Five Ways to Turn Off a Hollywood Script Reader

You may have written the most riveting piece of dramatic work in existence to date. Your dialogue may be perfect. Your characters may seem so real they beg to jump right off the page. Your story may rival those of Oscar-winning screenplays. It might even be so good as to put those stories to shame, but if your script never gets off the reader's desk, no one will ever know.

It's well known that readers are the gatekeepers of the film industry. It is also well known that while most readers would rather be doing anything but reading, they still spend countless hours making their way through stacks of scripts in the hopes of finding the next big blockbuster. The late-night caffeine-induced decision of one reader could be the turning point of your screenwriting career.

So how do you make certain that decision is in your favor?

Avoiding common mistakes is a key factor. There are 99 times as many bad screenplays as there are good ones. New screenwriters often take that as an exaggeration. Trust me, it's not. I was a judge in an annual screenwriting contest for several years, and we received hundreds and hundreds of entries every year, yet in some years we were hard-pressed to find ten scripts good enough to be selected as finalists in the competition.

Readers can spot a bad screenplay right away. No matter how terrific your story is, these common errors may cause a reader to overlook the quality of the story in the face of everything else. To a reader, these errors make your script look like the unprofessional work of a newcomer. They indicate a writer who hasn't taken the time to research the details of the industry and his chosen career. Once readers spot these mistakes, it's all uphill from there. They may relegate your masterpiece to the bottom of the slush pile for last-resort reading or skip it entirely.

Steer clear of these typical errors and your script won't be branded unprofessional:

1. Frequent spelling and grammar mistakes

Frequent spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are number one on any reader's hit list. Take the time to proofread your script several times. Have friends or family members proofread it for you, or enlist the aid of a professional proofreader. Never rely solely on your word-processor's spellcheck function. Though it has improved over the years, spellcheck is still notoriously inadequate, especially with its inconsistent ability to point out incorrect homonym usage. (Think their/there/they're, or to/too/two, or your/you're.)

2. Improper script format

Improper format is a big tip-off that the writer hasn't studied the industry guidelines. There are very specific standards for the layout of action, slug lines, character names and dialogue. There are many books and articles that explain script format in detail. David Trottier's The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script is an excellent reference.

There are several software programs that will format your script for you as you write. A script-formatting program can be an invaluable timesaving tool for the writer. The two most popular programs are Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter. Both programs offer many features beyond simply formatting your script.

3. Brightly colored paper and/or script covers

Many writers believe copying their script on colored paper or binding it in a brightly colored notebook will make it stand out. They're right. It definitely will make the script stand out. In fact, not only will it make the script stand out, it will make it scream, "I'm written by a beginner!"

Never copy your script on colored paper. It's harsh on the eyes, making your script more difficult to read and hence, more frustrating and less appealing to the reader. The industry standard calls for white paper, with a cardstock binding in white, ivory or light gray. Cardstock is available at any office supply store.

Your script should be three-hole punched and bound with two or three brass brads or script-screws. Make sure the brads are long enough to tightly secure the pages of your script but not so long as to be lethal stabbing devices capable of injuring the reader. Never trim the brads with scissors to make them shorter as that tends to make their edges razor-sharp.

4. Using a non-standard font

Typing in any font other than Courier 12 pt will make your script stand out in a bad way, as will using bold-faced or italic type. You may use capital letters to emphasize a word, but even that technique should be used sparingly.

5. Including illustrations, music or casting suggestions

Never include illustrations, photographs, or your suggestions for music or casting. While you may think Brad Pitt is the ideal actor to play your lead role, that's a decision for the casting director, not the writer. You may think illustrations or photographs will help the reader visualize the events in your story, but your writing should do that on its own.

How to grab the reader's attention

It may seem like the goal is to make your script stand out as little as possible, to make it blend in with the thousands of other scripts out there and do nothing whatsoever to catch the reader's eye. Make it your writing that stands out, not the font or the color of the paper. The real goal is to make the reader as comfortable as possible while reading your script so the power of your story grabs the reader's attention and holds it until the very end.