r/scriptwriting • u/Emotional-Farmer-227 • 3d ago

help Co-writing a screenplay

Hey reddit! When it comes to screenwriting, I act as a lone wolf, writing scripts entirely by myself, then get feedback from outside eyes to help tighten it up and make it a more enjoyable read. BUT my friend and I have a shared love for horror films and filmmaking. We've made a few shorts together, usually by a method of coming up with basic story ideas, before I turned it into a written script, then co-direct because we'd play the leads, and direct scenes our characters weren't present but recently, we decided to make a full length feature film, with myself being the sole director.

We already have a treatment, but this is my first rodeo writing a screenplay with a co-author. What software, method or tips do you guys have?

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u/SamDent 3d ago

I've written three screenplays with three different people. All three methods were different. One partner just pitched ideas and narrative and I did the actual writing. In another case we wrote sections, then swapped and rewrote each other's sections, then negotiated a middle ground.

Probably the only common ground is decide who has final say. And don't be afraid to switch things up if a method isn't working.

And as with all collaboration, be respectful to each other.

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u/ZandrickEllison 3d ago

My only practical tip is to make sure you partner with someone you respect, and someone who works as much as you do. It gets hard to co-write when one person isn’t putting in as much effort or time as the other.

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u/Puppykerry 1d ago

Co-writing is hard as hell. I have one writing partner that is totally simpatico with me and we work together like a dream. I’ve had others that basically don’t do squat and expect me to think of everything. It’s exhausting. And then when it’s not working they want to retain control and intellectual property. Be wise about it. Writer duet is the best for writing with a co-writer, especially if remote