A screenwriter is a person who writes scripts for movies or television shows. While novelists write books and playwrights write stage plays, screenwriters create the stories, dialogue, and action you see on screen. Their work is called a screenplay or script.

A screenwriter's job involves writing what characters say, describing each scene, explaining what happens, noting how characters move and react, and structuring the entire story so it works visually. When you watch a movie and hear a character deliver a memorable line, or see an exciting chase scene unfold perfectly, a screenwriter planned all of that on paper first.

Writing for the screen requires special skills. Screenwriters must think visually, imagining how each moment will look to an audience. They format their scripts in specific ways so directors, actors, and crew members can easily understand what needs to happen. A good screenwriter knows that a confused facial expression might communicate more than a paragraph of dialogue.

Some famous screenwriters, like Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally) or Charlie Kaufman, became well-known for their distinctive voices and storytelling styles. Many screenwriters work collaboratively, with multiple writers contributing to a single script, especially on big productions. Others might adapt existing stories, transforming novels or true events into screenplay form.