Screenwriting

I would network/build relationships with the IP owners, Julie Lamont. It might lead to them listening to your pitch and reading your script. And check out The Stunt List (www.officialstuntlist.com/submit-2025).

You're welcome, Adam Spencer. Thanks. I appreciate it. And I understand about not wanting to spoil it. I just turned my Crime Drama short script into a Sci-Fi Mystery Thriller short script today, and I'm holding back on a twist in it.

Juliana Philippi, deep calls to deep. If this story resonates with you, it is because you already carry the seed of it in your own marrow. You are part of the weave now. Thank you for being a witness to the flame. #mythmothertongue

Pink Matzke. For me, the vision I’ve been given only truly enriches my life when I don’t hide it—when I don’t tuck that light “under a bushel” or under a basket somewhere. Whenever I try to conceal it, the same light that was meant to illuminate starts turning inward… and that’s when it pierces the soul.

Meriem Bouziani , that is beautifully put!

Vision really does live in that strange paradox you’re describing—both blessing and burden, both gift and detriment. I try to carry it with humility for two reasons. First, a lot of the time vision is simply given; it’s not something you earn or work your way into. Some people have it, some don’t, and it can feel almost unfair to take credit for it. Second, I know personally what it has cost me—relationships, opportunities, whole seasons of life—to see the world this way. From the outside it can sound poetic, but trust me, it’s not always beautiful. Still, I wouldn’t trade it. That way of seeing is also what makes stories like ours possible.

Yes — it’s not easy at all. It costs a lot. But it’s worth it Adam Spencer

Elle Bolan a deal has been made!! :) awesome!

Eddie Lawhorn that's fantastic - looking forward to you sharing them through your project!

Thank you very much for your words — that truly means a lot Sebastian Tudores

And yes, The Silent PFC War and The De-Evolution Game are completely separate projects.

The Silent PFC War is a psychological sci-fi thriller built on neuroscience and global collapse,

while The De-Evolution Game is a multiverse, time-paradox epic driven by a sentient AI.

They both explore humanity in extreme situations, but each world has its own tone, logic, and philosophy.

I’m really enjoying the process of developing them — it's chaotic, but in the best way.

that's super Meriem Bouziani - creative projects that not only entertain but create a reflexive need for reflection are my favorites. keep rockin' it! :)

Thank you very much for your encouragement Sebastian Tudores

Well put.

Hi, Ehsan Rahimpour. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Authoring & Playwriting Lounge to the Screenwriting Lounge since it fits better here. Let me know if you have any questions.

I put a lot of thought into the Inciting Incident. I always know it before starting a script. I usually put the Inciting Incident in my logline too.

Hi, Maurice Vaughan,

oh, thanks for your careful correction.

You're welcome, Ehsan Rahimpour. And it's the last week of Stage 32's November Write Club. It can help you reach a goal, it's a chance to connect with writers, directors, producers, etc., and you can get support for your goal and projects. There's three prizes this week and a grand prize drawing at the end of the month! Week 4's blog came out Monday. www.stage32.com/blog/november-write-club-week-4-the-art-of-the-pitch-wha...

It depends on the character, but for all important characters, protagonists and supports, it's good to think of a daily routine to get into their headspace. But you won't necessarily include too much of in the script. But then those notes will be great for any pre-production work as others get into the character's headspace beyond the page.

I've learned secrets are big in scripts, Abram Christian. Sometimes I don't use the secrets and other things like hobbies in a script, but they're there in the outline in case I want to use them later.

Maurice Vaughan That’s a great strategy in case you want to use them as the script develops.

Thanks, Abram Christian. And I could always use them for other scripts.

If it serves the purpose of the story and character.

Sounds like an awesome premise. Best wishes with it!

Great to meet you, Davide Ludovisi. Congratulations on getting the script request! I can see the story working as a fiction TV series. I'd watch it!

Here's some free TV writing webinars: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Stage-32-and-Netflix-Partnered-Up-o...

Stage 32 has a TV written pitch example and a verbal TV pitch beat sheet. You can get them by emailing success@stage32.com.

Stage 32 has a free webinar called "How to Write a 2 Page Pitch for Your Television Series" (www.stage32.com/education/products/free-stage-32-webinar-how-to-write-at...).

Stage 32 also has a free pitch webinar: www.stage32.com/education/products/pitching-tips-from-the-pros-your-blue...

I'm rooting for you to reach your November Write Club goal!

That's awesome! Thanks Maurice

You're welcome, Davide Ludovisi. Stage 32 has feedback services too (www.stage32.com/scriptservices).

And you could post your script on your profile. Producers search profiles for projects. That and networking are how I sold four short scripts to a producer. Click the gear symbol in the top right-hand corner and select “Edit profile” in the drop-down menu. Scroll down to “Loglines” and click “Add/edit loglines” to the right of “Loglines.” You can also post your script on your profile this way: www.stage32.com/loglines (near the top where it says “Add a Logline”)

Decide Ludovisi-That was Ashley Rene Smith's in OPEN HOUSE -response live yesterday, about being attentive here on the platform, interacting, writing. It didn't work out yesterday, maybe today, but tomorrow someone will show up to schedule a meeting and talk about your project. By the way, yesterday's questions and answers were very good. Congratulation

I've created one on Canva. They have plenty of templates. You can make a slideshow of it and/or a video. The pay-to-play Pro version is often offered for a 30-day free trial, but it's not necessary to create a slideshor or video. Good luck

Lindsey M Grant thank you!

Hi, Warren Edward Foster. I could email you a Canva pitch deck template and a Microsoft series bible template a little later today, but they're for a kids' show. I have movie pitch deck templates and treatment templates for other genres though.

Stage 32 has a webinar called "How to Create a TV Series Pitch Deck for Streaming Networks - with Example Pitch Decks & Guideline Sheet." www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-create-a-tv-series-pitch-deck-...

Here's a webinar on writing a TV series bible: www.stage32.com/webinars/How-To-Write-a-TV-Series-Bible

And here's a blog called "TV Series Bibles That Every Television Writer Should Download & Read!": www.stage32.com/blog/tv-series-bibles-that-every-television-writer-shoul...

I am applying for funding from the State for a project I am developing here in Germany and one of the requirements was the Pitch Deck, I could only find examples from the 60's online or Spongebob, so I just went out and did it my way - here is my Treatment, which also became the foundation of my pitch.

https://www.stage32.com/sites/stage32.com/files/assets/screenplay/135299...

Hi, I’m not sure how ‘professional’ it is, but I do have a 12-page pitch deck prepared — the structure and key points are definitely solid, and I’m happy to share it if needed.

Here's my recommendations for good writing. A lot of these shows go under the radar because they are a little too heavy for the average viewer:

Patriot

Outer Range

Deadloch

Swarm

Fleabag

Homecoming

Undone

Second Patriot 100% and Black Sails is awesome. Would add some more gems in: Banshee, Loudermilk, Lodge 49, Devs, Zero Zero Zero and The Deuce

Red Dwarf

Blake's 7

Galaxy Express 999

Queen Millennia

Space Pirate Captain Harlock

Space Battleship Yamato

Fallout, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Yellowjackets, and The Last of Us to name a few, Zarya Rowland Bintz.

good to know

I hear so many conflicting views on whether you should use transitions if you're writing the script, I respect that they're up to the director primarily. I'm now of the mind that I'll use FADE IN/FADE OUT if it's traditional to do so even in a spec script, and other transitions I'll hold off on unless I feel it's important (for BoFS, for example, I couldn't not use SMASH CUT TO/BACK TO for certain scenes because I figured it might not be clear what my intentions were without them, since the scenes are connected and the juxtaposition is crucial).

“Cut to” is not necessary because it is understood. For all other transitions, put in when you feel it is important for storytelling purposes. Don’t overthink it.

I believe CJ was indicating that slug lines and transitions are two different things.

Mike's spot on. Don't overthink it.

If you go on the likes of Reddit and Facebook, you'll see people saying you should never use a single transition - that it looks amateurish, that it makes you look like you're trying to be the director, and that you'll anger and offend the director. It's amateurs coming out with this nonsense. They'll be upvoted by other amateurs who want to believe the same.

SMASH CUT is a great example of a transition that screenwriters can use to convey impact, pace, and comic effect. FADE TO BLACK can be another.

Using transitions for every scene does look amateurish, but that's an extreme.

Absolutely nobody in the world that matters cares if you do or don't use FADE IN and FADE OUT.

No director worth their salt is getting their fee fees hurt by one too many transitions. That goes for formatting in general. If there's a good story there, they are going to take it and do what they feel is right with it.

Same goes for producers. They are digging for content.

A lot of this paranoia and subsequent dogma comes from obsessing over readers, and the lowest tier readers (competition readers, low-rent consultants, assistants, etc) are the ones that will come into communities and give away just how judgemental and superficial they are. They have got nothing better to obsess over. The crap they come out with is unbelievable and there's good reason why their entire careers are getting paid $5ph off Craigslist gigs (if they're lucky). They are the ones telling people your bold slug lines matter, that using "we see" is a criminal offence, and that more than four lines of dialogue makes your script unproduceable. They have nothing to do with the industry and next to zero insight.

I use transitions like "FADE TO BLACK" or "DISSOLVE TO" to signal a larger than expected time skip which is pretty much standard from what I've seen and read. Other than that "CUT TO" is understood to before each new slugline.

Thanks for doing this, Jon. This really means a lot to many of us. My question is-- if you're a new screenwriter- what kind of scripts should you have in your portfolio? Is there anything in particular that helps not just screenwriters, but managers/agents/Dev Execs to help see how your scripts can work for them?

Hi Jon, thanks for doing this AMA .What qualities in a new writer’s voice make you feel they’re worth taking a risk on, even without credits?

Hello Jon. What does it take for a manager/agent to take notice? Film festival wins, contest placements, numerous scripts…seems like it’s a game of who you know. Thank you.

What's the best way to make contact with a specific producer a person has in mind when you're sure they'd be interested in your project but you don't have representation?

Hi Jon!As a new writer with an emotionally intense romantic drama trilogy (similar in tone to Culpa Mía), what is the best first step to get a manager’s attention, and why do strong positive reactions often still lead to passes — and if a major company currently has my script, should I still query others or wait?

how can i submit it for free