After 29 years of writing screenplays professionally, here is my rewrite process for every action line. 1. What emotion do I want to evoke from the reader? 2. Does the line evoke it? 3. If not, rewrite it until it does. 4. If no emotion is intended, is it as succinct as possible? 5. If not, rewrite it until it is. 6. If the line is not emotionally or visually needed, cut it. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹: clarity of intent and emotional truth. Never sacrifice either one.

The inciting incident isn't just about the plot. And it's certainly not just about the page count. Design an ordinary world that is uniquely disrupted by this event. What did the protagonist expect they would get, and how does the inciting incident give them something else? Make sure it leads us to the dramatic question. Most of all, make it emotional. Evoke in us the same emotion the protagonist feels. Do it right, and it goes beyond plot; it's a trampoline bounce of dramatic momentum and emotional pull that launches us into the story.

It's the story that matters. Know what it is. Define it. Whether you're writing a horror film, a comedy, action or suspense, make it personal. Make it emotional. Ideas are great. But don't get trapped in them. We don't need more intellectual ideas. We need more humanity.

You don't want the audience waiting for what happens next. You want them in anticipation of it. They know a result is coming. They need to know it; they just don't know what it will be. This means controlling the narrative momentum, stakes, and tension. It's your job to keep them engaged. Don't ask for their patience. Very few of them will give it.

Characters sounding the same in your screenwriting is less about how they speak and more about how you've defined them. Give each character a clear WANT. Give them a distinct POV. Let them react truthfully. Do this, and the problem of sounding the same takes care of itself.

Confidence is a difference-maker in your screenwriting. If you don't think this is a great story worth being excited about, we won't. Practice being confident in your screenwriting by making strong choices. Be decisive with your characters and what you want in each moment. Then execute it to the best of your abilities. Early on, they don't even have to be the best choices. Just train yourself to make them. If you get into the habit of making choices, you will get better at the choices you make.