Screenwriting

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

Liked by Juliana Philippi and 5 others

Elle Bolan
Blues Traveller Tried to Tell Us: The Hook Brings You Back

Let's talk about that hook, though.

The opening scene is a BFD in any story. Your page one is a big part of what will sell your script. If you create a page one that grabs your reader by the throat and says "c'mere boy" then you've won a big part of the battle.

One of the things that gets praised th...

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Meriem Bouziani

Yes, I’ll work on making them more engaging.

They may feel boring at first since they show insights from daily routines, but they are critical to the story logic.

Later, these moments reveal the quiet,...

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CJ Walley

Before I broke in, I moved from writing feature specs to shorts in a bid to actually get some stuff made. It was like a boot camp. I wrote dozens of them. Usually around one a week, at least.

I was wor...

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Elle Bolan

@CJ that's actually a better way to state it. The opening scene rather than the page one.

Elle Bolan

@Juliana those are all great things to ask about your opener!

Elle Bolan

@Meriem I believe you will. Your passion for the silent pfc war shows every time you talk about the project.

Liked by Kenneth Ellis 2 and 6 others

Maurice Vaughan

Thanks for sharing the article, Amanda Toney. I haven't written a biopic yet. This article will come in handy. And I might even write a biopic/narrative film mix....

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CJ Walley

I adapted a biography this year. The shoot just wrapped. The V.O to death comment is very true. They key part is finding the thematic thread within it all.

Maurice Vaughan

Congratulations, CJ Walley!

Agostinho Izanag

"Adapting real-life stories always seems like such a huge challenge. Is there any approach you recommend to stay true to the person’s essence without leaning too much into over-dramatization?"

CJ Walley

This issue you're going to have is the subject person's own vision and demands. In the article linked, it talks about how Kristen had to convince the IP owner not to sell the story short and do someth...

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Liked by Edward Filkin and 4 others

Meriem Bouziani
Thank you very much

Hello creatives,

A heartfelt thank-you to the Stage 32 leadership—@Geoffrey Faugerolas, @Richard “RB” Botto, @Ashley Renee Smith—and to this entire community for the incredible Week-4 NWC prize. Your recognition fuels my resolve.

The momentum you’ve given me is already flowing into my first screenplay...

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Leonardo Ramirez 2

Meriem Bouziani we are over the top stoked for you! It is well deserved so congratulations!!

Meriem Bouziani

Thank you very much for your encouragement Leonardo Ramirez 2

Leonardo Ramirez 2

You are very welcome Meriem Bouziani. Hope you have a wonderful week.

Meriem Bouziani

Thank you Leonardo Ramirez 2

Have a great week, and a happy, successful 2026.

Liked by Kenneth Ellis 2 and 8 others

Tim Morell
Lessons in screenwriting

How do you make a script you've been commissioned to write about the setbacks that occur while trying to deliver a load of dry ice into something interesting? My solution, turn it into an allegory about the ICE raids currently going on in the country and the underlying politics they represent. I had...

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Foxxay Howard

Genius!

Laura J Harris

That’s awesome news!!

Fuad Shawn

Your experience perfectly highlights one of the most underrated truths in filmmaking: a strong visual hook can open doors that a script alone often cannot. Turning a simple dry-ice delivery story into...

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Samara Aridi

That's fantastic! This really shows the power of combining storytelling with compelling imagery.

Awesome news! Congrats

Happy holidays!

Tim Morell

Thanks for all of the nice comments. The weird thing about it is that I met this guy after responding to a post he put on a neighborhood site called Nextdoor. He'd just graduated from AFI and was look...

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Liked by TOM SCHAEFER and 5 others

Njabulo Shabangu
Am I The Only One??

I'm normally a free writer who pours his heart out whenever I write, once I start writing it just flows and I can turn a though or an idea into a whole movie. But my issue is that I feel like the construct and industry ready Screenplay format kills my passion of writing.

Trevor Learey

With screenwriting, you need to second-guess the supporting story the visualization provides.

Take Lord of the Rings. The visualization had to be done before a word could be written.

So I am not totally...

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Trevor Learey

Njabulo Shabangu If you ever need help publishing a story and getting the ISBN to protect your work, let me know, that is what we do.

Göran Johansson

I learned screenwriting by creating no-budget movies. For me the standard script format is intuitive. My advice to those who have problems with the format is to contact your local group of no-budget f...

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CJ Walley

If you're using screenwriting software, it's probably one of the most efficient ways of presenting a story. The formatting is easy. The real issue might be with focusing. I find it very hard to write...

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Jeffrey B. Wayne

CJ Walley 100% agree

Liked by Bradford Richardson and 3 others

Libby Wright
Wave Your Wand

Happy Monday! I have a hypothetical I was thinking about this morning, and thought I'd open it up to the group: If you could "wave your wand" and pitch a script/project to an ideal person who would it be? Why? Would you feel prepared, or would you be riding the struggle bus the whole way there? BONU...

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Libby Wright

Fuad Shawn I want to know more!! What logline & genere? Who would your ideal "expert" be? Thanks for sharing!

Fuad Shawn

Thanks for asking! It’s a thriller about "a rookie inspector racing to catch a sadistic killer who leaves a trail of gruesome, organ-harvesting murders across the city". I’m looking for feedback from...

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Ron Micci

Any serious player in the industry whose name you might recognize. No prep needed, I'd just pitch the basic concept. If the hook is strong enough, you've got interest. If not, you're spinning your whe...

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Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, Libby Wright. What pitching resource on Stage 32 do you think helped you the most?

Oh, and I forgot to say who I would pitch the script to. Zach Cregger with him as the producer and director....

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Juliana Philippi

Libby Wright Feliz Diciembre!!! I would pitch my television series "The Girls" to the Exec Developers for YA shows at any streamer shopping for an inspiring, action/adventure, 30 min per episode show,...

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Liked by Robin Gregory and one other

Michael Thorn
Good idea or not?

I know how long it takes for words on the page to finally appear on the screen, if they ever do, so I intend making Arigni 1 available as a novel early in 2026, with Arigni 2 coming late 2026 or early 2027.

But I'm not sure. Is this a good idea or not?

Maurice Vaughan

I like the idea, Michael Thorn! I've seen screenwriters do that.

Robin Gregory

Sure Michael Thorn!. If I might suggest, you might consider getting a credible marketing team that can help with promotion, SEO, cover, etc. Selling books takes a lot of effort, too....

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CJ Walley

It all depends on your goals. I have published all my feature specs as books. That's been great for all my friends who want to read them. It also means my story is out there, rather than locked away o...

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Robin Gregory

CJ Walley True!

Liked by Patrick Koepke and 2 others

David Miller
I Need Guidance on Series IP Protection

I have copyrighted all my feature screenplays, easiy enough, one and done.

I have now started writing a series, I have the pilot written, done detailed outlines of episodes 2-10, and high level outlines of seasons 2-5.

What is the best way to safeguard this IP?

Stefano Pavone

Novelise the pilot at the very least - novelisations usually act as a form of insurance. That way, you have some degree of control over how your work is used.

Maurice Vaughan

I've registered a series bible with the U.S. Copyright Office, David Miller. I've heard of writers registering a pilot script and series bible. Maybe with the "Group of Unpublished Works" option. www....

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CJ Walley

Being blunt, and because I wouldn't want to see a writer wasting their time, you shouldn't be writing episodes. Those will not be wanted by a network. Some don't even want to see a pilot.

I'm not sure...

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David Miller

Thanks everyone. I've scripted the pilot, detailed outlined the first season, high level detailed seasons 2-5. I created a series bile and was able to load it along with the pilot screenplay to the copyright site, so all is good (I hope).

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, David Miller.

Liked by Jim Boston and one other

Fares Mohamed
Writing

The best writing, for me, is the kind where you eventually forget the rules.

I’m not saying technique doesn’t matter, or that structure is useless. I’m talking about that first-draft moment where you let the story come out naturally. Where you’re not trying to write “the right way” yet—where you’re n...

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Maurice Vaughan

Great points and tips, Fares Mohamed. I rewrite as I work on the first draft, but the first draft is mainly about getting the draft done.

Fares Mohamed

So keep working the way you do. Take the time to build your own certainty, to strengthen what you want to say, and to feel proud of your story. After that, convincing others almost becomes a consequence, not a battle.

CJ Walley

Painters sketch their proportions out. Musicians riff. Sculptors mock up their basic form.

Writers who try to put genius on the page line by line are putting themselves through hell for no reason.

The magic in this is when we play around with it.

Fares Mohamed

Yes, exactly CJ walley.

Liked by Juliana Philippi and one other

Maurice Vaughan
Don't Let the Momentum of November Write Club Die: How to Stay Active Into 2026 & Beyond!

Congratulations to everyone who joined November Write Club, made progress on their goals, reached their goals, and won prizes!

Thanks for starting Stage 32, RB! Thanks for putting NWC together, Ashley and Kay! Thanks for partnering with Stage 32 for November Write Club, Arc Studio Pro! Thanks, Geof...

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Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Alyazin Alriyami
When do i post my logline?

Hi,

I finally got my idea a had long time ago locked in for a sci-fi, crime tv show, but I came across some amazing loglines people shared here and I was wondering if I should at least finish my pilot script before posting it , or I post my logline and get feedback from u guys while writing my script...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Alyazin Alriyami. I wait until I'm ready to pitch my script before I post the logline on Stage 32 and other platforms. A producer, director, etc. might read my logline and want to read the script...

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Alyazin Alriyami

thanks Maurice Vaughan ,I'll keep that in mind!

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Alyazin Alriyami.

Liked by Samara Aridi and 5 others

Alyazin Alriyami
how do I get there??

I've always shown interest in cinema and tv, and I actually wish to be a showrunner and screenwriter for my own tv show, but my problem is that I'm too young for that and everyone I've talked to says I have to forget about it, but I wont, anyways...what I'm doing for the past three years is studying...

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Alyazin Alriyami

thank you very much David Taylor, this means a lot to me and I'm going to do what you said, thanks!

David Taylor

Alyazin - Always happy to help. Other people helped me. Especially when I was young. Thank you for your kind comment.

Sophia Pinto

Finish school, write a script or two, and work on your writing. You won't be able to pitch anything or find a manager if you haven't written a script yet, but it's good that you have a passion and kno...

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CJ Walley

You'll get taken seriously in context. Nobody is going to expect great things from a sixteen year old, but they may see potential and want to stay connected. The important thing is to start writing and networking as you'll be twenty-six before you know it.

Foxxay Howard

if I were you I would write my scripts now and get coverage. at least you will know the level you’re on.

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