwriter, between mediums, and production to production. There's responsibility at the story level and also responsibility at the production level. Let's start by taking a look at the responsibilities of a screenwriter at the story level.

(A quick caveat: this post will only focus on a screenwriter intending to write for film. The responsibilities of anyone writing for television warrants its own post.)

The screenwriter is responsible for Story

First and foremost, a screenwriter is responsible for the concept, idea and initial vision for the film. It might be an idea that's been rolling around in their head, they may have soft pitched the plot and characters to friends, or they may be conceptualizing how to put what is in their imagination on to paper. They may work with a co-writer, they may work solo, they may work alongside a studio or producer. Regardless, the initial Story idea (yes, I'm using a capital S, because Story is the building block of any screenplay and in my opinion, its importance warrants a capital letter) is the responsibility of the screenwriter.

That seems pretty basic and likely widely understood, so let's wade in a little deeper.

Creating the story map

Once the screenwriter has an idea or concept, it's general practice for the writer to map out the script. It may be mapped out as a treatment, or in shorter form as a synopsis. But, standard practice is a screenwriter takes their idea and writes it out, long-form. Sometimes it's detailed, sometimes it just includes the major turns or plot points, sometimes this long-form storytelling is actually just a few sentences long. The screenwriter may use index cards, they may use a computer program, they may use pen and paper, but as someone who has helped develop hundreds of screenplays over the last decade, I can't express enough how important it is to give yourself this space and allow yourself this style to initially work through your idea. It's in this space that we develop our characters, we map out an internal storytelling structure, we notice plot holes, and ask ourselves questions. This planning is 100% the screenwriter's job. Granted, the more creative hands dipping into the pot, the less likely that the screenwriter's initial ideas will one hundred percent be observed, but without this initial step, screenwriters will frequently end up with a mess of a story. Those are not only hard to pitch and sell, they're hard to make into films.

Know thy protagonist

The third responsibility of any good screenwriter is to know thy protagonist. If about to embark on a 90-120 page screenplay, the screenwriter must know their protagonist inside and out. They must know how their lead will react physically, emotionally and verbally in any situation. They must know their character's likes, dislikes, motivations, fears, anxieties, emotional IQ — anything that makes the protagonist tick. Often, you'll hear screenwriters say, "I let my character develop as I write..." Listen, you do you, but a screenwriter that hasn't fully fleshed out their protagonist before typing FADE IN, is about to set sail on a course of many rewrites. Sure, they may still eventually get there and know who their character is by the time that final draft is done, but the process will inevitably be arduous at times. Take thirty minutes in the plot-planning process and map out your protagonist. Heck, do yourself a favor and map out all of your characters. How will they change? What will the journey teach them? What is your protagonist's super-objective (you know, that thing that when they achieve it, ends their journey)?

Most importantly, when developing characters outside of your own personal life experience (with regards to race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomics, etc), it is a screenwriter's imperative responsibility to ensure that the character accurately reflects the life experiences and motivations of that particular group of society. It is 100% your obligation as a screenwriter to go the extra mile to write representative characters, to hire a diversity consultant, have your script read by willing creatives whose life experience you have included in your story — to research. Screenwriters must do their homework. Anything less is perpetuating a system of biased and stereotypical storytelling. If you aren't willing to recognize your privilege and seek to write representative characters, screenwriting is not for you.

Formatting and structure

Understanding proper screenwriting sounds pretty basic, doesn't it? It's shocking, though, how many writers dive in to a craft without understanding the tools of the trade. Knowledge of succinct descriptive writing, snappy dialogue, cohesive slug lines, effective act breaks, and use of an industry-standard screenwriting program (ahem, Final Draft, anyone?) are all the responsibilities of a screenwriter. I always say, "Anyone can tell a story, not everyone can be a screenwriter." Valuing the mere visual of a completed script — the effective use of economy of words, the showing, not telling, copyediting, spell-checking, taking time to understand the basics of screenplay format — it's all going to elevate your script and its your responsibility to ensure your final draft is a professional document. The adage "Can't see the forest through the trees" is especially poignant in this situation. When a reader is handed a screenplay that "looks" unprofessional, it's hard to appreciate the content when distracted by the physical document.

You are your screenplay's best advocate

So you've planned, you've character mapped, you've checked your bias, you've written an industry-standard screenplay, you've had it read by trusted creatives... Now what? Now, it becomes the screenwriter's responsibility to advocate for their own work. A masterpiece that requires the attention of the industry. How? Well, if you have a team (a manager, an agent) it's their responsibility to get this piece out to their network. If you're without representation, you can garner attention by submitting your work to contests, seeking opportunities for un-repped writers like open writing assignments (OWAs), do homework on producers and production companies, network-network-network! And simultaneously, start writing your next script! A screenwriter's responsibility includes having a portfolio of work. No matter how great your screenplay is, it's the responsibility of the screenwriter to have more than one script.

Screenwriting can be your hobby or your profession, but like any development of a craft, there are responsibilities that are critical to acknowledge when it comes to both developing yourself as a screenwriter and developing your idea into a script, and it all starts at the building-block-basic story level. If you can keep these responsibilities in mind while writing your masterpiece, your own journey to becoming a screenwriter will be both fulfilling and successful.