I guess the point here is not to reinvent the wheel... but to develop your own style as Scott mentioned. Pick from one writer's style and steal from another, as long as it works. If you question each and every move you will not only drive yourself nuts but prolong the process... when you should be writing. I lean toward streamlining things for a faster read to keep a reader's attention. COURTNEY Leisurely makes his way to the bar to discover BILLY Flirting with his girl and COURTNEY Is not very happy. A bit simplistic but some folks say NEVER to direct the camera even though I "technically" didn't (but I did)... and some folks SCREAM never to use all caps unless it's absolutely necessary... and some folks demand that all SOUNDS are to be typed in capital letters even tho they will use all caps and shouldn't... and blah blah blah... Find ONE book on formatting and stick with it so you will know the basics just to help you get in the game... Then read sold scripts to help develop your own style. I'm a fan of William Goldman but I "mish-mash" his style with others and have discovered my own. But stay away from certain sites that will tear you to shreds about using one or two spaces after a period and other trivial things. Those firefights can go on for months... "well, my reader said this" and "I know a reader that said, that!" I tend to stray from those and will not reveal them here... but feel free to drop me a line if you want to know where NOT to go. (oops... more caps!) But guess what... It's all about YOUR reader! And of course... YOUR story.

The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley is your friend.

" If that requires us to bend the guidelines, bend them." The key word being "requires" - if it doesn't require it, don't do it. I was originally a poet so I write tall and thin - and hopefully poetical :-)

Thank you, Scott, for this - especially for emphasizing the difference between selling and shooting scripts. And thanks to the rest of you, too, for your input. I'm pretty new to this genre (not to writing fiction and narrative in general - but to screenwriting). So I am working hard to learn all of the "rules" - but pretty surprised at how many of the scripts I read don't actual obey them. But your points about learning the rules - and bending them only if the story requires it - make a lot of sense. Thank you all!