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A little reason to celebrate

National Screenwriters Day

Hobby · January 5

A day for the people who write films and television, and for the scripts that set scenes, dialogue and action on the page before anyone films a frame.

National Screenwriters Day falls on Tuesday, January 5, 2027. That is 70 days away.

Before a movie has actors, sets or a soundtrack, it is usually a stack of pages. Screenwriters write those pages. A screenplay lays out each scene, tells you where it happens and whether it is day or night, and gives the dialogue and the action in plain present tense.

Scripts read differently from novels. They are spare on purpose. A writer cannot describe what a character is thinking unless it shows up in something we can see or hear, so a lot of the craft lives in a glance, a door left open, a line that means two things. Formatting is famously strict, with scene headings in capitals and dialogue centered on the page, and most writers learn it early.

People mark the day in quiet ways. Some read a published screenplay of a favorite film and notice how much the finished movie changed or kept. Others finally start the script they keep describing to friends, or sit through the end credits to find the writing credit they usually skip past.

Reading a script alongside the film is a good way in. You can see where a scene ran long on paper and was trimmed, or where one short line of description became a whole minute on screen. Many screenplays are printed as books, and libraries often carry them.

The opening of most scripts is just two words in the corner, FADE IN, and everything after that is up to the writer.

Ways to celebrate

• Read a published screenplay of a film you already love.
• Watch the end credits and look for who wrote the movie.
• Write one short scene using only dialogue and action.
• Borrow a screenwriting book or script collection from your library.
• Rewatch a favorite scene and imagine how it looked on the page.

Dates

All national days on January 5

Also on January 5

• National Whipped Cream Day
• National Bird Day
• George Washington Carver Day

Categories: Hobby days