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 Leonardo Ramirez 2 and 25 others

Jon Hersh
Ask Me Anything (AMA) 11/28 to 11/29- How to Utilize Agents, Managers, and Dev. Execs. In Your Screenwriting Career

Hi, Stage 32 Community!

More about m...

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Jon Hersh

Leonardo Ramirez 2 I would say the most in demand will always be in demand no matter what. Action, action comedy, broad R comedy, rom-com, action thriller, psychological thriller, horror, grounded sci...

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Leonardo Ramirez 2

Got it Jon Hersh. Thanks so much.

Leonardo Ramirez 2

Jon Hersh - two follow up questions if I may. #1 Do you see the animation question applying globally as well, or are there international markets where fantasy/sci-fi specs are more viable? Question #2...

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John January Noble

Jon Hersh Thanks for responding. Your answers are well positioned. That's very helpful, Jon!!

Jon Hersh

Leonardo Ramirez 2 I can't speak to international animation, that's not my area. It only takes one great script to start a conversation. I've signed people off of just one great script, but it helps t...

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Liked by Salisu Abdullahi and one other

Salisu Abdullahi
The Challenge: When does a 'Contained Thriller' become too claustrophobic?

Hi fellow creatives! I'm currently working on The Venice Glass House (a psychological thriller), and I've been wrestling with the boundaries of the "Contained Thriller" subgenre.

We know films like Buried (one coffin) or Panic Room (one house) succeed because the tight setting raises the stakes and f...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Salisu Abdullahi. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Introduce Yourself Lounge to the Screenwriting Lounge since it's about screenwriting. You can...

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Stephen Folker

Good question. Just watched 'The Long Walk' which translated into 'The Long Watch'. At some point - the walking and talking go to be too much for me. Perhaps aim for 75 pages and find a few side locations to mix it up!

Salisu Abdullahi

"Hi Stephen,

That is a great point about The Long Watch (or The Long Walk). You nailed it—that feeling of the setting becoming repetitive is exactly what I'm trying to avoid with The Venice Glass House...

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Liked by Jim Boston and 5 others

John Branagan
I'm missing something about the art of Pitch

I recently pitched a tv series concept to a rep at zero gravity management he wrote back to me giving a surprising great review on my pitch and the concept I was pitching yet the rep passed:(. can someone please explain that thought process. Why pass on me and the project when the pitch checked all the boxes.

Thank you,

JB

Stephen Folker

The reason you'll never know. Better to move on and keep trying.

Ewan Dunbar

There can be a wide array of reasons. They already have a similar title, not what their clients are currently looking for at the moment, current market trends and so on. But the sands are always shift...

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Michael David

One of the boxes should be (but never is) "Is this concept easily marketable?" A lot of pitches check the boxes of "clear idea / high stakes" but the concept simply doesn't appeal to the masses.

I don'...

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Jim Boston

John, I've been there, too.

This past July, I participated in Stage 32's Comedy Pitchfest; I sent Nikki Bohm a written pitch for a gangster spoof of mine, "Got Any More Bullets, Sister?"

Nikki really lo...

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Lindbergh E Hollingsworth

Here's something, and it's rarely discussed: many times the development execs, managers, and agents WILL NOT say anything negative to you about your script (TV or Film).

If they do they are fully awar...

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Liked by Eon C. Rambally and 17 others

Maurice Vaughan
Gratitude Shout-Out – Ashley Smith

Who's a Stage 32 member, writing partner,...

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Sandra Isabel Correia

Yeahhhhh :))) Someday, we will be doing gigs :)))

Maurice Vaughan

I can't play the guitar, Sandra Isabel Correia, but it's a fictional band, so I can play the guitar. :D

Sandra Isabel Correia

I know :)) Me too :))

Elle Bolan

Honestly? I'm grateful for all of you. The platform in general. It's so supportive and informative. I just love it.

The lounges are where I'm mostly at. I believe in networking early. And doing that o...

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Maurice Vaughan

I'm grateful for you too, Elle Bolan. I'm mostly in the Lounges too, and I'm less nervous networking online. Networking early is great advice! I used to write scripts and make pitch material, then net...

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Liked by Yan Ju Zeng and 2 others

Chidera Emmanuel
Screenwriter

have anyone found himself or herself writing a script and seem it reflects ur dialy life

Maurice Vaughan

I have, Chidera Emmanuel. Sometimes I write about daily life on purpose, and sometimes I don't realize I'm doing it until later.

Liked by Elvir Bytyqi and 8 others

John Fife
Has writing movies changed the way you view movies?

I'm taking a screenwriting course and as part or the curriculum we are required to watch small clips of multiple movies. The video pauses randomly and the instructor tells us to write what we see on the screen. I love that part of the course but found now as I watch movies, I'm forever talking to my...

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Elle Bolan

I haven't had formal screenwriting education. However, I do break movies down, analyze the writing, the structure, look for the breath moments.

I like to turn off my captions and volume and ad lib dia...

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Chris Aitken

Yep. It's very hard to switch off and I find myself overly critical now. But I probably appreciate those TV shows and films, which I can tell why their is an underlying genius to them.

Jon Shallit

Movement in every shot -Kurosawa.

Look for rich backgrounds in great directing. Although I am only a beginning director, I tried in SETESH 2025 (youtube) to make each shot have so many unusual backgrou...

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Thomas Medori

Absolutely. Every time I hear bad dialogue, I think, I can do better. And every time I hear great dialogue, I think, I hope I’ll be that good someday.

Ewan Dunbar

It only gets worse but you wouldn't change it! A great way to develop your screenwriting is to explore parts of films that give you strong emotional responses, then explore how the filmmaker and scree...

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Liked by Jim Boston and one other

Maurice Vaughan
FREE Ask Me Anything with Jon Hersh for November Write Club!

Jon Hersh is having an AMA in the Screenwriting Lounge, answering questions all day about “How to Utilize Agents, Managers, and Dev. Execs. In Your Screenwriting Career.”

Jon reps writers with deals at Netflix, Amazon, FX, Lionsgate & more!

Jump in with your questions. www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwr...

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Liked by Jim Boston and 2 others

Maurice Vaughan
What Stage 32's Community Is Really About (Beyond Scripts, Sets, and Showreels)

Ashley Smith (Head of Community & Blog Manager) talks about what Stage 32 is really about in today’s blog. It's a must-read for anyone who's trying to build relationships and have success on here!

And Stage 32's November Community Open House was Tuesday. The recording is up now. It's free to watch....

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Liked by Federico Aletta and 8 others

DJ Gautam
Tell me what u think?

How was the life of queer people a century ago?

May be many experienced sexual assaults and also been molested by the people in their daily life- and it's happening in the very religious or developing country where still they value the society.

can you imagine a small boy in the mid of city telling...

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Njabulo Shabangu

The idea is excellent and would make a great movie. Your idea is different and touches a topic no one would talk about

Yan Ju Zeng

Your story does touch on very key issues in the community that often go ignored. Predation on the LGBT Community has always been an easy out for serial killers and other criminals. It’s one of the rea...

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DJ Gautam

Thank you everyone for the guidance and encouragement. As I am not a very confident person this word means a lot to me. thank you again guys. I will gonna disturb you guys in future.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, DJ Gautam. Keep us posted on your script in the Your Stage Lounge (www.stage32.com/lounge/promotion)....

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Elle Bolan

Very important subject material that doesn't get talked about enough. I would say write it.

Liked by Cynna Ael and 12 others

Sandra Isabel Correia
November Write Club/Week 3 Achievements & Week 4 Goals

Hey Screenwriters crew!

We’re closing out Week 3 of November Write Club, and I’d love to hear from you:

• What did you achieve this past week?

• What are your goals as we head into Week 4?

My Update

I’m really happy to share that I achieved my major November Write Club goal one week early! Today I finish...

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Maria Restivo Glassner

I wrote a "one sheet" ,more like five sheet, that I was really proud of. I think I finally realized how vital a one sheet is before going to draft. I used to treat it like a vague synopsis and figure...

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Sandra Isabel Correia

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, I love how deeply personal Finding Elpis is for you turning the fear of success into a creative meditation is such a powerful choice. It’s true that we often focus on the strugg...

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Sandra Isabel Correia

Maria Restivo Glassner, that’s fantastic! I love how you’ve reframed the one sheet as a deep dive into character and story rather than just a vague synopsis. Treating it as a blueprint for the emotion...

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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

Thank you Sandra Isabel Correia, yes, it's also an ode to dreaming big which I've been praised for not being afraid to do, so the adventure is appropriately grand. And arguably the story is only reall...

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Maria Restivo Glassner

Sandra Isabel Correia Thank you so much. Will let you know how it is received.

Liked by Elle Bolan and 10 others

Meriem Bouziani
Thank you very much to everyone.

Hello creatives,

I’ve just finished reading Ashley Smith’s blog, and I want to share my thoughts.

I can’t fully express my gratitude and appreciation for this community.

My sci-fi journey and portfolio expansion began in September 2024 with ChatGPT.

It grew out of curiosity, wonder, and a cascade of que...

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Meriem Bouziani. I've had the same experience. I pitch my ideas to a few trusted people on here sometimes, and it helps me realize things about the ideas and develop them into scripts....

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Meriem Bouziani

I’m still writing it. I’ll share it when it’s ready for script review....

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Meriem Bouziani

No one can truly gauge the reality of their work without reviews and insights from others....

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John Fife

I took some time before I started talking to people about my idea and found once I started telling people about the concept/idea, it was received better than I thought which is a lightning bolt to the...

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Meriem Bouziani

Yes sharing your mind isn’t easy. You must be cautious not to absorb hurtful voices—those that can silence your thinking. As you said, Stage32 makes this safer and sharper. We, the creatives, are fort...

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Liked by Michael David and 6 others

E Langley
It's Thanksgiving ...

Have A Happy Holiday

Maurice Vaughan

Happy Thanksgiving, E Langley!

John Fife

Happy Thanksgiving

Shirley Collier

Thanks for this reminder E. Langley. Frank Capra’s masterpiece, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” is the gift of community. Our fellow creatives are our guardian angels, here to help us grow and succeed, especially after receiving a rejection. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Imola Orbán

I hope everyone has/had a happy Thanksgiving! :) I’m living in Hungary (Europe), so I didn’t celebrate it, but it looks like a beautiful holiday!

Stefano Pavone

Happy Turkey Day.

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