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 Maurice Vaughan

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh
Puns

Does anyone else love going absolutely wild with puns in their stories? Whether visual or spoken, puns are lots of fun, especially when everyone groans. Especially when you can do it in other languages.

What are your favourite puns that you've used? One of my absolute favourites is my character Ito S...

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Maurice Vaughan

I like that pun, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. I like puns, but I don't think I've used any in my stories. Thanks for the idea.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

You're welcome, Maurice Vaughan, and thank you :D I also like anagrams but I'm hilariously bad at them (I didn't even clue in that "Neo" is an anagram of "One" until it was pointed out to me lol, that...

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Maurice Vaughan

I didn't know "Neo" is an anagram of "One," Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. I want to try using an anagram now. Maybe in a Mystery script.

Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Meriem Bouziani
Pitching question.

Hello Stage 32 community,

I hope you’re having a great weekend.

I have a question for you:

When you pitch a project and the executive invites you to lead the conversation, how do you open effectively—without oversharing, losing focus, or consuming too much of the allotted time?

I’ve been reflecting on...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Meriem Bouziani. Hope you’re having a great weekend too. I haven't pitched to an executive live yet, but Stage 32 has a verbal TV pitch beat sheet and a verbal feature pitch beat sheet. You can ge...

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Meriem Bouziani

Thank you very much for your help.

Yes, the Writers’ Room feels like the best space to practice pitching. I’ll definitely join it Maurice Vaughan...

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Meriem Bouziani. Great. There's a lot to do in the Writers' Room. I hope those pitch resources help!

Bill Albert

If I'm doing a phone pitch I have my script ready to go. I'll rehearse it several times to make sure it's not to long and that helps me make sure I reach all the things I want to tell them.

Always fin...

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Meriem Bouziani

Thank you very much for your help.

I wish you the best of luck as well Bill Albert

Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Tatiana McClintock
Writers Room

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I am new to Stage 32 and noticed how many submission emails I receive and they are all are paid. But Writers Forum seems with the monthly fees are still a better deal to reach agents, producers, directors? I am not sure if those submissions anyone is looking at, and if...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Tatiana McClintock. Happy Thanksgiving! I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know that I moved your post from the Acting Lounge to the Screenwriting Lounge since it's about the Wri...

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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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Michael Thorn

I know this is a little off-topic, but ep. 5 of All Her Fault, which I saw last night, is an example of how a screenwriter can use the midpoint of a series to really confine the action and concentrate...

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Salisu Abdullahi

"Hi Michael,

That's a fantastic, insightful point! I haven't seen All Her Fault yet, but your comment on using the midpoint of a series to confine the action and concentrate on character dynamics is br...

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Liked by Maurice Vaughan

David Miller
Agent/Representation

I now have a portfolio of seven completed screenplays and two pilots, all have received positive feedback and several awards. I'm looking for representation and have plans to start soliciting next week, but thought I'd ask here first for any agents looking for new clients. I have a refined portfolio I can send if interested.

Maurice Vaughan

Congratulations on getting positive feedback and several awards, David Miller! Reach out to the Success Team at success@stage32.com. Geoff and his team can help you connect with reps....

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Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Julie Lamont
What do you look for in a writing partner?

curious what others look for when trying to find a writing partner?

I come from a family of writers, but none that write teleplays or screenplays. (well technically one does write screenplays but not in any genre I write in). which means I haven’t collaborated on writing a script since my teens when...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Julie Lamont. I look for a writing partner who has the same vision for the project and someone who'll be professional and respectful.

You could make a collaboration post on the Job Board (www.stage...

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Liked by Julie Lamont and 31 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

Emilia Maria Agents are different internationally than in Hollywood. Here, traditionally you will find a manager first, then an agent once the money starts rolling in. The exception is if you have a f...

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Jon Hersh

Julie Lamont Depends on the reboot, but most often the studios will have OWA (open writing assignments) for reboots and will go out to a handful of writers with big credits or who they're fans of....

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Emilia Maria

Jon Hersh Well, I'm hoping for the latter, hah! Thanks so much, it's definitely more difficult here for any sort of representation. But will keep my eyes peeled, thanks again....

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Julie Lamont

Jon Hersh thanks for the reply about reboots. I was more interested though about what if a writer has the script and pitch for a reboot the relevant network hasn’t considered yet?...

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Colin Eckstrand

Suggestions in finding a manager to represent my feature film or series screenplay will be much appreciated. Just starting on this path. Thanks!

Liked by Daniel Stuelpnagel and 13 others

Elle Bolan
Tell me your favorite...

What is your favorite part of the story? What's your least favorite?

For me, the first act is a chore. If I could skip writing the first act, I would. I feel like it should just materialize on the page and save me the trouble. (I'm joking. Not really, but really)

Second act is my top pick. I love wat...

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Marie Hatten

As a viewer I actually love the opening image, becoming totally immersed in that world, as a writer I don't know yet. It's all equally daunting tbh.

Jim Cushinery

I love all of it.

Meriem Bouziani

I think I love them all.

Each part carries a different emotional timbre.

Even though I’m still writing the script, I can already feel the distinct emotions of every section as I develop the narrative architecture.

DJ Gautam

In my case, first act is what they wanna do in their daily lives. and later i give them surprises and twist and turns like.

Another thing is that whole story is in your head entirely, but i become paralyzed when i thought what they will do in their daily chores.

Daniel Stuelpnagel

Elle Bolan when McKee said that Act I is Inspiration, Act II is Craft and Act III is Philosophy, well I concur with that and I see Act I as kind of being the most fun, I can pretty much posit whatever...

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Liked by Meriem Bouziani and one other

Geoffroy Faugerolas
The studio pitchfest is starting now!

No rest for the wicked. The show must go on. Art first!

The Studio Pitchfest is starting now! More than 20 executives are hearing and reading pitches over the next two days. Who's pitching and who are you pitching? Would love to know what your prep strategy is. Share with everyone and let's meet up...

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Liked by Fares Moha and 17 others

Maurice Vaughan
Mixed Genres

Mixed vegetables are great (and delicious), but a movie/show with different genres is better! My favorite genre mix is Horror Action. What’s your favorite genre mix to write?

And feel free to post a tip for writing a genre mix script.

Tip for writing a Horror Action script: don’t get so caught up in w...

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Maurice Vaughan

Sometimes it's better to take a lot of time on a project, Meriem Bouziani. Something I do when I keep thinking of ideas is save them in a file to work on later, and sometimes I make a short outline fo...

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Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, Ehsan Rahimpour. Shutter Island and Bourne Identity are incredible! I still need to see Collateral.

Meriem Bouziani

Yes, exactly — that’s what I do as well.

I am focusing on The Silent PFC War, while also taking notes on every new idea that comes my way.

And I also develop titles for them.

Titles are the anchors I...

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Jim Boston

Maurice, I've got a comedy-Western ("Kitten on the Keys") and an action-crime-comedy ("Got Any More Bullets, Sister?")...but I'm more likely to (and I like to) mix comedy with drama.

Maurice Vaughan

I like the Comedy Western mix, Jim Boston. I haven't heard about a lot of them.

Liked by Jim Boston and one other

Europe

Hello friends! Hope you’re doing great.

I’m based in Belgium, and I wrote a full season of my series—not just a pilot—because the story came to me naturally from the start. The project is deeply rooted in an American world, in both setting and tone, and in the specific voice I want to bring to it.

So...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hope the pitching goes great, Fares Moha! You could pitch your script to executives, managers, etc. through Stage 32's Pitch Sessions (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/pitch-sessions). The Pitch Session...

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Fares Moha

thank's maurice ;)

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Fares Moha. I'm a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. If you ever have any questions about Stage 32, let me or another Lounge Moderator know. We have badges on our pictures. Or you could email...

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Fares Moha

thank you very much for your message and for your help.

No worries on my end regarding my name: my name is Fares, so everything is in order. Thanks as well for the information about connection requests...

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Fares Moha. I suggest adding your last name. Have a great day too! I hope you find success on here!

Liked by Jim Boston and one other

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 Moha. I rewrite as I work on the first draft, but the first draft is mainly about getting the draft done.

Fares Moha

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.

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