Is it necessary to include page breaks? Just curious about the consensus. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
From structure to content to representation to industry trends, this is the place to discuss, share content and offer tips and advice on the craft and business of screenwriting
Is it necessary to include page breaks? Just curious about the consensus. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
You're right, Zahra Mazhari. I was just a screenwriter for years, but I also became a commercial writer, ghostwriter, and pitch deck designer, and I learned how to write short stories, sketches, etc....
Expand commentYou can definitely just write, Mike Childress.
Thats why tictok, twitch, IG creators have more clout and leverage than career writers & filmmakers. They own the content. Look at Mr Beast.
Maurice Vaughan That was a little Zero Dark Thirty cheekiness of course, but I really do have an aversion to sales/business. Not that I can't sell myself in a room, but I think it's probably worth it...
Expand comment
Hey everyone,
My name is Joshua O-lawal, and I’m a 14-year-old aspiring screenwriter (turning 15 this year). For over a year, I’ve been dedicated to learning and growing in screenwriting, and my passion for storytelling keeps getting stronger. My ultimate dream is to see my scripts come to life on sc...
Expand postYou're welcome, O-lawal Joshua Seyifunmi. You could also check the Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs). Indie producers and directors post jobs on it....
Expand commentO-lawal Joshua Seyifunmi Maurice Vaughan is our go to guy on many subjects here on the Stage so follow his lead! And he's not a bot!!...
Expand commentHey, Pat Savage. Thanks. Definitely not a bot.
Maurice Vaughan trying to get your attention! I mean any longer time spent on here you could be a bot! Goodfellas reference...
Haha Pat Savage Goodfellas is incredible!
In today’s blog, Ava Paloma shares four practical habits to help creatives stay grounded and achieve consistent results in their careers. www.stage32.com/blog/less-woo-more-do-the-four-ps-to-achieve-results-in-......
Expand post
Congratulations to all the Quarterfinalists in this year's Family Friendly Contest! Let's show them our support and if you placed, tell us more about your script!
View the Quarterfinalists here:
https://www.stage32.com/happy-writers/contests/3rd-Annual-Family-Friendl......
Expand postI'm just wondering if someone can help me with something. What are the characters goals and what are the stakes in the films Notting Hill and When Harry Met Sally?
i feel like Harry wants to figure out his feelings for Sally & Sally struggles with her belief that men and women can just be friends, with the stakes being whether or not she can let herself love Harry
In Notting Hill, William's goal is to win Anna’s love despite their worlds being galaxies apart. The stakes? A lifetime of regret if he lets the shooting star pass.
In When Harry Met Sally, their goal...
Expand comment
The primary reason I joined Stage 32 was to find like-minded writers willing to swap scripts and act as free beta readers. I quickly found three scriptwriters who seemed to fit the bill and screenplays were exchanged. I read all three and provided detailed critiques and encouragement. (I’ve beta rea...
Expand postAbout 100 members have sent me networking requests since I became a member almost one year ago. And since I have a finished script, I have asked most of those people to read. Basically I have suggeste...
Expand commentI look at 10 page selections from scripts every week on my YouTube channel.
Let me know if interested.
I've done several. Most were positive. A couple were really bad. One guy's script was all talking heads and over description, and nobody could tell him it didn't work as a screenplay. The other guy cu...
Expand commentHi Barry, I’m happy to read and exchange critique - in my view I can learn from other people and I wish to keep learning. I’ve been runner up several times in a number of competitions - but never the...
Expand commentis this normal? and what do you do to combat this?
Listen to it. I use text-to-speech software to read the script to me. It isn't perfect but I can catch errors and get a better feel for a scene if I can hear it.
try taking a break from it and, don't look at it for month. then come back and see how it reads after detaching yourself and becoming more objective.
I'm gradually compiling a group of like-minded beta readers who aren't afraid to give, and get, honest feedback (for free). It may be worth finding out what other people think of your script. Tell them not to pull any punches.
Hey, I was wondering if any writers could answer a question for me. I am new at scriptwriting. While between character convo. I like to break down the scene descriptively on what's going on in the scene. Someone pointed out that I am writing too much description/blocking and that it could stall the...
Expand postMegan - It’s not easy to answer this in a comment, but in a pumpkin shell: a screenplay is not a novel and it’s only around 100 pages. You want ‘a fast read’. Just say what’s up on the screen. A write...
Expand commentThank you to everyone’s advice, i appreciate all of your time for getting back to me on it. I had only 1-2 lines with each new scene. And maybe 1-4 lines in non dialogue scenes. So I didn’t think it w...
Expand commentAgree with Mike Childress. LESS IS MORE. Also, try doing a script reading. Do not participate. Just listen to your script out loud and you'll see where the read bumps and the flow gets disrupted....
Expand commentHi Meagan. I completed a course in screenwriting, what I learnt is what Marc and Francisco mentioned. Less is best. And what Marc mentioned in his comment "Don’t direct the director and don’t coach th...
Expand commentEvery element in a film should serve the story. If something contributes to a new layer of narrative discovery, it must be explicitly stated. Otherwise, we leave room for the director’s vision. Even t...
Expand comment
I post pages on social media to pitch my scripts, but I also use it as one last check after I finish rewriting my scripts. I don’t know what it is about posting script pages on social media, but I spot things in scenes that I didn’t notice before when I post the pages, like action lines or words tha...
Expand postI have noticed myself that some errors one doesn't find easily. One can read the script 9 times without finding what is wrong. But the 10th time one reads, one notices what is wrong. And I am a big fr...
Expand commentI used to print scripts and make notes on them with different color pens, like red for things that need to be changed, Göran Johansson. I might start printing scripts again....
Expand commentWhat helps me is having the PC read it back to me. I use a Text-to-speech reader to listen to how it sounds. I can find errors much faster when I hear that it doesn't sound right.
That helps me too, Anthony Moore. I use the read aloud features in Microsoft Word and Final Draft. I used to read my scripts backwards to check for typos, but that takes a lot of time....
Expand comment
Join us this Friday at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET for another exciting Stage 32 Community Wrap-Up with Head of Community, Ashley Smith, and Community Manager / Writer’s Room Producer, Kay Ross!
Upcoming events & education
Valuable resour...
Expand postI'm excited for another Wrap-up, Ashley Renee Smith! What are some of the upcoming events and education?
If you missed today's Instagram Live, you can catch the full conversation HERE: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFyKrjXSUjy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&......
Expand comment
Join us LIVE on Instagram at 10:00 A.M. PST/1:00 P.M. EST! We’ll be covering all the latest happenings on Stage 32, including:
Go to Instagram...
Expand postWe had an incredible Community Wrap-Up today! If you missed the Wrap-Up or you want to watch it again, here's the link: www.instagram.com/reel/DFyKrjXSUjy
Click next to the topics below to subscribe to a topic. means you're already subscribed.
At 62, I don't think you're risking that reaction, Michelle Dionne Wardlaw. Now, if you want to challenge yourself to get to 60 and below, have at it. But I wouldn't kill yourself if you're happy wher...
Expand commentAt 62, I don't think you're risking that reaction, Michelle Dionne Wardlaw. Now, if you want to challenge yourself to get to 60 and below, have at it. But I wouldn't kill yourself if you're happy where it's at. As mentioned, ultimately, I got my 67 down to 60 for the purposes of going to the buyers.
1 person likes this
Extremely well said and absolutely on point, Staton Rabin. As long as the reader understands and, of course, you can speak to the breaks, total shifts, reversals, etc, you're good to go....
Expand commentExtremely well said and absolutely on point, Staton Rabin. As long as the reader understands and, of course, you can speak to the breaks, total shifts, reversals, etc, you're good to go.
2 people like this
Thank you, Richard "RB" Botto.
1 person likes this
Most welcome, Staton Rabin. Fantastic contribution.
1 person likes this
:-)