Screenwriting

Sandra Isabel Correia I really enjoy coming up with twists that turn the story on its head. From what I’ve seen in recent films, a good practice is to have 2-3 twists in a script.

It’s much easier to write when you have an impactful twist — the story instantly gets a new momentum.

Imagine the audience, Excited/Deeply moved/Shocked/, shouting at the screen because of what you just did to them, then eager to see how it turns out: My brother reads my scripts and often uses our expression: "There won't be a dry pair of pants in the house" -- i e. the movie house and panties/shorts. We laugh a lot about this as we develop stories together sometimes.

A lot of Blogs are very informative - Contracts; Directing; Producing; Markets etc. Many blogs for newbies are essential, like structure or whatever. Some are unintentionally hilarious - usually the ones that explain their very own newly invented script enhancing terminology and cat-saving process in great detail. Comedy gold.

I prefer plot twists a “profound” game changer & totally unexpected, not just another bead along story string. A Holy Cow moment, over the story chain simply evolved.

I’m a very unique writer. I don’t really have a plan, but if I do it’s very loose. I just start winging it scene by scene working towards the end and whatever happens happens. So if I throw a plot twist in, it’s by spur of the moment decision. I’m just as excited to see what happens next as I write it because I don’t even know lol

Congrats Tony

Congratulations!!

Woohoo! Congratulations, Tony!

Hey Tony! Congratulations! That’s a big win! Well done!

Congratulations(!!!); these are actually your results to live out now! (huge smile)

Hello all, I'm looking for advice on what to do regarding a literary manager who requested a meeting after reading the first ten pages of a TV pilot I wrote with my writing partner. The Stage 32 Moderator made the introduction via email, but after a week or so of not hearing from the manager, I emailed him and then followed up with two phone calls. but I was never was able to get through to him. When I asked the gatekeeper on my second call if I could leave a voicemail, she informed me that the manager's voicemail was full, but she said she would pass my message on to him, but again no response. It's now been two months since the Stage 32 Moderator made the introduction and I'm really frustrated. Any suggestions?

Hi @David - is this script available to read? It sounds incredibly interesting.

Did you email writerhelp@stage32.com recently about it, Harlan Schneider?

Hi,

I submitted my screenplay, "Fancy":

Logline: In 19th Century New Orleans, a privileged Creole girl learns her lineage affords her advantages. But those come at the cost of providing "special" services.

Genre: Drama (Period Piece)

This script placed previously in two different contests and received positive feedback. My limited pitch deck can be found on LAL Scribes on YouTube.

I really appreciate the opportunity to showcase my talent to Color Farm Media. Thanks, as usual Stage 32!!!

Hello All!

Is love a chemical reaction we can control, or is it a variable we just have to survive? That is the central question in my new script, The Perfect Kisser (genre: Rom-Com).

We’ve all seen the "opposites attract" trope, but I wanted to dig deeper into why we build walls around our hearts. This isn't just a story about a boy meeting a girl; it's about a woman who tries to solve romance like a math problem, and the man who throws out her calculator.

Here is a closer look at the characters, the comedy, and the heart of the story.

The Premise: Can You Automate Chemistry?

The story follows Joey Baker, a 27-year-old cosmetic chemist known in her industry as the "Lip Gloss Goddess". Joey is brilliant, but she’s scared. After witnessing her mother’s heartbreak and growing up without her father, she decided she would never make the same mistakes.

Her solution? The Kiss Criteria.

Joey has developed a data-driven formula to quantify what makes a partner perfect. She believes that if she can control the variables—eye contact, breath sync, the approach—she can guarantee the outcome.

The Heart of the Story

At its core, The Perfect Kisser explores the relationship between Joey and her mother, Sharon. Their strained relationship comes to a head when Sharon admits that her own fear of vulnerability taught Joey to hide behind science.

Ultimately, Joey has to learn what Julian knew all along: You can’t automate chemistry. The "perfect kiss" isn't about scorekeeping or technique; it's about being brave enough to be vulnerable.

100% feeling all of that Juliana Philippi :)

Juliana Philippi What a powerful reflection, and such a beautiful way to close out the year. There’s something really special about that shift from resisting the work to embracing it, and you captured that perfectly. Once you show up consistently, the creative momentum starts to feel like it’s meeting you halfway. I love how intentionally you’re approaching your slate, and I can’t wait to see all the projects you’re lining up come to life.

Ashley Renee Smith Thank you!!! I will always remember your email, or post, asking me what I was doing, and if I would join November Write Club.

Juliana Philippi so well said!

Darrell Pennington Thank you so much: )

Here's a post about Scrybe from a month ago, Jim Ramsay: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Scrybe

Thanks, Maurice. Got it.

You're welcome, Jim Ramsay.

I definitely have a case of tunnel vision for the most part lol I like to focus on one thing at a time if it's really complex. Normally I am able to multitask simpler projects but if its a big project like Petal or Finding Elpis, it gets all my focus unless it's a tiny project (like Glass Waltz). That being said, I did something crazy with Finding Elpis and while writing BoFS's draft, I went back to part 1 and rewrote a good chunk of it, then I did it again with RoP, and THEN I continued writing BoFS xD I'm likely gonna do a fair bit of such leapfrogging during my time writing the series out, especially since I don't want to have late-stage retcons as much as I want subtle, distant foreshadowing as early as possible. I haven't even started on pitch decks...

Elle Bolan, welcome back from the land of rewriting. That place has swallowed many of us whole at some point. Your question is such a good one, because balancing revisions with new pages can feel like trying to keep two different creative brains running at the same time. For me, the key has been treating each phase like a different mode of creativity rather than trying to force them to coexist all at once. Rewriting uses a more analytical, structural mindset, while drafting new material feels looser and more exploratory. When I try to bounce between them too quickly, I end up frustrated with both.

What helps is dedicating specific windows of time to each, but not necessarily every single day. Some weeks, I’m all-in on revisions because I have a clarity streak going and don’t want to break it. Other weeks, I give myself permission to focus on new ideas because that momentum feeds my energy. The balance shifts with the project.

I also find that being intentional with my “creative bandwidth” helps. If a rewrite is emotionally or mentally heavy, I don’t expect myself to produce clean new pages that same day. And sometimes networking becomes my lighter creative work, still productive, but not tapping from the same well.

There’s no wrong way to juggle it, but it sounds like you’re already doing the most important part: showing up consistently.

It’s two very different type of tasks requiring a different mindset. I prefer to split them apart. one day I do new pages and the other day, I revise. However it’s important to spend at least two hours per day in your new story to keep your mind thinking about it (so creativity flow more easily).

@Banafsheh the tunnel vision phase is so fun.

@Ashley Renee Smith now that's awesome. It really hard to juggle all the things. I'll adopt that flexibility you talk about in because sometimes I do feel like I'm expecting too much with not enough hours.

Cynna Ael That's why we are all so called to write, because of our different view points, there are others who will be seen by our stories! So cool Cynna. I gravitate in challenging the status quo on silence and allowing things, like injustice, prejudice, fear, and "cultural baggage" expectations from certain ethnic groups. I like challenging this, mixing the proverbial pot if you will, and taking this to comedy, thriller, drama, and now holidays : )

Cynna Ael Wow, that’s some speed! How do you do it?? I write horror, and I can’t even imagine if I sat down to write a Christmas comedy on the same day, how much the vibe would get completely mixed up!

Thanks Sebastian Tudores! It's been a wild ride to be able to get this done. But I'm so thrilled to have written after so many years of not being focused or energised enough.

love to hear it Cynna Ael - and that energy is contagious in the best of ways!

This is such an impressive update, Cynna Ael, not just in terms of output, but in the clarity of what you learned along the way. Two full scripts in such a short window, plus active rewrites on your rom-dramedy, is no small feat. That’s a level of discipline and follow-through that deserves a serious celebration.

I also love how honest you are about the discoveries that came with the process. Dream-casting characters is such a powerful tool, and you articulated exactly why: voice, movement, energy, and specificity. When you can “hear” your cast, the writing sharpens in a way that’s almost instinctual. But the piece that struck me the most was what you shared about community. So many writers default to isolation, and it’s always amazing to see what shifts when someone steps out of that habit and lets themselves be supported, encouraged, and challenged. You showed up for yourself this month, and it shows. You’re right, engaging doesn’t just help with networking; it helps with growth, momentum, and confidence.

I’m thrilled that NWC was a meaningful experience for you.

I like the idea, Rehaan Riyasdeen! It's unique. I can picture the script having all kinds of obstacles and twists.

Good idea.

But what if the two girls are twins?

The boy works so hard to save the kidnapped girl,

and when he finally finds her, she isn’t his girlfriend.

Then they begin searching together for the other twin.

Or what if the kidnapped twin he rescues lies and pretends to be his girlfriend?

Then a conflict arises between the two twins,

and he must figure out which one is truly his girlfriend.

Damn, that is a really good idea

Feel free to use it and expand it even more Rehaan Riyasdeen

Thank You

The childhood trauma thing is a big deal to me so I'm comforted to hear it's been a good journey Sebastian Tudores. Thanks for the kind words as well. They mean a lot.

If you write a hundred thousand fictional words, you can still remain invisible. If you write a million fictional words, you are in those words whether you attempted to hide yourself or not. You are a product of your experiences. I have two pieces of work, one feature, one TV, both of which are true/based on truth from my life. You'd never be able to guess which ones.

True words spoken David Taylor. If we're a product of our experiences, it will pour onto the page.

Leonardo Ramirez 2, I love this question, because it gets to the heart of why so many of us write in the first place. Even when we’re building impossible worlds or pushing our characters into fantastical situations, there’s often a piece of our inner life, beliefs, or fears, guiding the story.

As you know, my current book series is incredibly personal to me. I’ve based characters loosely on people in my life, and the themes of grief, discovery, and healing have been a north star in my own journey since losing my mom. Those emotional threads ended up becoming the foundation of the entire story, because they were the truest things I had to say. I think those pieces of ourselves are what make stories resonate most deeply. Even in sci-fi or fantasy, readers can feel the real-life heartbeat beneath the worldbuilding.

I'm so glad you shared this Ashley Renee Smith because yours is one of the most powerful examples I know, of the drive that is behind why we write. And it's those pieces that are coming together through the journey to heal that not only helps us process but inches others upwards in the healing journey they may be on - nuances that will resonate. It's when something we see or hear resonates, that we know we're not alone in the journey.

Doctor Hannibal Lecter, because he only eats rude people. Tigger, because he's bouncy and fun, fun, fun. So the perfect character would be Doctor Tigger Lecter.

It’s Nemo from Mr. Nobody.

That movie changed a lot about how I see the world —

the meaning of choice, the butterfly effect, and the theory of parallel universes...

It’s truly a remarkable film and a remarkable character.

And the second reason I love it is because it inspired my best sci-fi idea:

The De-Evolution Game: Paradoxes Unleashed.

That is such a good question lol, mine would probably have to be Goro Majima from the Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza series. He's just so lovably crazy and fun.

Hi, Shirley Collier. It's cold and rainy here too. It's hard to pick a favorite, but one of my favorites is Batman. He has cool gadgets and tech, he cares about people/helps people, he's rich, he's a skilled fighter, and he deals with things that real people deal with.

For TV, I always come back to Buffy Summers. She’s the kind of character who evolves with you: every season asks more of her, emotionally and morally, and she keeps showing up anyway. Her strength isn’t just supernatural; it’s the way she carries responsibility even when it costs her.

For film, it’s Miles Morales. His story captures that blend of vulnerability, identity, culture, and rising to a moment you never thought you were ready for. His journey feels grounded and human, even with the multiverse exploding around him.

And for books, it has to be Aelin Galathynius from the Throne of Glass series. Watching her grow from a hardened survivor into someone capable of immense sacrifice and leadership is the kind of arc that stays with you. She’s flawed, fierce, loyal, and so deeply layered.

Hi, Philippe Jeanneteau. I sold four short scripts by posting them on my profile (plus networking). I've also gotten feedback from writers, directors, etc. on my loglines and scripts.

Here's some of the Pitch Session success stories and other success stories: www.stage32.com/scriptservices/success-stories

Thanks a lot, Maurice — that’s super helpful!

I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

It’s encouraging to know that posting projects and engaging with the community can actually lead to real connections.

I’ll definitely keep improving my profile and networking here.

Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction!

You're welcome, Philippe Jeanneteau. Great. Hope you make connections, get script requests, sell your projects, and more on here!

Maurice Vaughan Thanks again for your help, Maurice — I really appreciate it.

You're welcome, Philippe Jeanneteau.