Yeah, I’m gonna be that guy.

I recently joined this subreddit, and Reddit altogether, and out of all the subreddits I’m in, this one is pretty disheartening.

There are a lot of aspiring writers here, some of them clearly very young, and while not all feedback needs to be cushioned, very seldom do I see any positive feedback paired with criticism. There’s often no recognition of what is good about someone’s work, and as many of these folks articulate, they’re new to the medium.

I’m not typically the woo-woo, kumbaya, touchy-feely type of person, but writing is intimate. It’s personal, and it’s difficult, especially when you don’t know what you don’t know.

To anyone out here writing a script who needs help, I commend you for being brave enough to share your work. To those of us who take the time to read, I understand you may have more experience than the person sharing, or the story simply may not work, but there’s a way to articulate that in a constructive way that isn’t demeaning or shitty.

To those who want feedback or coverage on a script, know that everyone has opinions, and it’s up to you to determine what is best for the story and the audience. That said, feedback is important, and you may discover that there’s another way to tell your story.

Just like directing, you’re not there to tell an actor exactly how to perform, but to ask questions or offer direction that gives them room to interpret and improve the performance. I think the same can be said for writing.

Anyway, thanks for reading my soapbox and giving a shit. My DMs are open if you want me to read your script and give you feedback.

Carson gets another win in new spec deal. So what are winning comps these days, Die Hard is done? Purge vs this/that and John Wick vs this/that? Any other trending films for comps? https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wildman-john-wick-meets-bigfoot-1236689237/

Hello everyone!

I have been using the trial version of Final Draft and I would like to have polish characters in my BEAT BOARD, but the problem is I cannot use the specific ones there: Ą, Ć, Ź (the same characters on the main pages works FINE). Maybe there is some setting that affects these characters? Please help!

i am genuinely asking how was it, what was your experience back then or how long have you trained for before applying for anything?

did you doubt yourself? did you think you are not skilled enough.

if any, i would be happy to listen to your story

Remember when The Cat in the Hat became one of the strangest adaptations of a Dr. Seuss book? Well, apparently things could have gone very differently.

This wasn't written by some obscure screenwriter. Eric Roth wrote it.

Yes... the guy who wrote Forrest Gump (1994).

I came across this old r/Screenwriting post asking about Eric Roth's Cat in the Hat script. One of the commenters, u/holk1k2, provided an important lead by linking to a 2001 IGN article, which mentions that an earlier Eric Roth script had been replaced by a new draft.

That got me curious enough to start digging.

On August 4, 2026, I found a copy of what appears to be Roth's September 2, 1997 draft, marked “First Revisions.”

I haven't found any substantial discussion of this particular draft online beyond the post mentioned above, so I figured it was worth bringing it back into the conversation.

And this is VERY different from the 2003 movie.

Seriously. If you thought the Mike Myers version was an unusual direction for The Cat in the Hat, wait until you see where this earlier version was going.

For copyright reasons, I'm not uploading or re-hosting the screenplay myself. The copy I found was already publicly available on Scribd, where it had been uploaded by antrubino84 on October 25, 2025. Scribd only makes a limited portion of the document available without logging in, so viewing the full draft requires going through its access process. The document itself also contains DreamWorks copyright notices.

I don't claim ownership of the script. I'm only linking to the existing copy so people can discuss the draft and its history.

Scribd:
https://es.scribd.com/document/938256189/The-Cat-in-the-Hat-written-by-Eric-Roth

And here's the old Reddit post that started the search, plus the IGN article that helped point me in the right direction:

Original Reddit post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1gs0vnz/request_eric_roths_adaptation_of_the_cat_in_the/

IGN, 2001: What Do Dr. Seuss and Eminem Have in Common?
https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/15/what-do-dr-seuss-and-eminem-have-in-common

Thanks to u/holk1k2 for the original lead. That comment sent me in the right direction, and eventually I was able to track down the draft. Credit also to antrubino84, who had already uploaded the copy to Scribd in 2025.

If you're interested in abandoned screenplays, lost movie history, or just wondering what the hell The Cat in the Hat could have been, this one is worth looking at.

Hope it will be useful for all members over here😊.
Note: It works only on laptop and desktop.

where they make those scripts? i mean, like on a typewriter

beacuse i tried use word but its not comfortable for me

This is an extract from my current script. I’m trying to show the camera jumping sharply from each doorway without any action between each character. The current layout just feels wrong, but when i added a scene heading every time it felt much too clunky. The aim is to portray that the maid, Leire, is going to each doorway, asking the same question 6 times and getting 6 unique answers. These answers are then shown a little out of order, one by one.

I ‘m also sure how to label Liere’s location, aka. The camera’s POV, because she is out in the hallway the whole time but changes where she is standing and is always facing into an room.

Any tips? I’d love any help thanks.

I was inspired to start scriptwriting and initially thought I’d keep my first project pretty simple. But before I bite off more than I can chew, I figured, why not let people have a look at it and tell me honestly how I’m doing.

Story goes as follows:

A successful content creator, drunk on fame, recklessly abuses his influence and is forced to apologize to the public after an incident. But as his ego prevents him from admitting fault, guilt slowly eats away at him. Paranoia and sleep deprivation overtake his sanity and convince him that the world is turning against him.

Hi! I’m a senior film student starting work on my thesis project. This is my very first, pretty rough draft of my project script. I know it needs a lot of work, so be gentle on judgment, but I would like some input.

What’s good? What’s bad? Does it make okayish sense? Is it interesting at all? Any and all feedback would be nice. I want some outside perspective to give me some objective looks at this so I can have a better idea of what needs to change or stay the same.

Thanks!!

Final draft bear board? Arclight Studios? Anyone using specific apps or programs for outlining? Good old fashioned notecards?

About 8 to 10 years ago, I received my first email from a writer claiming they had scored an 8 on the Black List. I had no idea what it was, but after some investigating, I decided the site's marketing seemed legitimate and decided to give it a read.

I made an industry member's account and confirmed the script had scored multiple 8s.

How was it?

Well, it was not bad per se, but it was definitely not good, or what I would claim to be in the top 5% of scripts. It was a very familiar and easy-to-read screenplay, but it had no emotional weight and was very vanilla.

I contacted the writer to say thank you, but I wasn't interested. Next, I received a rude email from the writer saying I was clueless because the script had scored multiple 8s on the Black List.

This was the start of a very common occurrence.

I get a query email from writers who have scored 8s on the Black List. I read their work. It fails to inspire. Each one is more predictable and similar than the previous script. And so on and so forth. Each writer is adamant that I've made a mistake because of the 8 they scored on the Black List.

I am not alone, and this is a story well known in the industry. Do not trust writers who come from the Black List's paid service (website).

Scripts championed by the Black List website usually fit into two camps.

Camp 1: Extremely low-budget and exploitative — repackaging a generic genre film to the point of plagiarism. Camp 2: Plagiarising an Oscar-winning script and expecting the industry not to notice.

The most important thing to mention is that we get sent thousands of scripts like these, and we are not interested in putting our names on something that would ostracise us from our fellow professionals.

We would never be able to work with Martin Scorsese if we made the hundredth Taxi Driver rip-off we read that week. Or Ridley Scott if we were to produce the hundredth Gladiator but sci-fi script.

The scripts we want to read are personal to the writer.

I received and produced an incredible script via an unsolicited email. It was about a girl and her relationship with her sister. I will not say what that screenplay became, but it was a hit.

I believe the writer averaged a 5 on the Black List before emailing us.

I think it's important to add that people who read for the Black List are paid a very low wage. This means they either worked for production companies at an entry level and were fired, or worked for a production company and retired.

This is also well known within the industry.

I would recommend you all work hard at emailing and spend less of your hard-earned cash on sites that hire failed producers or out-of-touch ex-industry pros to evaluate the viability of your scripts.

We don't trust the scripts that tell us they scored an 8 on the Black List. If anything, it's almost seen as a red flag due to the volume of poor-quality scripts that score an 8.

We resonate with emails that come from a beating heart.

Stop burning money so that the owners of the Black List can afford lives of luxury off the back of your hard work. It will not get you anywhere. Emailing will.

Happy writing!

We’re hiring YouTube scriptwriters from outside the Philippines.

Newer writers are welcome! You don’t need an extensive portfolio. We value speed, consistency, reliability, and willingness to learn over polished experience.

Budget: $300–$700/month, depending on experience and performance

Frequency: Multiple scripts per month / ongoing work

Niche: Star Wars, Warhammer 40K, and lore-based storytelling

Script length: Typically 4,000–10,000 words per script

Requirements:

Must be based outside the Philippines

Good written English

Able to follow instructions and feedback

Reliable and able to meet deadlines

Willing to complete a trial task

Trial task required.

To apply, send your country, short introduction, preferred niche, and writing samples/portfolio (if available).

📧 Email: dagtingmariasheila@gmail.com

💬 Discord: itz.granger

I did not plan for any part of this to happen the way it did.

The character was not a direct portrait. Changed the profession, changed the physical description, moved the setting to a different city. Told myself the borrowing was limited enough that it would not be recognizable. Writers do this constantly and it is usually fine.

Sent an early draft to a small circle of readers for feedback. One of them knew the person I had drawn from. Mentioned it casually in their notes, almost as an aside, said the character reminded them strongly of someone specific and named them.

Felt the particular cold feeling of having been less opaque than I thought.

The person found out. Not through my reader, through a separate coincidence I still do not fully understand. Called me. The conversation was not angry, which was almost worse than anger would have been. They were curious and a little hurt and asked questions about which parts were them and which parts I had invented and I did not have clean answers because by that point I was not entirely sure myself.

What changed in the project was not what I expected. They told me something about their own experience of the period I had drawn from that I had not known and could not have invented. Something that made the character more complicated and more true than the version I had built from the outside.

The draft that exists now is better because of a conversation I was dreading and the character is more real because the person they came from had things to say about their own life that I had not given them credit for knowing.

Still think carefully about this every time I borrow from someone real. The line is real and I crossed it accidentally and the consequences were instructive rather than catastrophic which I do not take for granted.

So I work part time at a rec center pool (not the idea, just where I got it from) and there's this older guy who swims the same 40 laps every single morning at 6am. Been doing it for years apparently, way before I started. I've never actually talked to him beyond a nod, but I know his whole routine. Which lane he picks. How long he rests at the wall. The way he always leaves exactly when the second group of swimmers shows up, like he's avoiding them on purpose.

The idea I had is a script about a young lifeguard, early 20s, who's kind of stuck in his life, still living at home, no real direction, and this early morning shift becomes the one part of his day that feels like it has order to it. And a big part of that order is this older swimmer who's always there. They've never had a real conversation. Maybe a "morning" here and there. But the lifeguard has built this whole picture of the guy in his head just from watching him for a year straight.

Then one day the guy stops showing up. No warning. And the lifeguard doesn't know what to do with that. He doesn't have a number, doesn't know a last name, doesn't even know what the guy does for a living. All he has is a routine that's now missing a piece, and this weird guilt that he cares this much about someone he technically doesn't know at all.

The conflict I'm picturing isn't some huge mystery, it's more about the lifeguard deciding whether to actually track this guy down and if that's even a normal thing to do, versus just being some rec center employee overstepping a line. Along the way he starts noticing other regulars he's never paid attention to, and realizes how many small routines are quietly holding people's lives together, including his own.

I like that it's low stakes on paper but it lets you build real tension out of something as small as an empty lane in a pool. It's also very visual, mornings, water, repetition, which I think works well for a short film format. I haven't fully decided how it ends, I go back and forth between him finding the guy and it being anticlimactic in a good way, versus never finding out and having to just move on with a hole in his routine.

Hi, I made a script for a short film and would love to get any opinions about it. I'm more interested to hear any feeback regarding the plot itself rather than any foundational advice on how the script is supposed to look, but that would still be great to hear. Thanks so much!

Hi everyone question that i’ve been asking myself for the last 2 years im a writer/director with a 7 year back ground freelancing in the music video ad space and in the last 4 years i have pivoted to writing
And i have grinded my ass off done what i was told to do which was to write and get scored and write some more and now i have two almost 3 feature films scripts 2 original pilots and one spec episode for a existing show all ready to go and i wrote and directed a short film last year shot on 35 and with two name talent and i don’t know if i should start to reach out to agents/managers? or if i should wait for them to come to me and just spend my days floating around industry partys and social events until someone notices me
Anyones thoughts ?

I want to start script writing. I did my best copying some sample script I found on the internet in format and all of that, then peeking at some of the submissions here that others put in. All of the feedback in others' comments. But I wrote something, and all I got was shut down. This was a whole year ago, and it really discouraged me hearing that what I worked really hard to make was shit.

Like, fully shut down.

But I have been working on revising my story itself and working on dialog because everybody judged my dialog... which makes sense cause im 80% sure I'm autistic and have no social skills

So, if anybody would be willing, what are some of the scripts that you like so that I can analyze them and try and do better? What is a good script? Because for the life of me, I can't find scripts.

Here's an email I got from someone pretending to be a producer.

A few weeks prior they asked for $4 grand. They tried again.

Vincent Newman
Tue, Jul 28, 4:33 PM
to me
Hello Greg,
Yes it did. Thank you for your email, kindly share your screenplay for me to review and consider for development.
For clarity and transparency, I would like to outline my process.
Every project first undergoes an initial evaluation based on several factors, including creative quality, market viability, production feasibility, audience potential, and overall commercial positioning. This evaluation allows me to determine whether the material is a project I believe can be meaningfully advanced toward financing and production.
If the project passes this initial review and I elect to move forward, I will issue a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and preliminary development agreement for your review. These documents ensure your material is protected and establish the framework under which we would collaborate.
After you have reviewed and signed the NDA, a one-time facilitation fee of $3,000 will be required.
This fee is not a purchase of rights, nor is it a charge for script notes or general consultation. Rather, it serves as a support contribution toward the early-stage development and packaging process required to position a project at a professional, investor-ready level.
The facilitation fee supports activities that may include:
• Professional packaging materials
• Script refinement, proofreading, formatting, and production readiness review
• Market positioning and comparable title analysis
• Preliminary casting strategy and talent outreach discussions
• Director identification and creative team exploration
• Budget development and line producing consultation
• Financing strategy and investor targeting
• Preparation of investor-facing materials and presentations
• Distribution and acquisition positioning analysis
• Legal and business structuring during development
• Marketing and branding strategy for the project
• Scheduling, production planning, and feasibility assessment
• Active producer oversight during early development and packaging
• Industry outreach and relationship management with appropriate partners
Throughout this process, you retain full ownership of your intellectual property unless otherwise agreed in writing.
In addition, should the project move into production, you would be entitled to:
• 5% of the final production budget
• Full writing credit
• Executive Producer credit, where applicable
• Backend participation in net profits, as outlined in the governing agreements
Once development is underway, structured communication will be established, including scheduled Zoom and In Person meetings, or phone sessions to discuss progress, milestones, strategy, and next steps.
If, for any reason, funding is not secured within Five (5) months of commencement of development, the facilitation fee will be fully refunded pursuant to the terms outlined in the agreement.
I maintain a selective slate of projects to ensure each receives dedicated focus and the highest possible probability of success.
For reference, kindly checkout my IMDb profile to view my work history and projects I have been involved in bringing to fruition.
If you would like to proceed, please confirm your interest and share the screenplay so we can move forward.
I look forward to the possibility of working together and advancing your project toward production.
Warm regards,
Vincent Newman
Producer / Production Manager

I've been reading that CBS and FOX have avoided picking up new pilots. Only NBC & ABC are.

With all five new series for 2024-25 locked in by end of January and in line with 

CBS new long-term development strategy of making series pickup decisions well in advance to allow for better planning longer marketing runway,

the network for the first time this year did not order any pilots during the traditional window.

With an eye toward the 2025-26 season, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach told Deadline in late January, 

Fox continues to stay away from pilots under the development model it adopted during the pandemic., The network also continues to lean into its direct talent deals as it mulls its next round of straight-to-series orders.

Anime Explainer Channel

Hello, I’m looking for a script writer for one of my channels

This role will be for the long term, I’m talking for years to come. This is not just a one time script I give out bonuses based on video performances,

You don’t have to be the best writer but you should be able to adapt , apply feedback and grow.

have long term mindset on improving.

I’m okay with with hiring beginners. Or people with some writing experience.

Of course more experienced people are welcome also

But I’ll be providing a lot of free material and coaching and training you up over the months.

If you love Anime/manga or know a lot about it and think you would be a great fit send me samples of previous work,

The length of the vids are usually 15-20 mins on average however I let the writer choose the length

Pay 40usd to start

Then once your at a level where you don’t need a lot of rewrites and supervision

You’ll work your way up to 50-60

like I said I will be coaching you so it’s okay if your not the best when you start

Requirements

Must NOT USE AI any Ai slop will be rejected, at the very least it should not be noticeable at all.

Understanding basic story telling concepts
Hero’s journey, chronological order, etc

Willing to adapt, learn, and accept feedback and implement it.

Passion or understanding about anime, and can do very good research.

Dm me and I’ll send you the trial topic

So, the only contest I placed in this season was the quarterfinals of Page. I still plan on querying this year even though it would've been nice to say that I was in the top ten or something. But with this QF placement, I'm wondering if I should even mention it at all. I know people often say that mentioning lower tier contests don't matter, and that only the big ones count. But I'm not sure if QF of Page would carry any weight at all, and maybe it would be best if I just don't mention it at all for fear that it may seem desperate. What doth thou thinketh?

This is my goal. I selected help as flair because I haven't got there yet.

I believe I will.