Editing Screenwriting (section)

{{Short description|Art and craft of writing screenplays}}
[[File:Screenplaybw.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Example of a page from a screenplay formatted for a feature-length film.]]
'''Screenwriting''' or '''scriptwriting''' is the art and craft of writing [[Screenplay|scripts]] for [[mass media]] such as [[feature film]]s, [[television production]]s or [[video game]]s. It is often a [[freelance]] profession.

[[Screenwriter]]s are responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative, writing the script, screenplay, dialogues and delivering it, in the required format, to development executives. Screenwriters therefore have great influence over the creative direction and emotional impact of the screenplay and, arguably, of the finished film.

Screenwriters either [[pitch (filmmaking)|pitch]] original ideas to producers, in the hope that they will be optioned or sold; or are commissioned by a producer to create a screenplay from a concept, true story, existing screen work or literary work, such as a novel, poem, play, comic book, or short story.