7 Things To Do When Your Script Is Done

 7 Things To Do When Your Script Is Done

Writers think about two things when they’re writing a script: how do I finish and what will happen when my script is done. Both of these questions challenge the writer with uncertainty. We want to write the best script we’ve ever written, and we want to see it produced and seen by audiences. But how to get to both destinations is often not clear.

There are several ways to check if your script is done. Taking extensive feedback, rewriting diligently, listening to others read your script—-we have a number of steps a writer can take to ensure their script is ready to leave their hands and head to readers who help produce it. (If you want to check and see if your script is done, please go here.)

If your script is ready to go out, here’s what to do:

Ownership

When your script is done, register it with the Writer’s Guild of America. Here’s what the WGA has to say about script registration:

“The registration process places preventative measures against plagiarism or unauthorized use of an author’s material. While someone else may have the same storyline or idea in his or her material, your evidence lies in your presentation of your work…

Registering your work creates legal evidence for the material that establishes a date for the material’s existence. The WGAW Registry, as a neutral third party, can testify for that evidence.”

To register your script, go here

What’s It About?

When someone asks you what your script is about, what do you say? If you can pitch your script in one sentence, and they instantly give you a positive reaction, that’s going to be the heart of your log line and your query letter. It might take you longer than a sentence, but you should be able to spark genuine, serious interest in 30 seconds. This might appear to be a very short time, but you’re not trying to pitch your entire story in that time. You’re expressing why your story is outstanding.

It can take some time to boil your script down to one line, but it’s worth the effort, and a writer should know how to talk about their work as well as they have written it.

Home Cooking

Where do you send your script? Writers often first think Hollywood or some big script contest. Check your local options. Writers think a state or city film office writing competition or grant is small potatoes, but these opportunities have less competition and frequently are adjudicated by people with connections to the industry who also have ties to your community. Your script will find a healthy exposure through a regional connection. Trust me, this route has launched many careers.

A List Of Suitors

Now you want to research the marketplace. Managers, agents, producers. First, sign up for IMDbPRO. This site provides contact information for everyone. Next, find folks you think would be interested in what you wrote. What types of writers do they work with? Develop an extensive and complete spreadsheet of people who you want to read your script. The more effort you put into making this list, the better. This is a crossroads where writers will separate themselves from others. Poking around and getting seven names won’t cut it. Like before, research as diligently as you wrote your script.

One Hundred

Write a very short query letter introducing yourself and your script. If you won an award or something, throw that in there. Got a degree? Maybe add that too. Most importantly, it’s your pitch about your script. They have to be able to read it in 15 seconds. Very quickly. Nothing long.

People who say query letters don’t work haven’t written a decent one and/or did not send it out to at least 100 people. Yes, find 100 contacts on IMDbPRO, email them your awesome pitch, and see what happens. If people ask for the script, send it over. Follow up in 2 weeks. Do what they ask. Try again. Find more names. Let inspiration come to you and follow your instincts. Again, most writers will not do this research or email this many people. If you do, and nothing happens, your script might not be ready. Remember, don’t assume they didn’t read your script when you didn’t hear back.

Maybe they did.

Be A Writer

Through this whole process, keep writing, writer. Writing will keep you inspired and loose. Your attitude will remain professional. You won’t care about the results of your emails. Work on the next one to keep your balance. You don’t want to become a full-time networker. You’re a writer. Keep working on your craft and you’ll get the result you want faster than you expected.

You cannot predict your career, but you can choose to write today.

Watch And Learn

Through this whole process, take notes. Watch for what works and what doesn’t. Don’t beat yourself up if you send 20 emails with a typo. It happens. Learn from your experiences. You’ll get better at it with every step you take. Be willing to put yourself out there and expect to experience a variety of emotions. If you fight for your script after your script is done, and you continue to write every day, you’ll feel remarkably proud of yourself no matter how it turns out.

Remember to take breaks and to not take yourself too seriously, and soon you will meet the one person who sees the wonder in what you wrote like you do.

7 Ways To Check If Your Script is Done

You think your script is done? How do writers know when a script is ready for submission? This is a very important question as you might not get a second chance with the right person.

If you want to know when your script is ready to submit to a producer, manager, or writing program—-whatever it may be—-here are 7 ways to check and make sure you’re good to go:

Negotiable Characters

Make a list of all your characters. Consider each one. Are they necessary to the story? If you don’t answer with an emphatic yes to each one on the list, it definitely suggests you might need to cut a character. The only characters you need in your script are the non-negotiable characters. The characters where there is absolutely no way they cannot be in the story.

Once you have your list of non-negotiable characters, consider whether you love them. If you have a resentment toward any characters, they are not completely developed and your script is not done.

You must sympathize with everyone in your story.

Intimate Relationship

How well do you know your script? People advise writers to proofread their work—-that goes without saying. Have you read your entire script in the last 24 hours? When is the last time you read the entire thing? Often times I will read a script and you can tell the writer is not close to their own work. They haven’t read what they wrote! Misspelled words are obvious red flags that the writer hasn’t been reading their script. Beyond that, a writer who continues to read over what they have created discovers new ideas and better expressions of story.

Stay close to your pages.

Actually Rewritten

I’m surprised by how many writers have never retyped their script. I mean actually opened a new file, and copied over your own script. Actually rewritten your script. Many writers work on their scripts within the draft, editing with their cursor, cutting and pasting. But writing is different than deleting with a key. Running your script through your instrument—-every word of the entire script—-allows you to subconsciously reconsider everything you’re committing to the page. Not only should you retype your entire script from scratch, you should do it more than once and however many times it is necessary.

Rewriting means re-writing.

People Give Up

Writers often get notes from others to help them with developing their scripts. If people continue to give you notes, your script isn’t ready for submission. It’s that simple. Yet how many times do writers push ahead and send their script off despite the fact that the people around them and even the writers themselves still have issues with their script? This seems obvious, but instead of ignoring the fact that people still spot issues in your script, consider accepting the feedback until people have nothing to say. It happens. Eventually people do fall in love with scripts, and it’s due to the hard work of the writer.

If you’re still getting notes, that’s a sign.

All Words Locked

You must be committed to every scene, every choice, every line, every word. If you read through your script and sense anything wobbly then you must hold back and continue to seek the best choice for your story. Writers can tell when one part of their script is not as strong as another. If this is the case, the script is not done. This requires self-awareness, patience, and humility. Writers must be able to honestly assess what they have created at all times. If you tell yourself the truth, you will recognize where changes need to be made.

Every word needs to be placed with full confidence.

Out Loud

All scripts should be read out loud before leaving the house for the market. Again, I’m surprised at how many writers have never heard their scripts read out loud by other people. Eventually your dialogue will be read out loud by actors, yes? How will you know if the words will work or not? Table readings allow a writer to see their work from a different perspective, providing a fresh insight into the clarity of the writing, the pacing of the story, and the integrity of the characters.

Table readings are mandatory for proper development.

Your Best All Time

You must believe this is your best script and will exceed everything you’ve ever written. This sentiment should be robust in your approach. Your own evaluation of your script will always be very helpful, and your confidence in your script must be very high. See where you are cutting corners with logic and believe you have a remarkable ending. If you can be honest with yourself and know something is not your best, celebrate your good fortune and go back to work.

What you feel about your work can be a very effective and practical guide to a successful career. Each of the 7 markers expressed here work when a writer can be honest with themselves. If you want to abandon your script because of its problems, you will find the same problems with the next one. If you’re ready to face every challenge that writing an unforgettable script entails, you will prevail. Even better, you will receive the reward of a grateful audience who will never forget your hard work.

8 Things to Avoid Writing on the First Page of Your Script

Have you looked at the first page of your script lately? Page one is the very first thing a reader will see when they open your script, and often times problems exist immediately and set the story back before it even gets started. I’ve opened tens of thousands of scripts and writers would be shocked at what happens over and over on the first page.

Good news is you can fix things right now!

Pictures

How much dialogue do you have on your first page? Visual action is a more efficient way to introduce the reader to your world.

When a reader starts a script, they know nothing and they want to learn. Start your script with descriptions of what the audience will see on the screen. Describe people doing things, not saying things, as this is an effective way of providing them context, backstory, character, and environment——right from the start.

Are there great scripts that open with dialogue? Yes. But learn how to start with motion pictures before you break the rules.

No Pictures

If you’re describing pictures on a wall of a character’s family, their degrees from colleges to show how smart they are, or a television set with a news reporter speaking into a microphone, consider using the actions and words of your characters to deliver backstory and exposition instead.

Pointing a camera at another static picture or broadcast is not cinematic. Do we see this all the time in movies and television shows? Yes. Is it lazy? Absolutely.

If you have descriptions of photos or TV news on page one, you’re unfortunately sending a weak signal to the reader. Is there a different and stronger way to tell your story?

Tattoos

Writers often describe a very specific visual clue on a character’s body, like a tattoo or scar, which we will need to remember later to understand a major plot turn or conflict resolution. Often times this comes almost immediately in a script. This will require an extreme close up shot of someone’s neck or leg. If the audience or reader happens to miss this particular detail, they won’t understand the story.

Do not put all your chips on one insert shot that we have to remember for the entire script. It’s fragile writing. Compel your audience with characters and their choices, not “blink and you miss it” plot construction.

Morning

If you start your script with a character waking up (usually with alarms), this tells us you have no idea how to start your story.

Always begin your script with nobody waking up. Thank you.

Shoes

Writers often introduce a character by describing the shoes or feet of a character walking into the story. How many times do you remember seeing a character’s feet before their face in a movie? How often does this happen in real life? Really almost never.

Check your script for feet and shoe introductions.

Words

Less words always. Start with few words on page one. Give your script air. Leave lots of white space on page one and throughout. When a reader sees blocks of writing on page one, they sense an early draft. Pro scripts always use blank space to engage the mind and heart of the reader.

See how many words you can remove while telling the same story. Take this seriously.

Characters

How many characters appear on page one? If your reader has just started your script, let them digest a very small number of characters. Maybe just one. Scripts that introduce a dozen people on page one overwhelm and confuse.

We are starting an emotional relationship with the people in your story. Give us the space and time to establish a connection in a healthy, organic way. Pace your introductions of the characters in your script and avoid the rush of rolling them out instantly.

Story

Writers are often told to hook an audience in the first five pages, etc. This pushes writers to rush their story into the first few moments of their script. Readers sense an effort to engage and often feel bewildered as to what’s going on. Clarity suffers. Emotion gets trampled by plot.

Exhibit patience on page one. Do not cram a thing. Tell the truth in a measured way and let the reader become interested. If you take your time and respect their intelligence, they will.

***

Fixing the first page is very important—–doing it on every page of your script is another thing. But that’s the horizon for every writer: to have every page compel the reader forward. Compelling scripts have great powers, and can make everything happen. Be patient, diligent, and meticulous in your work and one day your work will completely separate itself from every other script in the pile.

Why Your Script is Hated by One Reader and Loved by Another

It’s a wonderful feeling when someone reads your script and loves it. To receive positive feedback after working so hard is incredibly affirming. When someone loves your script, it’s natural to believe you have succeeded in what you set out to do. And when more than one reader “gets” your script, it’s even more evidence of what you have accomplished.

So what does it mean when a reader doesn’t like your script?  Which reader is right? The reader who loved what you wrote or the one that didn’t?

For over two decades, BlueCat has been providing written feedback to our entrants, and I have been teaching writers for over ten years myself. The common reaction for most writers is to condemn the reader who didn’t connect with the script, and celebrate the reader who did. The reader who likes my script is a genius, and the reader who didn’t is not only not a good reader, but probably didn’t read it at all. We tend to discredit the more critical reader and praise the reader who, um, praises us.

I wrote a movie that was produced and released in theaters. I remember the first reviews I received when it premiered at a major film festival. If I read a positive review, I remember feeling impressed by how good the reviewer was. When someone wrote a review which was not positive, I found myself not liking that critic very much. I actually didn’t think they were very smart. I couldn’t believe they didn’t like my movie when my movie was clearly good, as evidenced by what the other reviews said.

Then I read a review calling my movie a masterpiece, and I thought, wow, I think I might actually agree with what this reviewer believes.

Later, when someone wrote that my movie didn’t have enough story to justify a short, complaining about the emotional intelligence of the story, I could not believe what how dumb the reviewer was. It was my worst review, and I was convinced the person who wrote the review suffered from serious emotional and mental problems.

Then I realized the great reviews and horribles ones were both wrong.

Or both right.

I realized that if I was to take the bad review with a grain of salt, I need to do the same as well with one who called it a masterpiece.

Readers respond to your work through the filter of their own personal, emotional history. Every note you will ever receive is personal. It’s not to be taken as right or wrong, only as a measure of how the reader responded to it through their own heart.

Storytelling is a personal, emotional business and we have to allow for our readers to react the way they do. Readers who like your script are not more qualified than readers who do not understand what you wrote. They have simply connected to what you have created, and that, in and of itself, should be celebrated. They are right in what they say.

But most importantly, the reader who struggles with your script is right as well. We cannot develop our scripts from praise. We grow as writers when a reader has the competence to admit they do not like what they have read. I want to know if someone doesn’t like a character or understand what I have described. If they miss what I wrote, I want to know.

The writer is responsible for the script. Completely responsible. If someone loves your story, claim credit. You gave someone a beautiful experience and that is why we write. If someone does not, even better, for you have been given a lantern for your future as writer, for there are no mistakes in any feedback you receive, only an opportunity for the writer to better reach an audience.

How to Write A Script Without A Plan

Creative writing works when the writing creates. The act of writing to invent character and narrative is the most powerful way to make an original story. So if writing, in and of itself, is a highly effective way to develop a successful script, why are we told to plan what we will write before we ever start actually writing?

Scriptwriters are often advised to make an outline of their script before they start writing. They are encouraged to follow a formula which will ensure their script will be well-received by the marketplace. If a writer has no experience, they are directed to take classes, read books, listen to podcasts, watch videos and hire script consultants to learn how to prepare and write their script.

This advice scares writers and often gives them their first taste of anxiety around the process of writing a script. Writers are told you can’t simply start typing and telling a story inspired by an idea that they love. This damages their faith in their natural ability in storytelling. Suddenly, there is a right way and a wrong way.

There Are No Rules In Writing A Script

Anyone who tells you there’s a certain way to write a script is wrong. There is no one way to do it. Some people tell all new writers to use an outline before they start. Others encourage you to read a book and follow a formula——-you can find several spelled out in books on Amazon. Are they wrong?

No. You can follow their suggestions and will most likely be able to complete a script. Is it your best effort? I don’t think so. Why is that?

A Different Place

Writing a treatment, a beat sheet, an outline—-even stack of notecards—-comes from a different part of your heart and mind. It’s you thinking ahead to what will happen in your story. It’s a projection of how the story will play in the future when you sit down to write it.

When you write a scene, when you describe a character taking an action or express the dialogue between people in your story, you are in the moment of the story. It’s happening to you right at the very time it’s present for your characters. And in this moment, you are living it. You’re there.

When we are in the moment, we are closest to the truth of our story. We are tied to our emotional memory. We are writing directly from our own lives.

When we write from the truth, we become more original. Our stories taken on different paths compared to what we had in our plans. Writing a script takes on a life of its own.

Try working on an outline and then write a scene. You’re still writing words on the page, but it doesn’t feel the same. It comes from a different place in your body.

Writing Is Not Hard—-It’s Hard Work

So you’ve sat down to write a script without a plan and the story goes in all sorts of directions. You create new characters, a lot more than you imagined when you discovered your idea and started to write the script. You’ve come up with so many twists and turns and your script is alive with the unexpected.

But it’s also a mess, because it’s a rough draft, and you’ve launched every idea in your head onto the page in some form or another. You don’t have an ending, you don’t know where it’s going, you’ve written yourself into a corner.

So what. Whatever time you saved by planning the hell out of script has been surpassed by the wonderful elements you found while you were writing your script. Take those wonderful things, sit down with another blank page, and begin to rewrite.

The fastest way to a successful script is taking longer to write it. Don’t shy away from rewriting your script. Don’t fear the labor of writing. You wanted to be a writer. Why micromanage an outline to death to ensure you write as little as possible?

You want to write efficiently and fast? Go ahead and create your story from your plans, and your script will awkwardly contain the story you chose before you ever wrote a word.

But sit down with the white space before you, and discover your script when you write, and the gold you will find will reward you for all the pages it took to get there!

What is a Character Arc?

A character arc, sometimes called a through-line or inner journey, is how a character changes. The arc is the story of the character within the story of your script. A character will hopefully start in one place and end up in another—– a beginning, a middle, and an end.

But why is it important that a character changes? Every writer knows their character needs to have a path where they go through an internal transformation, but why does it matter?

Why is a Character Arc Important to the Audience?

People have been watching stories forever. From sitting around a campfire to streaming shows on their phone, human beings love watching stories about human beings. We are emotionally compelled by watching people face problems.

We see ourselves in the character, and the conflicts they encounter affirm our own challenges. We know we are not alone. Stories give us meaning and context for our lives. Story affirms our values and gives us faith in the world and the people in it.

Every day has a beginning, a middle, and an end. And we are watching our own lives, constantly aware of where we are in our own stories.

We watch ourselves change inside. We see how the world affects us and we adapt. Our heartbreaks mark us. Our mistakes make us smarter. We learn and become better.

So when we watch a character in a story change in the face of their own lives, we’re able to see the importance of our own journey. The knowledge that our own hard-fought transformations have great meaning makes us happier.

Okay. Character arcs gratify audiences. Well, good ones do.

What’s a Good Character Arc?

We want the kind of character arc that emotionally fulfills someone in your audience. That’s your goal. If the audience has an emotional experience, they tell other people and the TV show or movie becomes a commercial success.

Good character arcs are long, contain great challenges, and reveal a considerable change in the characters by the end of the story.

A good character arc starts at the very start of your story and does not wrap up until the very end. The more a character changes, the stronger the impact on the audience, as this reflects their life experience.

Your character has to face problems, and they should be big, plausible, and difficult to solve. So difficult, the audience cannot see how they will ever be solved. These problems are why the character changes. They have to change or they won’t be able to resolve the conflicts they face.

By the end of your script, your character should be transformed by the world they’ve traveled. They have experienced life and the audience will recognize that experience.

What’s the Best Way to Write a Compelling Path for your Character?

The simplest way to write a long, compelling arc for your character is to personally identify with your character. Have you faced the unknown? What problems have you encountered that you had no idea how you were going to solve? Have you seen how you have changed? Understand how your life has changed you. What challenge would scare you? Give your character that challenge. Write without knowing the end. You have lived life that way.

Using your own arc in life is a practical way to organize the story of your character. Everything starts somewhere, and one day, everything is resolved. And sometimes, it’s not, and that’s the story, too. Either way, knowing how a good character arc impacts an audience helps us structure our characters within our scripts. And bringing our lives—–good times and bad—–to the writing process gives us our best chance at original, authentic work.

How to Start Writing Again When You’re Stuck

Every writer hits a wall. Some say if you don’t get stuck writing your script you haven’t worked on it long enough. Akira Kurosawa admitted to feeling despair every time he wrote a script, and every time he wanted to give up.

Writers sometimes believe they’re alone in feeling this way and suspect others aren’t having the same issues. You might think you’re doing something wrong, that if you were more talented you would not be so lost. But the truth is you are not alone.

Creating a story and script is a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual journey. And it is not a trip solved by the use of GPS. It is a task involving every moment we have ever lived, whether we have mastered, processed, and healed from these experiences or not. Our struggles with the transmission of stories can be affected by a multitude of things and they almost never have anything to do with a lack of ability, training, or destiny.

So what are the practical actions one can take to get writing again?

Um, well………

Open your file. Writers often become anxious about their progress when they haven’t recently opened up their script. This sounds a bit silly. But it’s real. If you’re having problems with moving your script forward, you’re likely not opening your file often enough. Examine the frequency in which you actually perform this very crucial step of writing and do it more.

Know What You Wrote

If you’re stuck and can’t write forward, then read what you have. It might be frustrating to read rather than write, but you’re not writing anything, so go back to page one and read your pages. Become closer to what you’ve already written. Don’t proofread, even though you might find an error or two you want to edit. Read to see what you already have. This is an easy trick to get an idea to write a new scene in your story.

The Ride Home

Writing is like driving home in the dark. You only see what your headlights illuminate on the road. The rest is black. I will often become distracted because I cannot see how the entire script will play out. But we can work on the parts of our story we might have some ideas about. Practice working on what’s in front of you and ignoring the question marks that distress us to no end. You’ll cross that bridge when you get there, even if it’s around the bend.

Conscious Intimacy

What does this story mean to you? How you do relate to your characters? Do you see yourself in every aspect of your script? Taking an inventory of how you personally invest in the story will certainly shed new light on where this is all going. We get stuck analyzing plot and characters and forget that our own emotional makeup is at the steering wheel. Check in with how you connect to your work and this will likely shed light on what’s next for your project.

Ask a Stranger for Directions

Find someone who will read your story and then have a chat with them after they have. If you don’t know what’s going on with your script and you’ve become frustrated, have a dialogue about development with someone who has reviewed what you’ve written. This is another option which appears to be obvious, but we often wait for a script to be read only when it’s “done” when a reader would still be helpful with a script that’s stalled.

The Professional Attitude

Consider who you are as a writer. How do you see yourself? What story do you tell yourself about your career? I have found writers often have some crazy ideas about who they are as writers and often these views hurt our production. Reflect on what think you are and challenge it in a practical way. If you wanted to re-light the optimism in another writer because you needed them to successfully complete a script, what would you tell them? How would you change their perspective on their station as an artist? What if that writer is you? How we perceive our performances as writers have a great deal to do with what makes for a gratifying career.

Working on a story until you hate it is not uncommon. If you are baffled by the twists and turns of life, accept the bewilderment of writing an original script. If the world delivers unexpected emotions, embrace the blind spots of piecing together your story. Always use practical actions to find the next few feet of the road ahead and the light will continue to flicker until you finish your script.

And always remember, while writing is extraordinarily difficult, the reward of reaching others with what you have to say is worth fighting for.

What An Audience Really Wants From Your Script

If you’re trying to write a successful script—-a script that gets produced and seen by a large number of viewers—-you obviously want your script to be loved by your audience. So if we want people to watch our work, we need to know why they watch stories in the first place.

Why do people watch television? Why do they go to the movie theatre every weekend? It’s an accepted and unquestioned action taken by audiences around the world, but what is the reason?

If you ask a writer what an audience wants from a story, you’ll probably get a few different answers. What’s surprising is how many writers don’t have a definitive answer to why an audience seeks out the medium of storytelling on a daily basis.

Is Your Script Entertaining?

Most writers would likely tell you an audience wants to be entertained. Okay, sounds like a reasonable answer, but what does that mean?

If you look up the word “entertainment” in the dictionary, you find it means “something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement.”

So your script needs to deliver pleasure, diversion, or amusement. Is that it?

Your Script Needs To Say Something

Some folks would tell you that your script needs to deliver a message. People want to learn about something new. They want to be challenged when they stream a new show, not escape from reality.

Does entertainment always deliver diversion or amusement? Or can it also contain a lesson about the world?

Some audience members don’t want to “think”, while others love it when a movie compels them to open their eyes to a truth about society.

What Audiences Really Want from Your Script

You can go back and forth about what entertainment means or whether your script needs to educate.

But why do people go into a dark room and watch other people act out scenes from our world? Isn’t that a strange idea in and of itself? People pull out their iPads and watch other people live. They watch them fall down and laugh at themselves, they watch them save the world from monsters, they watch them overcome tragedy, they watch them fall in love and live happily ever after.

And they watch all these people act out the action of life over and over and over again. Sometimes it feels like a diversion, sometimes a confrontation, but the behavior is the same—–audiences watch other people live.

The reason is simple: the humans in the audience do not want to feel alone. They need to see people just like themselves face problems and solve them. Even in a comedy or a genre film, we identify our tribe on the screen and we root for them. We root for them because we want to believe in the universal values we share and these values are reaffirmed for us when we watch stories.

Most importantly, we want to know we are not the only ones dealing with conflict. Without stories, we would have no context for our lives. We wouldn’t understand how others face the very same lives that we do. When we see others overcome challenges and prevail we define our own victories and losses and they are given true meaning. Life has weight and special purpose.

We can say we need the readers of our scripts to identify with our characters and sympathize with their predicaments, but when we understand the reason why it’s so important, we’re able to invest our own lives into our stories–our own hard-earned painful truths–into our scripts.

And when we do, the people who read our scripts find what they want every time.