r/Screenwriting

If you’re a new writer, nobody knows who you are, and you don’t have an agent or manager, what kind of script would you focus on writing to break into the industry?

Would you write something highly commercial and marketable, something smaller but unique that really shows your voice, or simply the best story you can write regardless of budget or genre?

For those who actually got representation from a spec script, what do you think made that script stand out and get you through the door?

What's the proper format for writing something like this:

"ZACH

Make no mistake, people

(sotto voce, side-eyeing the Mary)

especially those bleeding hearts

(Normal volume)

will eventually betray you"

It feels odd as is.

I prefer writing in prose but I have always wanted to break into TV or theatre writing. I’ve attempted a few short playscripts since those always seem to be looser in format than TV and film scripts, it’s also harder to know where to start. With books you can at least contact agents but most explicitly don’t accept scripts.

I keep hearing about spec scripts but I’m never quite sure what they’re for. I try and read about them but it never seems to click for me. Are people really going to want a script of a show you’re not even part of? Isn’t it fanfiction? No disrespect to fanfics but I wouldn’t put one on my portfolio. And where are you meant to send them when pretty much every script submission I see is for originals.

I guess my general questions are: Is it worth having one? How are you supposed to write a spec script? What shows are the best to do one for? And when exactly are you supposed to use them?

Hello people, I am sure that as a screenwriter, you've probably been here before. I'm in the middle of making a film and of course that project matters. But the problem is that in the past I invested EVERY ounce of my being into creating a series - and many have said that this was my best work to date.

I put a lot in here, wrote a few episodes, outlined the first 2 seasons and well, I had to put it aside for a little while because you know, the usual catch-22/rock and a hard place issue.

A friend of mine sort of got on me about not making the mistake of neglecting 'that series' and so I started sending queries recently because a manager is 1000% called for.

Anyway, yes, I am doing what I must regarding the film project but it's like 92% of my head went back to the world of the series and it WANTS TO STAY THERE.

I don't think that people/writers talk about this enough - that sometimes your creativity has a will of its own.

So, if you've been in this spot, did a partial surrender work so you could be a few places at once?

Hey, I'm working on this screenplay and am struggling to make all the parts work together. If anyone wants to take a look and give some suggestions that would be greatly appreciated. I'm usually the one doing post production so this is new to me lol. This outline has all the parts layed out but not put together yet. The main thing I am struggling with is transitioning into the final act, and how to have the alien sequence play out in a way that's not repetitive, and also ties together with the rest of the film.

Also fwi this is not the correct format for anything and I some stuff might not make sense but lmk if you have questions.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/192txoEVuw\_HCQMdJanq22fIi\_qSyDJGRAJ2MH1cbFQk/edit?usp=drivesdk

I write predominantly in prose and am not really a planner, and I find that easier to just write and get the work done (I also find that I can measure prodictivity easier with word counts).

When I write scripts, I struggle to freely write; it's always more stop-start, I can never find a rhythm, and it feels more suited to writing planned work.

To all you actual screenwriters, is this a common issue? Do you write freely/easily in script format? Do you ever use prose for any reason?

Thanks!

Title: Everything Must Go

Format: Feature Film

Page Length: 84 pages

Genre: Horror/Comedy

Logline: On the last day before a meteor ends all life on Earth, a young couple spends the day at a dinner party where they don’t know what or who could be on the menu.

Feedback concerns:

-How does the tone read throughout? I’m not sure if I’m striking the balance I want between the comedy and horror

-Are the stakes high enough? This ties into the tone question, but I worry if the comedic elements distract from the tension that could or should be in some of the scenes, even if they are intended to be comedic. Particularly pages 31-38. This scene is meant to be comedic but is also a big turning point in the plot.

-pages 20-28: this scene feels long and wordy and I’m not sure if it reads, would love feedback here.

-do the characters’ motivations read? Is the protagonist clear? Does it feel like their arc is clear?

-is the ending working? The pacing of the final act (pages 67-end) I feel like seems almost too fast, but also maybe not high enough stakes? I’m not sure.

Many thanks to anyone who takes time to provide feedback, it means a lot to me. Here’s the link to the script:

FULL PDF SCRIPT

I was watching a film, and it had a "call to adventure" plotpoint which the hero initially turns down. And that's fine. But it was something that the audience wouldn't turn down.

I feel like when the hero initially turns down the call to adventure, it should be an offer that the average audience member would also turn down.

Bonus points for when the hero finally accepts it, the audience still wouldn't but the hero does bc of some value they have that we'll later learn about.

Thoughts?

Hello all! I’m looking for some honest feedback on my horror screenplay called The Pot of Plenty.

It follows two sisters who discover an antique pot that grants requests in exchange for things they cherish. As their lives improve, the sacrifices become increasingly personal and neither sister agrees on when to stop.

It’s a dark fairy tale about addiction, dissatisfaction, and the messy line between loving someone and enabling them.

What I’d especially love to know:

Does the relationship between the sisters feel believable?

Does the dread build, or are there stretches where it loses momentum?

Are the pot’s rules clear?

Does the ending feel earned?

But feedback on any portion would be appreciated. If something feels confusing, repetitive, or just doesn’t work, I want to hear it.

The Pot of Plenty

Thanks in advance! Love you!

The award-winning no-pressure totally-free writers and other industry people meetup continues into Fall with an all-new IRL meetup! 

Our next meetup is on the books for this Wednesday, October 7! Reminder, this event is open to anyone, so please feel free to forward this to any interested writers, actors, producers, or just beer enthusiasts. Introverts welcome!

Add to Calendar
Wednesday, October 7, 2026

6:00pm-10:00pm

Santa Monica Brew Works

1920 Colorado Ave.

Santa Monica, CA 90404

I am a writer and animator. At 22 I graduated with a masters in screenwriting, did a writing fellowship and sold a show. From there it was a few years of freelancing, script coordinating and assistant work until I finally landed my first staff writing job. I did that for about 2 years and then with the studio mergers etc, my show was cancelled and I was one of 600 people laid off.

I am now almost 30 and since then I’ve been writing personal projects and working retail. I don’t want this to come across as complaining or ungrateful but it feels impossible anymore. So many of my contacts, friends, collaborators and coworkers have left the business. Even with my credits I have never managed to get an agent or manager. A lot of fellowships I no longer qualify for.

What is a realistic move for me or for others in this position? Are there any?

I mostly just want to know if other people feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When did you know it was time to pack it up? What is the thing that keeps you going? What have you pivoted to? Is there hope for kind of mid-career writers anymore? I appreciate any advice or insight.

Title: Furniture

Format: Feature

Page Length: 91 pages

Genres: Comedy/Dark Comedy

Logline: Two rival furniture-store owners in a dying plaza spiral into a war of sabotage and obsession when an aspiring documentarian fans the flames of their feud for the sake of her film.

Feedback Concerns: Right now my biggest concern is that the ideas/themes/arcs in my film are only obvious to me because I wrote it. I need to make sure certain aspects are crystal clear. If you read, please answer these questions in your reply.

What do you think Donnie wants?

What do you think Karl is afraid of?

Why do you think April keeps filming?

At what point did April stop being an observer and start actively influencing them?

Why do you think Donnie chooses to burn the store?

Why do you think Karl lets him?

What do you think changed between Donnie and Karl by the end?

Why does April turn the camera off?

Why doesn't she delete the footage?

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p7f2W13jhdxUhicn2qS_Rp58Z30sVbzW/view?usp=sharing

so i've finished my first draft a couple weeks back. had a deadline to hit and it took months to reach it. a lot of that time spent toiling, avoiding and, well you know. anyway, i finished. it's my first feature draft. but i submitted it to two fellowships, sent it to my managers and a script consultant i had one last session with.

after finishing and delivering that script i was on a high for about a week to week and a half... until it was time to get notes. and of course i was completely gutted and deflated after hearing the notes from my managers and consultant.

the most brutal part, we know, it's a first draft, it's not going to be "good" but nobody ever cared to bring up the structure, the formal decisions, the specificity of scene progressions etc. that felt like a betrayal from them, though i know a lot of it is likely them not being able to see the decisions i spent weeks figuring out because the other things, the more important things, like relationship, character specificity, exposition, were blocking them from seeing it the way i see it from the inside.

lastly, they don't understand my references. my taste definitely leans more arthouse and i guess niche directors. Chantal Akerman's THE MEETINGS OF ANNA, Tsai Ming-liang's VIVE L'AMORE, Angela Shcenelec's MARSEILLE and so on.

At the end of the day, the script is not good. not yet, how could it. first draft. but! i wanted to dive deeper on the structure and form, wanting to know if those things are working... or not. anyway, i am ranting.

what i want to know: anyone into these aforementioned films and wonder how their stories function? anyone write in these styles of films? anyone interested in discussing what my film contains now and where i hope to take it? i would love to connect with you.

Has anyone had an actor or their representatives ask whether you’d be open to feedback or changes while they were reading your screenplay? If so, what happened next in your experience?

Hello, I am a student at college and I have the opportunity to have a short 1:1 meeting with a producer of SAW, and I was wondering what are some things I could ask as a starting writer/director?

I’m writing out a thorough treatment for a feature I’m writing.

Do you:

A: Write it out in “casual” prose, similar to how a movie’s synopsis looks on Wikipedia?

B: Structure it by individual scenes, no matter how small? So you’d end up with 40-50 small scene descriptions, in order.

If B, do you always include scene headings for every scene (INT., EXT., etc)

Also do you break up the structure with any other headings like Act breaks, heroes journey steps, or titles of any sort?

Hey folks. We're doing A Thing: r/screenwritingclubs

Right now screenwriting clubs and groups are not that easy to find or advertise. The main reason for that is there's not a lot of systemization we can do here without adding a lot of extra bulk into a pretty tight framework. Reddit is still not ideal for creating a systematized listing, but we can do things like create keyword searches so that people can look for things like genre, format type, etc. We'll consult more on this with other mods who've done more of this optimization.

Right now, this is a beta, because like all things, it needs some testing. But, the requirements to join are pretty low: have an account that's at least ten days old (or you won't be able to post), and no major conduct strikes here -- ie: if we've had to ban you for being a jerk to another user.

It's currently invite only, but anyone who fits these requirements can join.

Eventually we'll start using post-guidance tools and automod to encourage people posting here about starting, finding or promoting a club to go over to r/screenwritingclubs.

We will also be setting up supports for more in-person meets and events in local areas, because we know one of The Biggest Challenges is finding screenwriters in your area without resorting to the extremely terrible wilds of facebook and meetup. Hopefully we can set up ways to help folks get more person-to-person connections.

If you are interested: head over to r/screenwritingclubs and hit the Request to Post. It'll take a little time, but we will get around to approving users.

I am especially encouraging people who already have active clubs, groups, discords etc to apply. The more active clubs we can get going on here, the more we can prove the concept. Hopefully it'll be a helpful support to this community.

Just finished my second draft of this script for my Directing Class. I appreciate all the feedback I got from you guys last time. My professor and classmates gave me some notes regarding the ending and some of the dialogue, so I tried my best to address and would appreciate any and all feedback on the current version of the script.

Title: The Group Chat

Format: Short Film

Page Length: 8 pgs.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Logline: A young man spirals after discovering his friends have a secret group chat without him.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18B17uc08lh-4X-nhUZpN1FM-QfQ5NlP8/view?usp=drivesdk

Feedback concerns: Does the tone feel consistent? Does the story/dialogue flow well and make sense? Is it structured well?

Thanks!

TELEPATHS: Three runaways find a telepathic connection during a city-wide catastrophe

I'm seeking feedback on my latest screenplay. This story was co-written with my best friend over the past few years. It's R-Rated (content/language warning) and begins during the 1990s in Downtown Cleveland. But it's also an emotional road movie/adventure with a similar feel to the following shows & movies, so please contact me if any of these speak to you:

Clannad

Planes Trains & Automobiles

Stand By Me

Angel Beats

Cowboy Bebop

Pulp Fiction

The Whale

Aftersun

Easy Rider

--------------------------

Beyond formatting and proofreading, I'm also curious how the story connected with you as a reader, your first impressions on it and how you would see it as an audience member.

DM if interested. Thank you!