Screenwriters Don't Know How Long Scripts Should Run
16 posts across 2 communities since Jul 2026; 94% from r/Screenwriting.
“Ik you can say f*** only once, but i thought you could say anything else infinite times, i get you can't say d*** like every other word but what about ass and damn?”
“Hello, I’m a male screenwriter, and I love teen dramas (like Gilmore girls, the OC, Dawson’s creek, one tree hill). I feel like there has been a drought of lack of male teen representation in the mainstream media lately. So as a response to that, I’m writing about male teenagers…”
“That's an interesting problem. I see where you're coming from. If I were in your shoes, I might write the version of the script you're talking about - replacing lyrics with explaining what the song is telling us - and once I had that where I liked it, I would find a…”
Numerous posts express challenges in screenwriting, including developing characters and themes for TV, navigating script length limitations in musicals, dealing with language restrictions, and seeking feedback on scripts. There's also a desire to access existing scripts for analysis.
SOURCES (33)
“How do you approach writing a musical scene, especially when there are lyrics involved? Do you generally try to avoid including full songs, or do you think they can work well in written form? If you do include them, how do you accurately convey everything…”
“Hey all! My writing partner and I are currently writing a pilot for an animated sitcom. My question is, do we need to specifically write ACT (1,2,3) before starting a new act or is that seen as pointless nowadays? I'm getting conflicting information online. Thanks! submitted by /u/JazzmatazZ4 [link] [comments]”
“Basically, I just wanted to know what to do after I've written my screenplay and have gone through all the draft versions and have the final version at hand. Like what should I do now? Any response is appreciated, especially from those who have had the oppurtunity for thier script to be on-screen. Thnx! submitted by /u/VladTrasson [link] [comments]”
“Do you write the lyrics as dialogue, or do you write them into the script as something else, or is that a job for the songwriter snd not the screenwriter? submitted by /u/Nb-7925 [link] [comments]”
“Need tips/reccomendations/links on writing a short script without dialogue. May sound stupid but think of silent films/mute actors/non traditional actors . I'm working on a film/music video. I've got a pretty developed visual description of what happens and a shotlist to accompany it. I want to check and compare what I have so far to a checklist/some parameters. So I know if my story feels like an actual story and not just a compilation of fragmented moments. Simply put my story follows”
“Hi all. Aspiring screenwriter here. I'm in the process of studying screenwriting as I'm aiming to adapt my novel into a screenplay. I'm currently studying McKee's Story and am loving it, but have just read the section where he states that every scene must turn, otherwise it's likely exposition and would be best cut. How strictly true is this? Because, I dunno... When I read it, it immediately felt quite restrictive to me and 'off' for a reason I couldn't really pi”
“I’m on the 7th draft of my feature script, and the one aspect I can’t seem to determine is how to end it. For context , it’s a horror/drama about finding your path in life and not getting trapped by the pre-existing powers that be. The pro has exposed the evil that traps her and plans to escape with the side pro. And I don’t know where to go from there. I’ve tried the super optimistic approach( everyone escapes and the day is saved, the ambiguous approach (success for pro but evil still lurks),”
“I'm new to screenwriting and I've been looking at a few on scriptslug.com. Are these drafts? If so, do final drafts look dramatically different in terms of formatting and what is in scene descriptions? Thank you submitted by /u/Emergency-Purpose335 [link] [comments]”
“Hey all, I am new to screenwriting and have always been interested in the film industry so I thought to gain experience before entering my intro to film class in college next year, I would give writing a script a whirl. Since I am a beginner and I need to know how to write a screenplay (like formatting) and what to include (like literary devices and things like that). I have an outline in my head and it is going to be a teenage movie with the main character being a teenage boy. So to prepare I w”
“For context, I love musicals, I have since i was young and i've been wanting to make for a few years now, and a few days ago, I bit the bullet and started writing a movie musical, but i've gotten to the first song and have been struggling with whether or not I should inculde the lyrics, primarily concerned about exceeding the recommended amount of pages, and with the concern that I am not a musician in the slightest and that the songs probably won't turn out all too good if I tried t”
“So when I work on movie scripts, I've found it easy to outline everything! My story usually has a central theme / thematic question, and then I can build a bunch of characters who come at that from different angles and they go on this journey to agree / accept the main theme. I can add side-characters who help them along this journey of learning the theme, each sequence pushes them closer or further away from the theme. I've been able to keep my stories cohesive like this. But now I'”
“Ik you can say f*** only once, but i thought you could say anything else infinite times, i get you can't say d*** like every other word but what about ass and damn? submitted by /u/Different_Belt2523 [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I’m a male screenwriter, and I love teen dramas (like Gilmore girls, the OC, Dawson’s creek, one tree hill). I feel like there has been a drought of lack of male teen representation in the mainstream media lately. So as a response to that, I’m writing about male teenagers in an all boys school as they navigate through life. The problem is, I feel like male teenagers aren’t really interested in teen dramas, and I want to have a good amount of a male fanbase of it (perhaps 50/50 is good). W”
“Does anyone know of they will release the Off Campus scripts to the public anytime soon? The teleplays/PDF's not the transcripts. I have finally watched it all the way through and I love the show, I would really like to see the pilot episode, Dean and Allie's episode the most, but the other episodes as well. Please comment and let me know if you find them. submitted by /u/Miraculous4_2 [link] [comments]”
“Anyone try submitting to TikTok's Script Scout and they only got a questionnaire without being able to submit the script itself? I don't know if I missed the attach button (I had to submit on phone) or if this is just part of the process. I wrote a 30-episode micro-series for this so I hope I get to submit it! submitted by /u/Starza [link] [comments]”
“Title: The Premiere Format: TV Series (Pilot) LINK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-NwyLAuj88t2UmGtqC3Q1IlwQjxOIDE4/view?usp=sharing Length: 68 Pages Logline: When a celebrity exposé breaks on the night of the studio’s biggest premiere, veteran publicist Steven Thatcher must contain the fallout in real time — only to find the real scandal isn't on the red carpet, but inside his own team. Genre: Workplace drama (comps - Industry / The Morning Show) Looking for feedback on dialogue, characte”
“Sad to say, I'm not sure teen boys are watching much TV at all, and definitely not teen dramas. It's more stuff like THE BOYS, hard comedies, or animated stuff like Rick and Morty, anime, and adult genre fare. (Which girls and women watch too.)”
“Write a comedy drama. Watch Barry Levinson's DINER, Breaking Away, and George Lucas's American Graffiti.”
“Based on your comps, my guess is you're about my age (late 30s-early 40s) and so my suggestion is try and find some male teenagers to talk to. Figure out what they're interested in and try to write the show around that. I do think there's an audience for this kind of thing, but it needs to feel genuine.”
“My info may be outdated, but teen-boy audiences don't tend to gravitate towards teen dramas as much as teen-girls do. Teen boys identify more with older male superheroes.”
“Write something that you would enjoy. If there's a market for it, you can improve on your fundamentals as you grow in skill and networking.”
“I feel like writing with an audience in mind cripples my creativity. I just write what I feel is good and in my own voice. I want people to see the script/movie/show and know that it was written by me”
“I feel like Teen Wolf was a pretty male-oriented teen drama, One Tree Hill has a similar feeling because they both have male leads. I think just look at past examples that have male leads and look at what they did and why they were successful. You should also look at shows that you love too, because you’re an example of the audience you’re trying to reach”
“Write the movie you would want to see. Thinking about things like promotion is putting the cart waaaaay before the horse.”
“Yeah I was thinking Friday Night Lights. If you're focusing on teenage boys without sports I think you're going to get a majority female audience even if you try to intentionally write for teenage boys”
“yea my first thought was “these male dominated teen shows exist! they’re just about gay men! and the audience is still mostly women” and when i think about what my younger brother was watching as a teen it was mostly Community and Breaking Bad, so.. both adult casts with a mixed gender cast”
“You know what made teenaged me very interested in watching a teen drama? Sarah Michelle Gellar. And to a lesser extent Shiri Appleby. I'm not sure a male-dominated setting is the way to appeal to teenage boys.”
“This is so wildly unnecessary. If you're a guy who likes teen dramas, then you already know what guys who like teen dramas like. Just write that. But if you want some real advice, I was a huge fan of teen dramas that also had supernatural lore, like Teen Wolf and TVD. But also, as another commenter said, writing for an audience in mind may cripple your creativity. If it's good, the audience will find you.”
“Ooh, this is a good one! No, every episode doesn't need to hammer the same thematic lesson. TV is usually broader than that. What matters is that the stories feel like they belong to the same show. Romance subplots, side adventures, bottle episodes, and character-focused episodes are all fine if they're arising naturally from the characters and engine rather than feeling random. Okay, so with movies, it's all about the character arc . What is the main character's want? What is th”
“I don't subscribe to the consideration of character and theme as something separate from, or informing to, the plot. I find it to be pointless - and I wouldn't be able to tell you the clear central theme in any of my own work or in any movies at all for that matter; unless I was instructed to think actively think about theme - but that would be an exercise in reverse engineering and screenplays are written going forwards. I mean, my favorite movie of all time, is The Great Escape; no ide”
“That's an interesting problem. I see where you're coming from. If I were in your shoes, I might write the version of the script you're talking about - replacing lyrics with explaining what the song is telling us - and once I had that where I liked it, I would find a lyricist/composer to work with on it. Otherwise, I think it would be a very rough script to give that to someone for feedback or consideration without the lyrics, since they should be integral to the movie.”
“Okay I totally understand what you're talking about. I wrote for a musical film at Disney Animation and because of the long process for making those, you're often writing much if not all of the script without the songs ready yet. Something I'd do in your position is find a way to format something slightly differently or at least call out when a SONG is happening. Then I'd give AS MUCH INFORMATION as possible about it so that we know at least what the purpose and vibe of the song”