Page One Red Flags

Thanks to the writer who sent this one in. We have the opening page to a 5-page drama, but there are a good few red flags that instantly reveal the writer's inexperience. Why does that matter? Realistically, producers and studios want to invest and work with people who already know the basics, regardless of whether a story is brilliant or not. They don't have the time or money to bring someone up to speed. That's something a writer needs to do on their own. Keep reading at the end to find additional notes on the full script.

That was page 1, but what about the rest? There's a thoughtful exploration of confronting past actions, but is the writer telling too much instead of showing? You decide?

If you’d like Instagram line notes on your script, send it in PDF form to scriptreaderscheatsheet@gmail.com.

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