Screenwriting

You're right, Arthur Charpentier those kinds of situations can absolutely stop creativity for long stretches. Many things can kill creative momentum in a person: trauma, grief, burnout, and even the pressure to perform. It’s a fragile process, and self-analysis becomes essential to understand what your mind and spirit actually need to heal and create again.

Happy Getting Back to Writing Anniversary, Dwayne Williams 2! Congratulations! You have two things to celebrate on your birthday.

It's hard to sit down and write sometimes (like when you're not feeling like it, you're tired, etc.), but every time I decided to write anyway, I came up with something great.

Thank you, Maurice Vaughan 5! Yes, so true. You’ll never regret choosing to write, even when it feels tough. Some of the wildest, most unexpected ideas show up when you push through.

Oh, thank God that never happened to me, Maurice Vaughan 5

But I’ve learned something the hard way… Sometimes, I react too fast to a creative spark. I don’t give it time to settle, to breathe. I jump in. And because of that, a few ideas were stolen from me.

Now? I’ve learned to wait.

Not too long, just enough.

And most importantly… I’ve learned to shut up. :D

Sorry to hear someone stole your ideas, Sandra Isabel Correia. Yeah, not too long, just enough. It's a gut feeling for me when I'm ready to start a project.

You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia. Congratulations on finishing the rewrite and finishing one week earlier than you expected! Happy polishing! Make it shiny! :D

Thank you my friend :)) I will make my best :)) Thanxxx Maurice Vaughan 5

Oh, that’s so cool. I am happy for you Banafsheh Esmailzadeh and cheering for you. Thanks for sharing :))

Thank you Sandra Isabel Correia, I'm cheering for you too~

You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia.

Hi Maurice, nice coat

Hi, Billy Kwack. Yeah, I like that coat. I've never seen a raincoat in that color. How's it going?

Hi Maurice, pretty good, getting flu shot later today. Getting ready for NY comic con, next week

Hope you have a great time at NY Comic Con, Billy Kwack! How's your script going?

Asia Almerico, thank you so much for your comment and advice

I find people who truly read screenplays by networking, Nataly Kiut. Sometimes they give me feedback for free, and sometimes I pay for feedback. Sometimes I do script swaps with other writers.

Maurice Vaughan 5

Thank you. May I ask — when you seek feedback, do you value more the opinion of professionals (consultants, readers, managers) or simply thoughtful fellow writers and friends? I often wonder — what kind of feedback actually helps you grow…

And what’s just noise.

Just yesterday, I asked for script notes from Morton Plum and Genevieve Li — through ChatGPT, of course

Nataly, thanks for shouting out about ScriptReader.ai! (And I'm very much with you about seeing a screenplay as a blueprint!)

You're welcome, Nataly Kiut. I value the opinions of professionals (consultants, readers, managers, etc.) more, but other writers and friends give great feedback too. And all of it can help a writer grow.

Thanks for the book rec, @Leonardo. The strangest formatting challenge I've run into is making words disappear (top of the screenshot). I changed the color of each word. It took a little while to get it right.

You're very kind Jon Shallit - honored to meet you. Just got your DM so I'll respond there.

Ok that is kind of a cool challenge Maurice Vaughan 5. I love that! What a neat and unique idea!

I saw another writer do it in a script, Leonardo Ramirez 2, but I didn't know how, so I had to figure it out in Final Draft.

That's pretty innovative Maurice Vaughan 5. Very cool.

Well said, Pat Alexander. There were scenes that made me emotional to write, but was told by one reader that it was unnecessary, and to remove it for pacing reasons. I "reluctantly" (your first sign) took their advice and removed it, but later realized that I removed an important element from the story. I put it back in, and worked on the buildup to that scene, and it ended up being one of parts that resonated the most with other readers. You may have to over or under embellish, but in the end you have to figure out a way to fight for your recipe, if you believe it to be tasteful. We've all eaten hamburger before, just maybe not your hamburger, and I'm excited to see what tastes you bring out that others did not....or similar tastes that just taste better with your recipe.

I think about all the deleted scenes in movies that would've brought out so much flavor, had they stayed in.

Now, because of all the food analogies, Im going go to raid the fridge :)

Monte Albers de Leon - Pat Alexander really hits all the points. The only thing I'll add is that there's a point between your last draft and when the team is assembled that you'll "just know". I typically go through rewrites and coverage until I get a "recommend" on that script. Then I implement the changes in that coverage and let it sit, fully knowing that when the team is assembled, more changes will come. And that's OK.

"What makes a script draft the ready draft?"

When the lead producer says so.

Francisco. Yes. Money rules. Producers want that.

Monte- your FIRST ever script is going into production?

I suggest focusing on both, Abram Christian. Dialogue and action are both extremely important, and I think letting the actors figure it out and letting the director and crew figure out blocking on set are risky. Some action in scripts can be vague, but some of it needs to be specific so the actors, director, etc. know what's happening in the story.

Your instinct about trusting actors and directors with physical choices is sound, and it reflects an understanding of how collaborative filmmaking actually works. Some of the most memorable moments in cinema emerged from actors and directors discovering blocking organically during rehearsals or on set.

That said, I'd encourage you to find balance rather than swinging to the opposite extreme. Completely eliminating action lines can create its own problems:

Why some action matters:

- Action conveys essential story information that dialogue can't always communicate naturally

- Key physical moments (a character noticing something, a meaningful gesture, critical plot actions) need to be on the page

- Readers and executives evaluate scripts visually - they need enough action to "see" your film

What you're right to cut:

- Overly detailed blocking that dictates every head turn and hand gesture

- Prescriptive emotional direction ("she looks sad," "he feels angry")

- Micromanaging actor choices that professionals should discover themselves

The strongest screenplays provide essential visual storytelling while leaving creative space for interpretation. Think of action lines as painting the broad strokes - establishing critical physical beats, spatial relationships, and story-essential movements - while trusting your collaborators to fill in the nuanced details.

Dialogue does carry enormous weight in revealing character, but cinema remains a visual medium. Some of the most powerful moments happen without words at all, and those need to exist on your page to demonstrate your storytelling vision.

Consider refining your action lines to be more efficient and less controlling, rather than eliminating them entirely. Your collaborators will appreciate both clarity about your vision and freedom to contribute their expertise.

Pat Alexander Pat Alexander Maurice Vaughan 5

That is my sole intention. it’s not to eliminate completely but to minimize with an equal balance thusly inciting less control. Great advice!

Congrats! A 1st draft is a super satisfying first stepa and, yes, it's a worthy milestone. One of my scripts is character-driven hero script with the main plot being assassins and evil organizations, but the main characters are estranged surrorgate siblings who have to trust each other again. It was mega-fun writing it, and rewritig gets funner as your skills improve since you feel less lost then. My first rewrites were frustrating.

Best Regards.

Congratulations.

Congratulations P. J Oken - finishing up your first draft does feel good so relish it. Love the premise of the story! Take your time with the rewrites - there'll be plenty of them. But for now, celebrate!

congratulations on your accomplishment. you have a reason to celebrate. I look forward to seeing that on the big screen!

Hey, P. J Oken. Congratulations on finishing the first draft! Unique backstory for a superhero.

I just purchased mine and I can't wait to dive into it.

Let us know what you think Mone't Weeks !

Leonardo, you're absolutely right about that jaw-dropping silence!

I have this book and it is very helpful.

Good to hear from you Carol Ann Kennedy!

Great question! I’ve experimented with AI tools as well, and I see them as useful sparring partners rather than final judges. They can highlight patterns, suggest pacing issues, or even give you a quick confidence boost when you’re stuck in your own head.

That said, I wouldn’t fully “trust” them — they don’t have the lived experience or instincts of a real reader, producer, or fellow writer. Sometimes the feedback is insightful, other times it feels too generic or overly positive (as you said, “purple politeness”).

For me, AI is a helpful first pass to spot-check things, but the most valuable feedback still comes from human readers who understand story nuance, emotion, and context.

Curious — did AI highlight anything in your script that you hadn’t considered before?

Hi, Colin Mummery ! Firstly, I'd like to second your gratitude to Stage32 for allowing us to freely discuss AI topics. I think other platforms that ban such discussions are making a huge mistake, and in general, in my opinion, it's a violation of freedom of discussion. Secondly, thank you so much for sharing your services for getting feedback on scripts. I ordered a report on my script from scriptreader.ai and will definitely share the results.

Yes, Asia Almerico there were times when I got completely discouraging results. The thing is, my text contains a fair number of "Easter eggs" for the reader—hidden references, allusions, and the like. So, the AI ​​found in a single fragment of text both the meanings I'd consciously intended, but also ones I'd never even considered. It was hilarious as hell.

Chris Stefans The other thing that will get you banned from the subreddit is any mention of Stage32! AI and Stage32, the moderators seem to loathe both.

Perhaps my understanding of freedom of speech and the First Amendment is outdated, but I don't think banning people for mentioning platforms or raising socially significant issues is right. I understand that it's their community and they have the right to set their own rules, but there's no need to call it a free platform and the "heart of the internet" after that.

What if an AI actor played The Terminator? Would that be a problem, or just straight up.ironic?

Suppose the next installment of the cult franchise is released with an AI actor playing the Terminator. What would that mean?

No human star. That alone is a huge shift — the absence of a personified celebrity is an entirely separate discussion.

Team structure changes. Instead of makeup artists and costume designers, the workload shifts to engineers and data teams.

Performance translation. What an actor used to “play” would now have to be explained to the AI, broken down into micro-fragments, and later assembled in editing.

In many ways, this already happens in post-production. It would resemble Who Framed Roger Rabbit — only instead of traditional animation, you’d be working with AI-generated fragments.

But then the question is: how talented would the crew need to be to create emotion, nerve, and drive with such a technique? And how talented would the other actors need to be to naturally “play with the ghost”?

Gentlemen, the audience will perceive AI actors as game characters. and game characters can be very, very popular. and then the question arises, why use the same appearance in different movies. if you can create unique characters for each story? so the idea of an AI actor is unlikely to take root in the form we are offered. and by the way, don't 3D models of stars and doubles replace actors? so, most likely, the profession of an actor will shift towards capturing movement for scenes with characters.

Arthur Charpentier , I think you’re absolutely right — audiences are already used to game characters and digital doubles. The real value of an actor may shift towards embodying emotion and movement, not just “lending a face.”

It reminds me of how music changed with samples and synthesizers. The sound of a piano can be generated endlessly, but it’s the performer’s interpretation — the touch, the dynamics, the imperfections — that make it alive.

Maybe film will follow the same path: the digital character as the “instrument,” and the actor as the one who makes it resonate.

Ron Reid , I just wanted to circle back to you for a moment.

This entire discussion really took off thanks to your original post — clearly, you touched a nerve in the community.

I’d be very curious to hear your thoughts now that the thread has expanded into so many angles: economics, history, gaming parallels, even music analogies. From your perspective as a director, what do you think is the most immediate risk or opportunity AI brings today to creatives like us?

Congratulations