Screenwriting : The hard truth? by Nakoa Cabatbat

Hi, Nakoa Cabatbat. It's fine to write scripts that are known/scripts that producers are used to making. And yeah, a lot of times producers like to make projects that are less of a gamble.

In my opinion, I feel it’s a weird world that we maneuver in. The recycling of stories in different universes or using a different earth or earth one this character does that on earth through this character does this which is blocking the way for new works to be seen. I wish I had more of an answer for you or a thought for you other than to tell you, you were not alone.

Pam Traynor maybe its both being familiar but having its own voice. Thanks for your input

I feel standing out is easy when you're just being yourself, in this case, using your voice to tell a story in a way that's unique to you (like your own brand of humour or drama, for example). But I'm with you, in this industry it does look like maybe you don't want to stand out too much ^^;

I apologize, but what could be invented and written that hasn’t already been done? I believe that in over 100 years of cinema, everything that could be filmed has already been filmed. To me, a writer’s talent lies in showing familiar things from a different angle — presenting a unique perception and experience that is unlike anyone else’s. It’s about revealing a new perspective on an event we already know. I think that’s where the true talent of an author shines. As for coming up with something entirely unique, I believe that’s no longer possible.

This is a good question because I don't know either. I've learnt that building relationships and having a presence helps being memorable. But it's not something that comes easy to me. Standing out? I'm not sure but don't ever give up playing the game completely. Be creative because it fills you up first then hope for the rest.

I agree. Familiar stories can work really well when you add your own touch. Producers may feel safer with the known, but your unique voice is what gives it life and makes it memorable.

Nakoa Cabatbat I think a lot of writers wrestle with this exact question — I know I have. For me, the answer came when I stopped trying so hard to stand out and started letting my genuine passions drive the work.

When you’re chasing “unique” for its own sake, it can feel forced. But when you write about something you truly care about, your voice naturally comes through — and that’s what makes it stand out. Producers and audiences respond to authenticity.

The irony is, the less you try to be different and the more you try to be honest, the more unique your work will be. Your passions are like fingerprints — no one else has them in quite the same way.

If you’re not sure what those passions are yet, start by asking: What do I keep coming back to, even when no one’s asking me to? What stories or themes make me lose track of time? What emotions do I find myself wanting to explore again and again? Those are clues to your creative DNA.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone — that’s why places like Stage 32 exist. We’re all here to share ideas, challenge each other, and help each other find and refine our voice. Just asking these insightful questions sets you apart — in the best way.

I agreeNakoa Cabatbat

I think some just want to be entertained by a good story.

Sometimes that’s something familiar and sometimes it’s something obscure. If done well, then it’s compelling. The characters are memorable, the themes and plot make sense, and the story, even if predictable or unexpected, becomes something you enjoy.

I think that’s why people hate remakes, because they tend to be pale imitations that didn’t understand what made the first thing great but still tried to copy it.

Kimberley Young you are exactly right in my eyes. when I wrote my screenplay I made sure to make it entertaining to casuals and in depth. I want people to analyze my characters and the world or just enjoy it for what it is.

James Tuverson Thank you this comment exactly answers what it means to write. I completely agree. If you aren't honest with yourself, with writing. Then how can a viewer really appreciate it? i think that more screenwriters, directors, producers, etc. could learn alot from what you just said. Sometimes its crazy to think that there are struggling but brilliant writers who can do way more and add way more than what we have now in the film industry. Not to de credit anyone but you know.

Jennifer Ford Exactly, with this thinking you can do great things!

Lauren Hackney This is exactly all we can do, is just let the fire fuel your passion and when that fire dims you give it more oxygen. Never giving up is a quality beyond writing. It is character my friend! Thank you for your insight!

Aleksandr Rozhnov I can completely agree and I do. If you can think it, it exists. I like what you say there about perception. I think that's the right idea. It really is all about perspective when it comes to be unique. Very nice, Thanks for your thought proving comment!!!

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh Yes and it should be that easy I hope. What if being yourself isn't good enough. Let's face there are many people who just wouldn't cut it in some areas even when they want too. Will talent help? Will it be hard work and commitment? Will it be pure skill? Guess that's up to the big dogs.

Spencer Magnusson Yes, I like the correlation to fan art. That completely gives the idea of what I was trying to say there. We are all so smart why aren't we famous yet lol

If you want to stand out in a good way: Make sure you have a high concept idea

If you want to stand out in a bad way: Make sure you have a wacky idea

Nakoa Cabatbat Hey Nakoa, why so down? You're right that producers often gravitate toward familiarity—it’s a business driven by risk management. That’s a big reason why adaptations of well-known books are so common: they come with a built-in audience and a level of market proof, even though going that route involves acquiring the rights from the author before bringing on a screenwriter to adapt it.

Personally, I focus on original material. And I think it’s totally okay to write something that feels “unfamiliar,” as long as it fits within the expectations of the genre. If I’m writing a thriller, it still needs to deliver gripping suspense and sustained tension—those core genre promises.

Rather than chasing what's familiar, I think the better question is: Does the story deliver on what it promises? If it hooks the reader from page one and holds them through to the end, then you're absolutely on the right track. Too familiar could also be an issue.

I’ll be honest: if I were a producer, I wouldn’t necessarily focus solely on uniqueness either. You have to consider the basic principle of “supply and demand.” No matter how unique a film is, it won’t matter if nobody watches it. The best approach is to combine both—make it unique, but in a way that there’s demand for it. That’s the hardest part, especially since the book and film markets are already quite saturated.

Nakoa Cabatbat very legit concern & so many insightful answers already in this thread - to quote McKee, ‘write the truth’ … your own, that of your characters, of your world (real or imaginary). there’s only one of you and the artistic expression of that is in itself unique, ready to stand out to the right audience for that expression.

judging by your bio, creating is probably your natural state - enjoy it. lean always further into it, and let it take you wherever it wants. don’t be afraid of your own identity as an artist. keep ‘choreographing’ with movement, with words, with music, with storylines. just keep creating - and your work will find its market ✌

Nakoa Cabatbat I am not as familiar with this process but as you stated this is a hard industry to breakthrough but you must remain diligent and seeking out answers here on the Sytage32 platform i a great way to move ahead! Happy networking!

You know, I think that to be truly unique and write like no one else, you either have to write what you wish were true or show ordinary things around us in an unusual way.

For the first approach, Quentin Tarantino is a great example. In Inglourious Basterds, Hitler dies in a movie theater — that never happened, but that’s how Tarantino wanted it. In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character survives thanks to his wife — I forgot their names — even though the movie is based on real events where he was killed by robbers. Tarantino vividly shows not what really happened, but what he wishes had happened.

For the second approach, James Cameron is a master. He took a simple story like Romeo and Juliet and showed it aboard the Titanic. He portrayed motherhood through the Alien monster. Or he turned the everyday concepts of heat and sleep into the Terminator franchise. He shows ordinary things in ways no one else can.

I believe these two filmmakers teach us how to be truly unique.

Sebastian Tudores You are right. im going to keep writing and improving my craft. thank you so much

Kenneth George honestly my story fits your criteria. Its honest and different but its also familiar. I just think im really scared to end up being unsuccessful. It shakes me to my core. I want to do something with my life I want to be someone.

Nakoa Cabatbat I dont know how serious you are but you might want to look into something like Zoloft or Celexa since they can help with anxiety, from what I have been told. But honestly, anxiety is something most people deal with no matter what career path they choose.

If you think of it from the standpoint of a network, to them its a gamble—they put out a bunch of projects every year, some hit, some miss. Same might apply for writers: if you write multiple projects, chances are some will succeed and some won’t. That’s just how it goes.

Getting some education in a field can definitely help you see more options. But if you’re feeling anxious now, even when things are relatively stable or predictable, just know the world’s going to change and is likely to accelerate—jobs and industries are evolving all the time. So trying to give anyone "career advice" right now might be more of a joke because a lot of that landscape is shifting - rapidly.

This probably doesn't help with your anxiety. But I would say keep your eyes open and when the time hits, you want to get your hand on as much stock as you can in my company, just in case. That likely wont be a too much of a gamble :)

In this industry there are effectively two markets. The Indie market - original, fresh, never before seen - often lower budgets, festival works. The mainstream - based on existing IP (famous books, cult markets - the army, the church), existing known genre structures with A-listers (more IP) and larger budgets. Basically, as the risk is lessened the budget increases. Then you have Auteurs who effectively move from Indies to mainstream markets because they find their voice 'stand out' and build their own audience and because they have done that, they have creative control. Think the Directing Masters: Hitchcock, Ridley, James Cameron, Scorsese, Tarantino, Nolan... and more. You have a choice to be a writer ( sometimes your works or for hire) or an auteur. Thanks to AI a writer with an original voice, now has the potential to be an auteur. The latter, takes years of work and self development but the pay-off is the potential to be original, to 'stand out' and captain of your own ship. So my friend it is up to you, this is your life and you get to choose. How wonderful is that! As for the anxiety, I would take up mindfulness meditation, it is free, effective and will enable you to find inner guidance that will hold you in good stead for the rest of your life. Best of luck!

Hi Nakoa Cabatbat what a great question! Of course, we all have our own storytelling ambitions but most stories can reflect many others. I think about how a film like Materialists has a strong familiarity with films of the past (woman torn between two men, essentially choosing who is right for her) but the film has a very different structure and story as well as different reactions.

Sam Rivera wrote a great logline. I would only add at the end to whom he sold his soul and for what. Other than that, I think it was a very strong logline.

Nakoa Cabatbat Perfect question. For me, what makes me stand out is my approach to high and ultra–high concept storytelling. I create everything as a franchise and transmedia property from the start, so I can target more managers, producers, and executives. I take my time building out the entire franchise potential, never ending with just one film. Every concept I work on is cross-genre and transmedia, so I can offer the industry either what they want or what they need.

I’ve also found that being both a screenwriter and a graphic designer is a powerful combination that will only become more valuable in the future. From my perspective, being unique is the best approach to help you stand out better and ensure your work has its own undeniable identity.

Aleksandr Rozhnov You said, "what could be invented and written that hasn’t already been done? I believe that in over 100 years of cinema, everything that could be filmed has already been filmed."

I don’t think that’s true. There’s still so much untapped potential and unexplored territory in storytelling. Entirely new lore can be created from scratch, especially when you start inventing your own monsters, shaping their identities, cultures, and powers. That opens the door to countless worlds, myths, and stories that have never been told before.

Dwayne Williams 2 yes having multiple skills and not just leaving the story as a story is great! I did make sure that if my screenplay ever gets made I have more stories within the world to tell so it doesnt end at just one! its more than a story! That way its more marketable. Not just one and done more like one and expand! I also composed the music for it! I also wrote great fight scenes that are easy to choreograph (as easy as choreographing gets lol)

Oh yeah! That’s powerful Nakoa Cabatbat, you’re already on the right track. Having an expansion plan and composing the music yourself makes your project even more marketable and immersive. If this is your only project right now, keep building out the entire world in greater detail, as it helps build confidence in the concept. The more depth and richness it has, the more it will stand out when the time comes to pitch.

I might fall into the "Some just want to write" category. I just genuinely love telling stories, any genre, and I typically hand them out to people around me who love reading them. Then the ones that get "Oh my god, this is the greatest thing I've ever read!" I take that grain of salt, because, you know, bias, and submit them to competitions. I've managed to have one short made, gotten eyes on one of my features, and I just still spew whatever wants to fall out of my head. I guess I'm not worried about the "Unique" factor as, you are unique in the way you want to tell a story. Trust me when I say there's a lot of hands in this industry. With that comes a lot of people that have different tastes and different love for the crafts. I would say it's more about getting things in front of the right people than it is just "Breaking in."