Since contest-submission season will be here before you know it, today I thought I’d share a PDF guide I put together a while ago that addresses the first ten pages of your screenplay.
As I mention in the guide, those first few pages are the reader’s first impression of your screenplay and they’re vital for letting the reader know they’re in good hands. The trust you earn in those first pages can go a long way to keeping a reader on your side should you want to break “rules” or do things a little differently in order to tell your story.
So while the first 10 pages aren’t actually more important than the rest of the screenplay, in some situations they may have a little more responsibility to bear. Especially if the reader doesn’t have an obligation to read the entire screenplay, for example. Then the relationship you form with the reader could be crucial.
There are basically three components of starting your relationship off on the right foot:
- Make a good first impression
- Win them over
- Build trust
Makes sense, right? Just like a job interview, dating, or really anytime you meet someone new, you go through these phases in forming a connection.
As a quick overview of what’s in the PDF, the 10 tips are:
- White space
- Clarity
- Correct sluglines (scene headings)
- Fresh choices
- Emphasize the visual
- Establish a vivid world
- Introduce someone fascinating
- Trim scenes
- Consistent tone
- Make them feel
You’ve heard me talk about several of these points in more depth in other articles as well, and I’ve linked to a couple of those additional resources.
But I’m also planning to go a little more into some of these topics in upcoming weeks. Specifically we’ll talk about fresh choices and how to make them, establishing a vivid world and world building in screenplays, and we’ll also do a whole series on scenes and scene-writing in the near future.
For now – enjoy the Fix Your First 10 Pages guide!