Sometimes humor undercuts meaningful, emotional scenes; other times, it enhances them. Your job is to know which is which. Hint: if it’s a major turning point, maybe ease up on the jokes.

Writing a scene every movie-goer has seen 100 times before? E.g. ‘team leader explains the tactical situation’, ’best friend gives confused protagonist advice on her relationship’, ‘frightened character investigates the basement armed only with a flashlight’. Mix your version up; be deliberately different. Make their 101st time a surprise.

Keep every piece of information that goes into the planning of your script. Don’t delete old notes, even if you’ve changed your mind and aren’t planning to use them any more. You might need to refer back to them one day — say, when your Act Two starts falling apart.

Think about your characters’ “triggers”. What’s the one thing you could say to them that would instantly penetrate their defenses and make them angry or upset?

Trust your training. If your writing instincts are telling you something, there’s probably a good reason for it. (Unless what they’re telling you is “Write a ten page exposition scene”.)

If you’re having trouble “seeing” your characters, try fake-casting your own film. You may find you strive harder and write better when imagining, say, Angelina Jolie playing the role of your protagonist.

If two characters have an unresolved hatred, rivalry or misunderstanding, don’t let them ignore it. Keep throwing them together until the subtext becomes text and the background becomes plot.

How to come up with ideas for set-pieces: tell friends or family your basic logline, then ask them, “So what would you expect to see in a movie with that concept?” Often they’ll have great suggestions that feel obvious in hindsight.

Remember the thing that most inspired you to write this concept in the first place (another movie, a book, an experience you had, etc.). That’s your touchstone. Keep it close and refer to it often.

Don’t be afraid of the words that come out during the first draft. You’ll never create a startling metaphor or beautiful turn of phrase if you’re self-censoring from the start.