I’m admittingly a structure nerd. Whether I’m reading for a potential client or to give notes, I like to see that a writer is aware of, and using, correct structure in their scripts. Structure doesn’t just help with the pacing of the piece, it’s also the way you will receive notes from producers, studios, networks, etc. No matter what genre you write in, learning how a movie or episode of TV is laid out will help you become a better writer.
Is your hourlong pilot 3 acts? Uh oh. Is the first act of your feature 45 pages? Yikes! Does your pilot have no B story? Why do you hate me? Does the big midpoint moment of your feature happen ¾ of the way through? Sigh. There are a lot of things to think about when laying out a great piece of material, and I suggest you learn about all of those things.
Some people have asked me which books are good to read to learn about all of this, and honestly, I have no idea. I learned it by reading thousands of scripts, and then watching hours upon hours of movies and TV. I’m sure you can get all of this from a book, but you should also be reading professionally written scripts, and understanding how those are constructed. Again, structure nerd over here, but for a good reason.
Happy to answer any questions.
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quick question. how do you usually get clients? from competitions or somewhere else?
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Muhit Bhuiyan I've never gotten a client from a competition. Here's an earlier post that should answer your question: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/What-A-Manager-Looks-for-in...
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Spencer Robinson oh ok great!
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Spencer is spot on about structure. All the film and TV writers I've encountered all said the same thing when I asked them, "What's the most important thing in writing that a writer should know?" They all said, "Structure!"
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Spencer Robinson - This is one of those posts that makes writers simultaneously nod in agreement and slowly open their laptop to check page counts.
I love the point about learning structure from reading real scripts. That’s something newer writers underestimate. Seeing how professionals actually pace reveals a lot of things books don’t explain well.
Quick question: when you read something structurally solid from a newer writer, does that immediately raise your confidence in them as a potential client? Or do you still weigh voice and concept heavier than structure early on?
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Hey Spencer Robinson - what's the one screenplay that lives rent free in your head as having the ideal, if not perfect structure? Would be curious to check it out and read!
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Charlie Solomon It's all of the above
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Pat Alexander The pilot scripts for MAD MEN, FRIENDS, and THIS IS US are things I refer to a lot.
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Nice, I've actually never read any of those. Will add them to my reading list. Thank you!
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Hello,
I hope you’re having a great day.
What helps in developing a strong puzzle-box structure for a sci-fi story?
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I agree. Structure is initially seen as constraint, but eventually (those who go far enough) it becomes focus. The script for Lord of War is 91 pages while telling, essentially, the better part of a wild life story. Focused AF on its core ideas. Good read. Recommended.
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Couldn't agree more. Structure is the foundation of a good script. And too often I realize during writing my structure is getting out of hand and I know I have to rearrange it.
'Kill your darlings' isn't always just at the level of dialogues or action prose.
One publication I liked, was 'Dramatic Story Structure; A Primer for Screenwriters'' By Edward J. Fink.
Do you ever improve your story structure in a late stage of writing?
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Spencer Robinson Great point. Structure really is the backbone of a script, and understanding it makes a huge difference in pacing and clarity. I also agree that reading professionally written scripts and studying produced films or series is one of the best ways to learn how structure actually works in practice. It’s interesting how once you start noticing act breaks, midpoint shifts, and character arcs, you begin to see how carefully everything is designed. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
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Frank Meijden I’m a manager, not a writer
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For any writers that do want to geek-up on structure, I always recommend John York's book - Into the Woods! x
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Spencer Robinson Sorry, I'm aware of that. Wrong question, what I meant: would you recommend writers to build up a structure in detail before writing the scenes throughout?
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Hi Frank Meijden, jumping in as I'm online (UK time!).
In most writers’ rooms I’ve worked in, we beat out the structure first, scene by scene for the pilot and then episode by episode. If someone is writing a pilot, I’d generally recommend mapping out the whole episode before drafting.
The beats don’t need to be super detailed, they can be broad (e.g. “X character meets Y character” or “X and Y fall out over Z”). The goal is simply to know the key events and the order they happen in before writing scenes.
Of course, every writer’s process is different. Some people can draft from a blank page and instinctively land on good structure. But if that approach isn’t working, building the structure first can really help... Interested to hear your take, Spencer! x
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William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Princess Bride, All the President's Men, Marathon Man) used to say: "Screenplays are structure."
Tash Smurthwaite Frank Meijden I always suggest starting with an outline. Different writers do this in different levels of detail, and a beat sheet is great if that's something a client wants to do. At the very least, a detailed outline helps catch potential issues early.
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It's true, Spence (I can call you Spence, right?) Whenever I leave a movie theater, the first thing I talk about is the movie's structure. If the movie doesn't evenly distribute the acts or if I'm not seeing an inciting incident within the first fifteen minutes -- then forget it!, ON the other hand, I rarely care about dialogue or the characters. How about everyone else?