5 Famous Screenwriters & How You Can Learn From Them

1. Aaron Sorkin

From his screenwriting debut of A Few Good Men to recent hits like The Social Network and The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aaron Sorkin is a modern-day genius at crafting stories that show rather than tell. After graduating from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, Sorkin wrote several plays that garnered attention. While his first play, Removing All Doubt, didn’t quite capture audience attention, his others, including Hidden in This Picture, opened at the Promenade Theater in 1990, quickly gaining traction. In 1989, Sorkin received an Outer Critics Circle award as Outstanding American Playwright for the stage version of A Few Good Men. What he didn’t know was that this same play would propel his career into writing for movies. After premiering on Broadway, Sorkin adapted his play into a screenplay for the 1992 movie, which starred Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson, going on to be nominated for a Golden Globe.

Often regarded as the king of rapid-fire dialogue, Aaron Sorkin’s screenplays sweep viewers off their feet and leave them discussing them long after the screen’s gone black. How does Sorkin pull this off? It’s partly due to his unique screenwriting process. While writing a screenplay, he gets very active, often standing and acting out every scene. He fully immerses himself in each character, ensuring he sees every angle and intentionally develops each character’s story. At one point, he became so caught up in a fight sequence that he lunged into a mirror and broke his nose. Sorkin’s sharp characters and witty dialogue have since set a high standard for screenwriters, inspiring them to push boundaries and think outside the box.

What You Can Learn: When writing for film, how can you put yourself in the characters’ shoes? Similar to how active Sorkin gets, imagine yourself in every scene while writing. Picture yourself in the story and craft it from there. Act out each scene to see if it works or falls flat. Does it need more action in one sequence or a dramatic, emotion-filled dialogue in another? Don’t be afraid to edit as you go, adding scenes or throwing out others that don’t work. Fully immerse yourself in the writing process to follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest screenwriters of all time.

2. The Coen Brothers

The Coen brothers are known for their darkly comedic tales, from the black comedy crime film Fargo to the American neo-western crime thriller No Country for Old Men. Ethan and Joel Coen have collaborated on several movies, with their debut being the 1984 dark-humored thriller Blood Simple, a story about a few romantic lovers entangled with a relentless private eye. The film quickly became a cult classic over the years and paved the way for the Coen brothers’ success. Both Ethan and Joel have built a reputation as visionary, peculiar screenwriters, well known for their ability to weave together dry humor, arch irony, and brutal violence into films often centered on botched crimes.

The Coen brothers have a unique take on screenwriting that inspires many aspiring filmmakers. Not only do they avoid outlines, but they often don’t even concern themselves with their story or who the characters are before starting the writing process. Instead, the brothers simply start writing any scene they can ideate that they find interesting. From there, they’ll write the next scene if an idea comes, then another, and another until they have a first draft. They let the story speak for itself, thinking it up as inspiration hits. Once the draft is finished, the brothers will heavily edit it until they feel it’s a shootable screenplay. Oftentimes, because of their process, the brothers experience writer’s block around the midpoint of a screenplay—but they don’t let that stop them from writing. Alternatively, they’ll switch gears and start another screenplay in the meantime to stay productive. For instance, the first 40 pages of The Big Lebowski were written while the brothers were stuck in the middle of Barton Fink’s screenplay.

What You Can Learn: When writing a screenplay, whether it’s your first or fifth, what if you tried to let the ideas come to you piece by piece? Don’t plan it out beforehand. Write each scene as inspiration hits—you may be surprised at how the story speaks to you. Perhaps you’ll meet characters you never could have imagined or think of plot twists you never would have dreamed up in a rigid outline. By allowing the story to unfold organically, you invite moments of surprise, depth, and authenticity that might never surface under strict planning. Like the Coen brothers, you won’t just write a script—you’ll discover it. And if you run into writer’s block, try starting another screenplay in the meantime to stay on top of your game.

3. Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder, an immigrant from Austro-Hungary, rose to prominence as a screenwriter in the 1940s, captivating audiences with his knack for portraying the everyday American experience. Through ordinary characters, he explored morally unflinching and thematically uplifting stories. Originally, Wilder planned to become a lawyer but abandoned that career path to work as a reporter for a Viennese newspaper. In 1929, he made his way into the film industry as a screenwriter and wrote several scripts for countless German films until Adolf Hitler took over in 1933. Realizing his Jewish ancestry put him in danger, Wilder fled to Paris and later emigrated to the United States, arriving without speaking a word of English—but he didn’t let that stop him. When Wilder arrived in Hollywood, he quickly learned English and broke into American films with the help of Hungarian American actor Peter Lorre, his former roommate. He then partnered with Charles Brackett in 1938 to write some of Hollywood’s classic comedies, including Ball of Fire and Ninotchka. In 1942, Wilder and Brackett’s collaboration evolved into a producer-director partnership, producing acclaimed films like The Lost Weekend and Sunset Boulevard before parting ways. Wilder went on to create sharper, more cynical works such as Ace in the Hole alongside beloved comedies like Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, retiring in 1981.

Billy Wilder is recognized as one of the most versatile and famous screenwriters of the Hollywood Golden Age of cinema. His films often started with narration, featured sharp wit, and featured characters who usually tried to change their identity. Wilder’s writing process was rooted in strong structure, often envisioning his screenplay as a house built on a solid foundation. He focused on creating compelling characters, initially grabbing the audience’s attention, and never letting go.

What You Can Learn: If you can’t work like the Coen brothers, spontaneously writing as ideas come, try Wilder’s method instead. Begin with a strong foundation for your story and build on it, editing each sequence until it cannot be improved, then move on to the next scene. Focus on strong character development, starting with a strong hook in your movie. Picture your screenplay as a house, ensuring each story is as strong as possible to create a beautiful story that captures the audience’s attention.

4. William Goldman

Screenwriter, novelist, playwright, and non-fiction author William Goldman is one of the best screenplay writers of all time in Hollywood. Surprisingly, he started his career as a novelist in 1957 and didn’t begin writing screenplays until 1965, with Masquerade being his first. During his career, he wrote several blockbuster scripts, including The Princess Bride and five films starring Sundance Festival founder Robert Redford: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, The Great Waldo Pepper, The Hot Rock, and A Bridge Too Far. He also wrote the well-known book Adventures in the Screen Trade for screenwriters, which serves as an instructional guide and memoir that divulges how movies are made in Hollywood and what goes into writing them. During his career, Goldman was nominated for 15 awards and won 11. Notably, he won two Academy Awards for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men and received three lifetime achievement awards in screenwriting.

Goldman’s writing process included visual organization, like hanging a wall-mounted outline using yellow paper to see the entire storyline. He often practiced scene mapping, listing 15–25 key story points/scenes to visualize the screenplay’s structure. Goldman didn’t start writing until he knew the entire story arc from start to finish. Before putting pen to paper, he knew every detail, character, conflict, and resolution. And once he had the story mapped out, he would write rapidly, treating his writing as a daily work commitment to ensure he got it done. His speed often came through mental preparation, even thinking about a story for years before writing the screenplay. Goldman also rarely revised his work as he found it “horrible” to reflect on his writing, with the only exception being The Princess Bride and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

What You Can Learn: Have you ever tried visually mapping your screenplay before writing it? Perhaps a process change will help you break out of the box, feel inspired by new ideas, and visualize your story from start to finish. You may find missing pieces or characters, discover plot holes you can fix early, and uncover new connections that make your story richer and more cohesive. Map out your story on the wall in your home with every detail you can think of, then write it when you feel it’s finished. You may be surprised at what you find.

5. James Cameron

Initially born in Ontario, Canada, and moving to the United States in 1971, James Cameron has become one of the top screenwriters of our time. He majored in physics at California State University, switching to English but eventually dropping out. He then started a career as a truck driver, but after seeing Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977, Cameron quit that path to enter the film industry. His first film job was as an art director, miniature-set builder, and process-projection supervisor on Battle Beyond the Stars. He also had a first-time experience as a director with a 2-week stint on Piranha II: The Spawning before being fired. However, success was on the horizon.

In 1984, Cameron wrote and directed The Terminator, a futuristic action-packed thriller. Although it was a low-budget independent film, because of Cameron’s dynamic direction, it became a mainstream success and is now known as one of the most iconic films of the 1980s. Following this, a string of successful larger-budget flicks followed, including Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Abyss, and Aliens. He then made his own production company, Lightstorm Entertainment. In 1997, Cameron wrote and directed Titanic, a romantic drama about two lovers from different backgrounds who meet aboard the ill-fated ship. The film shattered box office records, won 11 Academy Awards, and became the highest-grossing movie of all time—holding the title until Cameron’s Avatar, which pioneered 3D film technology and became the first movie to surpass $2 billion worldwide.

James Cameron’s writing process is distinguished by detailed world-building and a focus on emotional truth. He often starts with a single image that stimulates creativity and then delves into every detail of the world and its characters. Cameron focuses on crafting a believable world, even if it contains fantastical elements, and creating relatable characters that relate to viewers on an emotional level.

What You Can Learn: Whether you’re writing a sci-fi thriller or an eerie horror film, focus on the world your characters are in. Is it a real place or a whole new world? What’s the season or current circumstances happening in the world? How are the characters feeling and relating to that world? Seek inspiration from movies, nature, music, and other creative outlets to build your world from the ground up. Make your characters relatable and human, considering how viewers could see parts of themselves in them.

What Screenplay Will You Write?

These famous screenwriters teach aspiring writers to think outside the box, imagine themselves in their characters’ shoes, and stay committed to their craft—no matter what. By learning from these screenwriters, you can create a film that resonates with audiences and sticks in their minds long after the credits roll.

Are you writing a screenplay inspired by these famous film writers? Avalanche Studios can make your story come to life on screen. Our award-winning team of artists, filmmakers, and writers is here to help you craft your story, conduct revisions, and film it for the world to see. Request a quote from our team to see how we can help your screenplay become the next blockbuster hit.