In the old Seinfeld sitcom, Jerry used to reject women for the most mundane, superficial reasons. Her hands were too big. She spoke too softly. She ate peas one at a time. Likewise, readers can reject scripts for reasons that, to the uninitiated, can seem equally perfunctory. But their impact can be just as devastating.
While this may seem grossly unfair, the truth is that an experienced script reader can usually spot a problematic screenplay within seconds. Sometimes without even reading a single line. This is because most non-professional writers tend to make similar mistakes – to fall into the same deadly traps – and these errors are red flags that signal danger ahead.
Avoiding these traps is actually easy – if you know what to look for.
Here are 10 of the most common screenwriting mistakes – and how you can fix them:
1. Scripts are too long – or too short. Before they even read a script, readers will check page length. The standard length for a feature film is 90 to 120 pages (which translates to 1.5 hours to two hours of running time). It’s 25 to 30 pages for a TV sitcom, 45 to 60 pages for a dramatic TV episode. Deviate from these lengths and readers suspect you don’t know – or don’t care – what industry buyers want. Even a feature script coming in at 121 or 122 pages will raise eyebrows, suggesting the writer is too protective of their work to make the necessary edits. Aim for a length between 100-110 pages to make a strong impression. That’s the Goldilocks length: Not too short, not too long.
2. Formatting is wrong. There are no hard and fast rules for formatting Hollywood screenplays, but there are conventions. Conventions that have been around for decades. Virtually all modern screenwriting software automatically formats location slugs, character slugs, dialogue, and action description for you in accordance with these conventions. Buy one of these apps. Use it. It’s worth the investment.
3. The writing is too dense. Readers will sometimes refer to the “grey wall of doom.” This describes a page that is filled margin-to-margin with description. Such writing, even if the prose is at the level of Thomas Pynchon, can be a torture to wade through and will put the reader in a very bad mood. What readers want to see is white space. Lots of white space. Break paragraphs up. Write in short, punchy sentences. Your job is not to impress the reader with your literary skills but to keep the eye moving.
4. The description is unfilmable. A screenplay is not a novel. Action lines that include phrases like, “He understands…”, “She realizes…” or “He smells like…” are internal and therefore unfilmable. Likewise, introducing a character by including biographical information not only reveals a lack of craft, but it slows the reader down. And you never want to do that. In screenwriting you must restrict yourself to what actually appears on the screen. If it can’t be seen or heard, it shouldn’t be in your screenplay.
5. The description is irrelevant. This is an issue 90% of screenwriting “how-to” books never address. To get readers to picture a character or setting in their minds, many amateur screenwriters will load up their description with visual details like a character’s age, eye or hair color, height, their specific wardrobe, or a room’s décor. Not only do these details usually have no direct impact on the story but including physical descriptions of characters can prove counterproductive if the script is offered to an actor who doesn’t match that particular image. Keep your descriptions terse with enough wiggle room to accommodate alternate choices.
6. The description is superfluous. Along these same lines, taking time to describe a generic setting like a hospital E.R., a courtroom, a police station, a doctor’s office, a computer server farm, or even a small rural town is just a waste of page space and the reader’s time. We all know what a motel room looks like. We know what a teenage boy’s bedroom looks like. Unless there is something specific to the story that must be noted for future reference, just slug your location and get on with it!
7. The opening scene is boring. Your first scene is your calling card. It tells the reader whether or not they’re in the hands of a master storyteller or a wannabe. An opening scene should not only be intriguing, it should be original. Opening with action is great – but avoid cliches like a man or woman being chased through the woods (The opening of 80% of all spec horror movies) or a young couple driving up to their just-purchased country house (The opening of the other 20% of all spec horror movies). Opening scenes need not focus on action. A provocative line of dialogue can be just as enticing. Two favorites: From The Fly (1986) by Charles Edward Pogue and David Cronenberg: “What am I working on? Uhh… I’m working on something that will change the world, and human life as we know it.” From The Social Network (2010) by Aaron Sorkin: “Did you know there are more people with genius IQ’s living in China than there are people of any kind living in the United States?” Opening lines like this impel the reader to read on.
8. Dialogue is blatantly expository. Dialogue is one of the most efficient ways to convey information to the audience – but when it is clearly created for this purpose, it calls attention to itself and draws the reader out of the “cinematic” experience. The most egregious examples of this are when characters exchange information they should already know. Prefacing dialogue with phrases like, “As you know…”, “Don’t forget…” or “Remember when…” are dead giveaways that this dialogue exists purely for the purposes of exposition. And it’s painful to read. You can avoid this trap by hiding exposition in conflict, in problem-solving, or by creating a situation in which “info dumps” are a natural part of the process. (Examples: Press conferences, police interrogations, job interviews, courtroom testimony, etc. Note: All of these settings also contain an element of conflict, which makes them inherently dramatic.)
9. Directing on paper. A spec screenplay is not a blueprint for filming a movie or TV episode. It is, above all else, a sales tool designed to tell a tale as effectively – and economically – as possible. This means your script shouldn’t contain camera angles, shot descriptions, or even phrases like “We see….” or “Camera sees…” You can cleverly suggest shots by using character names as scene slugs, e.g.:
JACK
exits his car and heads for the bar.
Or, when necessary, you can direct by using simple imperatives, such as:
FIND Jack sitting at the bar.
The same goes for directing actors. Don’t waste time with bits of “actor business” like having them sit, stand, pace, look out the window, pick up drinks, etc., just to give them something to do. Only use parentheticals (e.g. [angrily]) when the intended delivery is different from what the dialogue suggests. Pauses/beats and other pacing directives should be used sparingly and only when necessary to achieve a specific effect.
10. Typos. Typos, spelling errors, and grammar errors are obvious no-no’s. They pull the reader out of the script and suggest a lack of quality control by the writer. In years past, they’ve been difficult to avoid, even with “Spell check” activated. Not anymore. Even if you abhor using AI for creative purposes, you should still run your finished script through ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to check for typos and correct them accordingly.
Knowing and avoiding these common mistakes is no guarantee of screenwriting success. But avoiding these traps puts your script in a better position to be evaluated on its more important elements – premise, story, characters, dialogue – which is how you wanted it judged in the first place. – Allen B. Ury