Screenwriting

I'm enrolled in the class, but my MAC OS won't let me fill out the questionaire that came with the confirmation. I can give some info here: My name is Lynn Garthwaite, from Bloomington, MN. I've taken many Stage 32 classes, mostly on specifics of writing scenes, and some on the business of being a screenwriter.

I have one project, a mystery/thriller, that is currently being shopped by a producer, but I have several other completed screenplays, plus an idea for adapting a series of children's mystery books I wrote into an animated series.

I'm hoping to learn how to pitch that series, and what materials (i.e. a pilot script) would be expected from me. I am the published author of 11 books, but several years ago turned to screenwriting as my passion.

Favorite film/tv show? I'm a big fan of any of the Nora Ephron rom-coms, and, in fact, just re-read the screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally" and am always amazed at her genius. But having also written children's books, I would love to see my mystery series (written at the 1st/2nd grade reading level) become a tv series.

Hi,

I've had a problem with my computer. Also, for some reason I cannot access the questionnaire to send in.

My name is veronica taylor small, everyone calls me v. (spelled in lower case on purpose)

I want to learn how to pitch my projects, because I have written several features, shorts and a couple of children/YA books.

I love action movies across different genres from "The Polar Express" and marvel to Tom Cruise action and all the Bourne movies.

I am so excited and looking forward to this class and absorb all the knowledge humanly possible.

Hey Veronica and Lynn!

Excited to have you in class today! Email edu@stage32.com

and I’ll send you the questionnaire (with Sivert included in the email chain).

Hey, Lynn, I emailed it back to you from edu@stage32.com

Hope class is going well :) Lovely to meet everyone and any issues like I mentioned please email edu@stage32.com

Here are some of my top education recommendations for screenwriters:

How to Write and Pitch Your TV Animation Script: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-2-part-class-how-to-...

The Secrets to Becoming a Pitching Ace: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/the-secrets-to-becoming-a-pit...

How To Write A Query Letter That Gets You Past The Gatekeepers: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-write-a-query-letter-t...

How to Write the Perfect Plot Twist: Thriller Screenwriting Essentials:

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-write-the-perfect-plot...

Learn How to Develop Your "Brand" As a Screenwriter: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/4-part-class-how-to-develop-y...

How To Break Story Using A.I.: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-break-story-using-a-i

How to Write Subtext in Your Screenplay + 3 Writing Exercises: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-4-part-screenwriting...

Screenwriting Class: How to Rewrite Your 30 Minute TV Pilot:

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-4-part-screenwriting...

The Cyber Monday sale is still going strong - save 20% on all webinars, labs and classes until midnight tonight! Don’t miss out!

There are some on your list I've got either saved or just got. They've made a huge difference in my writing

How to Write the Perfect Plot Twist: Thriller Screenwriting Essentials:

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-write-the-perfect-plot...

How To Break Story Using A.I.: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-break-story-using-a-i

The Secrets to Becoming a Pitching Ace: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/the-secrets-to-becoming-a-pit...

Thank you Cynna for sharing your list :) This makes my day to hear they've made a huge difference !

That's fantastic! This really shows the power of combining storytelling with compelling imagery.

Awesome news! Congrats

Happy holidays!

Thanks for all of the nice comments. The weird thing about it is that I met this guy after responding to a post he put on a neighborhood site called Nextdoor. He'd just graduated from AFI and was looking to meet people interested in film. I replied, we met, and it turned out he was interested in scripts about the Mexican immigrant experience in CA. The story shown in the poster was one from a collection of stories he had an option on that kind of dealt with the topic.

I told him I had a script about that exact issue, so I agreed to read the collection of stories, and he agreed to read the script. He liked the script more than I liked the stories and he got all hot on the idea of doing it and he asked if I would be interested in adapting this collection of stories while he tried to get his finance guy interested in my script. I said, sure.

He and another writer had put together a treatment that tried to combine elements of all the stories into one feature length script. I thought it was a really admirable effort, but didn't feel like it really added up to anything in the end, so I suggested taking three stories you could tie together in some way and doing it as a kind of Ballad of Buster Scruggs thing,

The problem was, I couldn't find three stories I liked enough to do that with, so he suggested adapting just the one. He was listed on IMDB and had made some shorts that had gotten some festival recognition as well as a found footage type horror film that has some nice reviews on YouTube, so I thought it would be worth the effort.

Once I found the hook I wanted to the story, it only took about a week to write and when I showed it to him, he got all excited about doing that, So I guess we'll see where it all goes. Hopefully, I'll have a better understanding of things if this meeting with the finance guy actually happens at which point I'll have a chance to figure out how legit any of it is.

Tim, way to GO! Here's wishing you tremendous success with "Igloo among Palms!"

I like how the visual and the concept reinforce each other here. It creates instant clarity for the reader. Thanks for putting this out there.

Yeah, I wasn't unhappy with the way it came out for an AI thing, but with a little refinement it could be quite interesting. For instance, I don't like the font, and I would have liked to see the car's grille facing to right of the image, so that the word Imperial on its grille could be seen as the word has a broader connotation in the script beyond just being the name of the car.

Hey, Anthony McBride. I got a lot done this year. Wrote scripts, rewrote scripts, networked, pitched projects, etc. I gave feedback to other creatives on their projects and helped out creatives this year. Congratulations on writing a record number of screenplays and everything you accomplished this year!

Maurice Vaughan Thanks a bunch for the reply. Great job on all that you've done this year too.

You're welcome, Anthony McBride. Thanks. Hope we all have an incredible December and 2026!

Congratulations on surpassing your goals beyond the Write Club challenges, Pink Matzke! I hope the meeting goes great! I'm rooting for you to reach your goals going forward! Reach out to the community if you need anything.

Congratulations on your progress and surpassing your goals! You've done amazing and I can't wait to see how you keep bringing it in the future!

Hi, Elle Bolan. Glad November was a highly productive month for you! Congratulations! And I'm glad you had a blast doing it! Writing, networking, pitching, etc. are a lot easier when I'm having fun.

Congratulations on all that progress, keep up the amazing work!!! You're an inspiration to me and I'm sure others as well.

Hi, Pink Matzke. Hope you had a great weekend! Congratulations on everything you got done during November Write Club! I hope you keep the momentum going this month and next year, and I hope it leads to script requests, sales, and more!

Pink Matzke Thank you. We all have to come together as artists and support one another and stick together.

Yes, I’ll work on making them more engaging.

They may feel boring at first since they show insights from daily routines, but they are critical to the story logic.

Later, these moments reveal the quiet, foundational forms of human intelligence — reminding us that every act of thinking, no matter how small, matters Elle Bolan

Before I broke in, I moved from writing feature specs to shorts in a bid to actually get some stuff made. It was like a boot camp. I wrote dozens of them. Usually around one a week, at least.

I was working to around five pages using my Turn & Burn five-act structure, so one act per page. That really taught me a lot about efficiency.

I don't fully prescribe to the page-one theorem. In my opinion, it's more about the opening scene. That needs to be a strong sample of voice along with the tone of the story. It's like an opening chat-up line before a date, or an appetiser before a meal. You're kinda proving yourself.

@CJ that's actually a better way to state it. The opening scene rather than the page one.

@Juliana those are all great things to ask about your opener!

@Meriem I believe you will. Your passion for the silent pfc war shows every time you talk about the project.

Thanks for sharing the article, Amanda Toney. I haven't written a biopic yet. This article will come in handy. And I might even write a biopic/narrative film mix.

I adapted a biography this year. The shoot just wrapped. The V.O to death comment is very true. They key part is finding the thematic thread within it all.

Congratulations, CJ Walley!

"Adapting real-life stories always seems like such a huge challenge. Is there any approach you recommend to stay true to the person’s essence without leaning too much into over-dramatization?"

This issue you're going to have is the subject person's own vision and demands. In the article linked, it talks about how Kristen had to convince the IP owner not to sell the story short and do something typically hokey. Not everyone is going to listen to that.

The big issues you have with anything fact based is that the facts may not be that interesting but people insist on sticking to them, and then there's another person with a different POV and a different set of facts wanting it their way. I made a Civil War last year and every expert historian seemed to disagree with one another.

The sky's the limit when it comes to dramatisation, as few viewers are going to look up what really happened. I re-watched American Made the other week. Love that film. Then I looked up the true story it's based on and to say the filmmakers were liberal would be an understatement to say the least.

Ultimately, you have to know how accuracy is going to impact sales. It might be a huge boost with those who know the details of the story already, or it might be a shot in the foot if it bores most of the marketplace. It all comes back to strategy.

Meriem Bouziani we are over the top stoked for you! It is well deserved so congratulations!!

Thank you very much for your encouragement Leonardo Ramirez 2

You are very welcome Meriem Bouziani. Hope you have a wonderful week.

Thank you Leonardo Ramirez 2

Have a great week, and a happy, successful 2026.

Thanks Meriem Bouziani !

With screenwriting, you need to second-guess the supporting story the visualization provides.

Take Lord of the Rings. The visualization had to be done before a word could be written.

So I am not totally sold on the fortunes of selling scripts. Selling film rights to a book feels to have more gravitas.

Njabulo Shabangu If you ever need help publishing a story and getting the ISBN to protect your work, let me know, that is what we do.

I learned screenwriting by creating no-budget movies. For me the standard script format is intuitive. My advice to those who have problems with the format is to contact your local group of no-budget filmmakers. Help them to film. When you are forced to read, and understand what must be in the film, you will find it easier to understand why the standard format looks the way it does.

If you're using screenwriting software, it's probably one of the most efficient ways of presenting a story. The formatting is easy. The real issue might be with focusing. I find it very hard to write creatively and technically at the same time, so I separate those processes by pre-writing all my structure first.

CJ Walley 100% agree

Novelise the pilot at the very least - novelisations usually act as a form of insurance. That way, you have some degree of control over how your work is used.

I've registered a series bible with the U.S. Copyright Office, David Miller. I've heard of writers registering a pilot script and series bible. Maybe with the "Group of Unpublished Works" option. www.copyright.gov/registration/performing-arts I suggest contacting the Copyright Office to be sure. Their contact info is at the bottom of their website.

If you register a series bible, don't put any copyrighted material in it (like pictures). The Copyright Office will reject your application. I made that mistake.

Being blunt, and because I wouldn't want to see a writer wasting their time, you shouldn't be writing episodes. Those will not be wanted by a network. Some don't even want to see a pilot.

I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm hearing about writers doing this more and more, to the point it's becoming normalised. Until a year or two ago, I don't think I'd ever heard of a screenwriter putting energy into episodes. Now I'm hearing about people penning an entire season, plus more. Unless it's going to be novelised, it's a waste of time that could be better spent on new specs.

Thanks everyone. I've scripted the pilot, detailed outlined the first season, high level detailed seasons 2-5. I created a series bile and was able to load it along with the pilot screenplay to the copyright site, so all is good (I hope).

You're welcome, David Miller.