November’s Buzz:

PITFALLS: SIX REASONS SPEC SCRIPTS FALL SHORT OF SUCCESS
(Copyright 2002)

By
Joanne Lammers and Kathryn McCullough

This column was inspired by an email question we received, asking us what major mistakes we most often see in scripts we read for studios. We will discuss some of these problems in greater depth in future essays.

1) Minor characters take over the story and become more interesting than the protagonist.

In many scripts by beginning writers, especially in contest entries, the protagonist is often more reactive than active. For example, in a thriller, the hero or heroine may be investigating a murder, yet most of the clues and/or confrontations happen through other characters or via exposition, robbing the reader and future audience of the excitement of seeing the story unfold through the hero or heroine's active participation.

2) Characters who are present simply as instruments of the plot.

Ideally a movie is about a person who undergoes an experience and changes as a result. This applies to action films as well as romantic comedies. Scripts that rely solely on plot machinations are lifeless and are also unlikely to attract actors. As a result, studios are not interested in them.

3) A plot that fails to move beyond its premise.

There are a lot of scripts with clever concepts that never develop beyond the set-up, and end up superficial and disappointing as a result. At some point in the script (usually halfway in), there needs to be some new development -- some complication that takes the plot to a higher level. This is the “aha!” moment, when you know this story is not going to follow a predictable formula, but is going to take you somewhere unexpected. The premise should just be the starting off point, not the be-all and end-all of the script.

4) Not enough conflict.

Greg Beal, the Administrator of the Nicholl Fellowships, says this is the Number One problem in the Nicholl submissions -- among the best scripts in the competition. Whether a screenplay is a comedy, period drama, coming-of-age piece or thriller, multiple conflicts and layers are crucial to engaging a reader.

5) Overwritten set-ups.

This problem is very common but is relatively simple to fix. Many writers overwrite the first act, including a lot of back-story and exposition that is simply not necessary. While it can be helpful to do this in a first draft, since the writer is often still getting to know the characters and situation at this stage, in the final version of the script it is much better to get into the story as quickly as possible. Readers will recommend a good story with this problem, but the flaw could prevent the script from getting past the next level, since executives often stop reading a script if it does not grab them in the first few pages.

6) The script fails to excel on all levels.

There are a lot of "okay" scripts where the writing craft may be high but the idea is limited or worn. There are also a lot of poorly crafted scripts where the idea shows promise but the writer falls short in executing the idea. It's rare to read a script that combines an intriguing premise, memorable characters and taut execution. That combination is the "magic" that one hears about in writing classes, seminars or story meetings.

These are challenging but important issues for writers to be aware of, especially those writers trying to break into the business. Judge your scripts ruthlessly, and share them with fellow writers for feedback, in order to make sure that you have not fallen short in any of these areas. This will raise you to the top of the pile of the tens of thousands of scripts that pass through production offices and studios every year.