The screenwriter writes the screenplay. They create the story, the characters, the dialogue, and the structure. They work alone, or in a team, or in a writers' room. They write drafts, take notes, and rewrite. The work is solitary and collaborative. The screenwriter is the first storyteller in the filmmaking process. Without a screenplay, there is no film.

Screenwriters come from many backgrounds. Some are novelists, journalists, or playwrights. Some are directors who write their own material. Some are hired guns who rewrite other people's scripts. Some are showrunners who oversee a television series. The career path is not linear. A screenwriter may sell a spec script for a million dollars, or work for scale on a low-budget film. The economics are unpredictable. Most screenwriters have day jobs. The successful ones work steadily.

The screenwriter's work is often undervalued. The director and the actors get the attention. The writer gets the credit at the beginning of the film, if at all. But the screenplay is the foundation. A great director can elevate a mediocre script. A great script can survive a mediocre director. The writer is the architect. The director is the builder. The actors are the inhabitants. The screenwriter is the first voice of the film.