Authoring & Playwriting

I save older drafts as pdf’s on my laptop and they are copied to the cloud. I have an Apple laptop and use the file colors to track the development stages of the scripts. I am considering saving characters in the same manner. I think they are as important to go back to as the scripts.

Hi David Austin Veal, it's a very good idea do save files about characters too. Have you ever considered using Scrivener to do it? You can create different sections for every element of the story, from characters to settings, and store useful resources for the research.

Naming the files with dates is also a clever way to archive them, Jon Shallit

Chiara Torrisi, I’m definitely someone who creates a new file for every major revision. I like to track the evolution of the story, and sometimes I’ll even go back and pull a line or scene from an earlier draft that hits differently after some time away. For me, it’s part of the process of seeing how the story matures. I also love that Scrivener makes that organization easier! It’s such a helpful tool for managing multiple versions! Curious to hear how others tackle this too.

No on Scrivener. Tools are interesting. I used to be a graphic designer, for 30 years, and the newest software, or it's latest version, was always replaceable every year. Adobe drove us crazy in that regard. Just pencil, paper, and Fade In. The searching, saving and such are built into the Mac software. I very glad Scrivener is working for you, as we all have to find our working environments and tools.

hi there, I'm a little new to this but if I can give you any advice(and hope) it's keep going and never give up.

Andrea Johns This is actually something book agents often help with, connecting their clients with production companies or entertainment reps who might be interested in adaptation opportunities. If you don’t have an agent, Stage 32 also offers Career Development Calls where you can speak directly with industry executives and producers to ask for guidance on how to approach this process as an author. It’s a fantastic way to get personalized advice and make connections that could help bring your story to screen.

I also recommend reaching out to our Stage 32 Success Team at Success@Stage32.com. Let them know more about your book, your goals for adaptation, and where you are in the process. They’ll help you connect with the best execs and producers who are actively looking for compelling IP to adapt.

Hi, Kat Spencer. I read the blog. It's a great Q&A! And like you said, truly inspiring!

Thank you for sharing, Kat Spencer!

Len Archibald Thank you for sharing a part of you! I'm a mindset mentor so aside from loving your story and appreciating everything about it I resonate with (including not wanting to be a 9-5er), the one thing that stood out is "Life is HARD." Now, coming from a woman who has walked through fire and survived (metaphorically speaking), this is the one thing I wish to share. Life doesn't have to be hard. Life is what you make of it. There are inconveniences. There are hard things, but we go in the direction we point. So if we point to happiness, and we focus on the good, and the beautiful that you obviously see, that statement fades away. Life is hard if you believe it is hard. Life is messy, sure. Life is interesting. Life is beautiful. You are already a GOOD writer. You may even be a great one. From the above, I'd say you are well on your way. Your perspective is unique. Share it!

For me, writing is a form of catharsis. It lets me explore different and unique worlds while also creating characters that speak to the human experience. Plus, stories are always some of the best forms of escapism.

Kat Spencer I do appreciate the encouragement! You are correct about perspective. As a personal thing, it is one of those things I try to improve on as a human.

Very true Holly Fouche !

The motivation came to me when I met a Romanian producer and he bought me a script that impressed him. (I already had a lot of writing on old notebooks) then, I started to transcribe what I already had on the papers in the final draft and start learning to write. I managed to finish 5 of the best scripts that I honestly want to see on the big screen. not because they are mine, I am not subjective, but they are scenarios that I have not come across in other films, and I have watched almost all sci-fi and spiritual thriller films, none of them measure up to these writings of mine. I repeat: I AM NOT SUBJECTIVE! but their story is perfect.

Erin Leigh, thanks for including some prompts here, great post. I do Not have any interest in including AI of any kind into my creative process and am not following through with any suggestions whatsoever. But it certainly doesn't mean I'm not interested in this technology, as it has been useful in some (totally unrelated to this subject matter) contexts; and since as you said, it is not going away, I do want to stay informed on its evolution over time.

Helene Leff -- I've been hearing a lot about Greenlight! A playwright/screenwriter recently showed me the breakdown and analysis it provided for a piece of hers that I know well. It was very interesting and I'm considering it with my writing partner. Personally, however, I'm a little derisive of the listing of actors/actresses that Greenlight suggests. To me it is silly -- how many incredible freaking actors are out there but who, for one reason or another, are not "A-listers" that Greenlight would utilize in the list -- hahaha, you can see I've got an attitude here.

Lynelle Paulick and to all the people reading this blog. Based on my experience as a screenwriter and AI user, I can say that the future won’t be about creativity but about speed. In the sense that, given equal creative ability among screenwriters (with or without AI), the one who meets deadlines the fastest will be chosen. And when it comes to speed, artificial intelligence is truly an accelerator.

I was able to turn a 60-page film treatment into a 20-page screenplay outline in just half a day by using AI to condense the scenes. Of course, human supervision is and, in my opinion, will always remain essential.

Lynelle Paulick that's exactly where AI helps screenwriters as an assitant in timesavings with labor-intensive manual tasks.

I've saved hundreds of hours of manual effort in usng Text-to-Speech AI in turning already completed original screenplays into recorded drama podcasts, to test drive scripts on an audience as "table reads," with https://youtu.be/hSFJDAxJYXU if you're interested.

Greg, I'll check this out! Will let you know. Thanks.

Hi Kat Spencer - thanks for asking! It's definitely a scheduled spare-time thing for both of us. Our day jobs take up a majority of our time, I have a few other projects I'm either collaborating on or being paid to write, and she loves physical activity and prioritizes spending time with her partner. So, while it's not quite a hobby/for fun thing we're doing, it's more of a, "we want to pursuse this as professionally as possible but recognize we have limited time" thing :) So far, we've been pretty good at sticking to meeting via Zoom once/week and meeting in person on a weekend day, so we're trucking along slowly but surely haha.

@Banafsheh and @Leonardo, congratulations to you both as well! Everyone here is doing amazing, and I love that we're acknowledging personal/physical/non-writing-related goals as well - balance is so, so hard to manage sometimes, but we're all trying :)

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Have a great Sunday too, Dawn Prato!

Dawn Prato Thank you for your answer! I wish you the best with it and congrats on keeping it in your mix. I am an advocate for a balanced life. What is the novel about? (If you don't mind sharing)

Kat Spencer I'm so sorry I missed this! I haven't been able to pop on here as often as I'd like (or should) lately.

The novel is about a girl caught by Fae, the changeling who replaced her, and the Unseelie squire sent to try and bring the girl back when she escapes :) They have to figure out how to work together (and figure out where they belong) while navigating two Faerie courts, internal politics, and little things like how to get along so they don't get killed.

Dawn Prato Only a few things to figure out. hahaha. Sounds like a fun read!

Debra Holland Well, I already have the feature film script done at 100 pages. The script has won awards, so I anticipate it will have a following. Therefore, all of the structure and character work is done. I may want to adda few scenes here and there to get to know more about the characters. After that, I simply put each script scene into AI and told it to transcribe it into a manuscript scene, no adverbs, use present tense and overwrite with vivid imagery. The result was fantastic. Also, I make sure it keeps my dialogue as it's not the greatest dialogue writer. In one hour I can put out 30 pages where it took me 1 week to do the same. BAM!

Anthony McBride, I think it’s really interesting that you used AI as a tool with your original material, not in place of it. That distinction is so important, and I appreciate the transparency. It sounds like you found a workflow that not only sped things up but also helped you sharpen your writing skills in a different format. I’m curious: did the process of turning the script into a novel reveal anything new to you about the story or characters?

Ashley Renee Smith Well, when I started writing the manuscript, I did realize I needed more scenes. That was the big difference. One hundred pages of script may only be 120-130 pages of manuscript with AI. You do have the chance to go deeper into character with the novel that you don't have with a feature which is a common note I get on my scripts. Let me know if you need help.

Mark Deuce I owe everything to you Mark!! I'm now ready to go to my fourth manuscirpt because of AI. This is a game changer.

That is amazing Anthony McBride and best of luck!!

Beautifully said. I couldn’t agree more, Emanuele Vergari. There’s a certain magic that comes from instinct, imagination, and emotional rhythm that can’t be taught or boxed into formulas.

Debra Holland, I totally agree that too many cliffhangers can feel forced or even exhausting. Do you have a favorite type of hook or a technique you like to use that keeps the momentum going without relying on a traditional cliffhanger?

That's a great question, for me I just write what I wanna write and trust that whoever likes it will come back haha. It's like real life for me; I've been told that I'm a lot of fun to be around and even though I don't personally get it I know that that means I'm doing something right haha. So I figure in most cases the best way to do it is to just be yourself. I don't imagine readers like to read something they know is fake, just like they don't like dealing with people they know are fake in real life.

I agree completely Banafsheh Esmailzadeh! That is a wonderful mindset to have. Especially for the creative process.

Thanks, Kat Spencer! Yeah my sense of self is tied quite closely to my creativity so it makes sense that there's overlap :) plus, y'know, as artists I do believe we're all still kids at heart and it's never a bad move to keep that in mind haha

Stacy Leicht Yes, I don't recommend it, as you already know. Ironically, the worst ones were from working at the hospital here, the others at least were fans elsewhere in the world. Did you find writing your story helpful or haunting?

Kat- it was both helpful and haunting. Although I took the true events and did factionalize them to add intrigue.

I'm writing a script political Mafi story. It have Love, family back grounds, business and fitting. This story is truth story.

I look forward to reading it Stacy Leicht!

Nice Malinka Chandrasekara How far along are you in the process?

Richard "RB" Botto Great news for authors and screenwriters alike! It’s always been on my bucket list to attend the London Book Fair one day.

Hello, I can't explain why from the beginning I experienced screenwriting with professional goals. A friend of mine writes screenplays and produces movies while remaining in an amateur context and what he makes he puts on the Internet for free, but I decided from the beginning that I would rather have a thousand doors slammed in my face than to self-produce for the mere pleasure of a passion. the transition from amateur to professional began when I wrote my first screenplay in 2023 and it was a finalist in two contests overcoming hundreds of entries. I took a basic screenwriting course and the instructor was impressed with my ability to turn words and concepts into cinematic images, and we have been in touch and collaborating diligently ever since.

I turned a hobby into a career when I started making good money every month.

That's awesome Maurice Vaughan

That's beautiful K.. Yeshwanth

That's amazing and so cool Emanuele Vergari!