Hi There,
This fortnight, some of the notes I made as I was reading script submissions for the 2025 Channel 4 screenwriting course. None of these are ‘rules’ (there are no rules!), just observations I made in the moment of reading, thoughts that occurred to me in the process of reading so many scripts –
A word of congratulations to all the writers who submitted scripts. Just to write and finish a script is a brilliant achievement of which you should be very proud and it’s an enormous privilege to be able to read the scripts. For the readers, it’s like our own personal festival of new writing. The quality and range is amazing, the worlds you take us into, the people you introduce us to, it’s such a pleasure.
Good screenwriting is utterly visually specific – let the reader share your vision of the scene.
Action is even more important than dialogue.
Start with a person or an action not an empty location.
There are so many scripts with really good writing that also don’t have a story hook – so I don’t know why I’m reading what I’m reading. Pose narrative questions. Stories need suspense, tension, intrigue, mystery, secrets.
Our plea as we read – grab me in the first ten pages, we really want you to.
Write your truths – there’s something magically relatable about your truths no matter how niche or weird they are. Truth is relatable whereas received, derivative writing isn’t.
Clarity is so important when you are reading a lot of scripts. Every new one is a challenge – a whole new world and characters to get your head round. So make it as easy as possible for us. Tell your story as clearly as possible. It’s so demoralising having to struggle to understand what is going on.
Joy, visceral, emotive, honest, personally-committed, impassioned. The qualities that bring scripts alive.
It makes such a difference when there is a clear, intriguing, inherently dramatic (or comic) story premise / hook – and everything is about playing out this premise, meaning every scene has a clear story purpose and the story has a sense of connection and escalation.
On the other hand there are scripts that in many respects are very well-written but don’t have this compelling story hook – so don’t grip you as you’d hope.
There’s so much writing talent out there – what a treat.
Give your lead character clarity of aim – something the audience can care about, make us stick with the story, in the hope the character will succeed.
Tropes – if you’re going to use over-familiar screenwriting / narrative tropes – eg the teaser followed by ‘10 days earlier’ caption, make sure you use it bloody well – because you can be assured there will be a LOT of people using the same device; and readers will develop an inevitable resistance.
Going into a scene of police officers arriving at SOC – I’m so ready to judge – you have to do something different and surprising with this oh so familiar scene – and I read a lot of these scenes. Similarly with the flash-forward teaser.
It’s remarkable how much good writing there is – but how little of this writing translates into truly well-realised stories. Every scene needs to be a unit in your unfolding story.
Judicious information in the directions – all info should be visual and absolutely pertinent to story – directions should be story.
A sense of fun / humour / joy counts for a lot – there are a lot of bleak scripts.
Learn from what you watch – why do the shows you see on TV that work, work? Analyse how the best storytelling works – with tension, suspense and drama. What is the beating dramatic heart of YOUR story?
The importance of research, authenticity. Writers that you give the impression that they are experts in the world they’re writing about.
When reading so many scripts, I become obsessed by the quality, clarity and economy of the opening words and scenes. These opening moments really need to register.
Things I saw too much of – People taking drugs and dancing in nightclubs. Social media influencers. Unsurprising flash-forward teasers. Monologues for the stage where a single character tells us their story in a straightforward and undramatised way. Miserable, nihilistic scripts. Exposition through domestic photos; accidental killings.
Don’t under-estimate the vital importance of visually helpful character descriptions / introductions.
Too few of the scripts I read benefitted from the virtue of form – one example that stood out – a 30 min film about a school year, all set in one state secondary school classroom, from a new teacher’s POV, a new scene for every month of her first year of work.
You can tell so much from the look of a script on the page – the balance of action and dialogue.
Tender, loving, human moments between characters count for a lot – they cause us to invest.
Don’t start your script at the domestic beginning of the day – so many scripts do.
Some great examples of CVs that articulated their individual passion and writing sensibility. Remember that your CV is your personal pitch – we want to work with interesting, engaged, strong-minded individuals with an interesting take on the world.
The process is of necessity brutal – picking 12 writers from 2060 scripts. There are no rules, no absolutes – just opinions, emotions and gut feelings.
Anyway, I hope some of these observations are helpful. Thank you again for giving the 8 of us the privilege and education of reading so many good scripts.
Script Reading & Development Q&A April 16th 6-8.30pm
I’m taking bookings for my next running of this 2 ½ zoom session for the evening of Wednesday April 16th.
A testimonial from the January session –
‘Philip’s Script Reading & Development Q&A was packed with insightful advice around starting an editorial career in the industry. I received feedback on my CV and clear, actionable pointers to use when contacting companies for script reading work. Philip’s focus on the ‘how to’ of finding opportunities really sets the session apart – I came away inspired with pages of notes and a mile long to-do list!’
CRAIG ROSE
The next newsletter will on Friday April 4th,
Best wishes
Phil
PHILIP SHELLEY
Friday March 21st 2025
