5-Minute Screenwriting Checkup

The awesome comedy writer (and future BBF) Nick Watson posted the other month on Medium an insightful list of prevailing problems he’s found with scripts.

Here’s a little excerpt:

The most fundamental ‘formula’, or elements of story, are the same as a good logline:

A (protagonist) must do (action) in pursuit of (a goal) despite (obstacles), or else (stakes).

You cannot tell a satisfying story if it is missing any of these 5 elements.
Try it.

In my experience, the most common issues I see in scripts can be divided into two areas: Problems with story, and problems with craft.

Whether you’re outlining your story or rewriting your script, I’d definitely go over Nick Watson’s list.

It’s a dozen bullet points, and a very nice TL;DR on vital screenwriting items that need to be addressed.

Write on.