How should my script be formatted?

Advice from a professional screenwriter

Aspiring screenwriters worry about this. Probably too much. But I get it, they want their script to look like a script.

And it should.

But remember this

• No studio has ever purchased a script because the margins were perfect.

• No studio has ever passed on a script because the margins weren’t perfect.

More important than how a script looks, is how it READS.

• Is the story compelling?

• Are the characters original?

• Do the act breaks pop?

• Is the dialogue fresh or cliche?

For those who are ready, here are…

A few tips about script formatting

1. No one reads the stage direction

   1. NO ONE. At best, we only glance at it because the good stuff is in the dialogue. So my advice is to keep your stage direction short and sweet.

2. Do not number your scenes

   1. Production drafts have numbered scenes. Yours is a writer’s draft, so there’s no need to number your scenes. Numbers will only mislead readers into thinking your script has been produced.

**NOTE:

At the bottom of this article, I’ll post a link where you can download several of my scripts for free, in various formats. Use them as a reference.

Final Draft Software

Final Draft is considered to be the industry standard. It comes pre-loaded with various templates for formatting. If you want to make formatting easy on yourself, just work off one of their templates.

I have a brand deal with Final Draft, so if you’re interested, you can save 25% by clicking here.