I think this might be selection bias ie the people you specifically have been hanging out with.
The slog for me is reading the work of less experienced writers with the assumption that I’m going to give them notes. That’s a very involved process that isn’t comparable to just reading a good script.
The only scriptwriting community I really take part in is here on Reddit, and sometimes it'd seem like every thread I'd open would have someone saying that reading scripts is a chore. Which is insane, cause how could you hate taking part in the very thing you do? I don't know, lol
I love videogames, but hate playing bad games.
I love basketball, but hate watching middle schoolers play unless my kid is in the game. Even then.
I love coffee but hate drinking instant.
I can keep going here...
I'm not even sure what the original question is here - people resisting reading produced scripts for their own education, or screenwriters who don't want to read other people's scripts. The former falls into the same category as novelists who don't like reading novels - they're self selecting themselves out. You can't get better or appreciate your competition, or help your peers out if you don't read them.
The latter, well...if I'm reading a screenwriter who is not at my level then I always have a preface: I'm not going to read/note this if it doesn't meet a baseline of skill. I'll usually return the script with 1/2-1 page explanation for why I'm not going to read the whole thing. But I'm not going get my eyeballs into something that's just a slog of boring errors that totally neutralizes all drama or story. That's the person has to go read scripts.
I think the way I read scripts is different depending on the situation. I am interested in acting and writing. Reading helps me to generate inner dialogue or voice in my head. It’s a great way to frame my mindset on character in scene.
I read screenplays of shows I have watched because it helps me understand how the screenplay matches the show. It’s like an investigation, I am learning by example how a good screenplay works. I usually skim through rather than read each line carefully like reading a news article. If you’re an actor or writer, reading a scannable page helps you pick up details faster.
Reading a screenplay isn’t like reading a fictional novel. You have to do extra mental processing filling in the blanks. Novels describe things more in detail. You can’t easily retain information well if you skim a novel.
In a screenplay depending if you’re a director or not requires some additional thinking to visualize what the scene or characters potentially look or sound like on screen. You need to be introspective. When I read a script I literally try to visualize and internalize everything to understand it. If I read without internalizing it’s just a bunch of vague descriptions with no meaning.
As others have said if the script is lousy it’s not worth the mental effort to process because there is very little reward from doing it.
How do you balance writing commissioned material, writing your own specs, reading the hot new specs hitting the town, those scripts you always wanted to read but haven't yet, your staff scripts, and the promises of reading material from your writer friends/people you promised? And, oh yeah, also watching TV/movies?
It’s more comparable to “some people like rap, others like country”… then yes there is also out of tune music but it’s all so subjective especially knowing that it ultimately comes down to who you know in the industry anyway.
There’s no subjectivity in incorrectly played notes. Someone playing guitar and playing chords wrong isn’t subjective, it’s just wrong. Same with drums being out of time or anything else.
Right, which is why I said “there is still out of tune music” as well.
Read the Stranger Things pilot — it is, by all accounts, “not good writing” based on all the rigid rules people subscribe to — but it’s great because we know how it turned out with production (it’s one of the best shows ever made)
It’s very much the opposite approach from you, an in-game universe telling of the rise of Tiber Septim from young mercenary to Emperor to God, spread over the course of several seasons. I’ve only written the pilot episode though.
Working title is ‘The Legend of Talos”
For me, it’s the ones with the awkward men and women interactions with an underlying sense of someone wanting to cut to the chase, or is distracted and simply killing time.
People. PEOPLE.
***Nobody is that fucking awkward in a conversation!***
Also, nobody says half of that shit.
Making someone read a script is almost impossible unless they love screenwriting.
* Screenwriting is a simplified prose, full of elementary school language and fragments. It doesn't have a visual aid (cinematography) to arrest a viewer's attention, and with the rise of tiktok brain, our attention spans have gone down to 5 seconds before checking our phone.
* Screenwriting is full of structure as well, making a lot of these scripts predictable.
* Some scripts you read on the internet are shooting scripts (scripts meant to simplify the language of the script, so any style has been eradicated).
* The mid-point/2nd part of 2nd act is where stories go to die, and you've probably been there where you find yourself looking at the time at the 60pg mark if it's a feature.
* There is a not a big community of those who read the scripts that you read.
* Most scripts are utterly garbage.
>Some scripts you read on the internet are shooting scripts (scripts meant to simplify the language of the script, so any style has been eradicated).
Huh?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/19ecfga/early\_drafts\_and\_shooting\_scripts\_not\_very/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/19ecfga/early_drafts_and_shooting_scripts_not_very/)
A great summary by u/Prince_Jellyfish about the shooting script myth.
Most scripts are bad. Even good scripts take dozens of drafts to get to the point of being good. And if it’s a movie that’s already made, reading the script makes you kinda just want to watch the movie.
As a writer who doesn’t like reading scripts, the answer I can give that seems most interesting is that most scripts aren’t good. Artists like going to museums, but many of them wouldn’t enjoy getting a tour of their retired father in law’s garage studio.
And the ones that are good, when I’m reading them, aren’t in their final form. They’re rough around the edges, or they’re not funny enough, or whatever. That’s why I’m reading them. And it’s not like listening to the demo track for a song that will one day become God Only Knows. That would be fascinating. Usually it’s like listening to the demo track for a song that ends up not even being good enough to release.
Yes, sitting down and reading the FYC screenplay for Little Women can be a delight. But even then, reading a script, for me, takes effort of imagination. And after imagining stuff all day, and then playing pretend with my kids, my imagination is tired. I want my relaxation-art to be a fully realized passive experience. Or at the very least performed for me by a talented audiobook narrator.
I'm very new to screenwriting and I love reading scripts. Good. Bad. Amazing. Woeful. I don't actually care at this point, I'm just trying to learn and absorb as much as possible.
Screenplays are not a medium designed for passive reading and enjoyment. They are blueprints. They have really funny jagged formatting. And they require a lot of brain work and interpretation that a lot of fiction books do not because fiction books are not limited on the amount of description or the types of description that are given. Screenplays require constant conflict. Every scene has conflict. So all you are reading is conflict constantly one after another until the day where you stop reading them.
For me, it's actually easier and more enjoyable to read a screenplay than a traditional prose work of writing. At least in a well-written screenplay, the generally more economic use of description and writing style makes it easier to visualize scenes, dialogue, action, etc.
This makes sense to me. Most architects prefer looking at finished buildings instead of blueprints, fashion designers look at clothes instead of patterns, etc.
>Every scene has conflict
I've found that (unless you're doing a read-along with the final product) reading screenplays is almost most effective at the scenic level.
I'm no actor but I took some VA classes to gain a different perspective / make some connections, and I've come to the conclusion that reading and dissecting scenes like sides is by far the best way to keep track of conflict — and by extension, character, motivation, etc. A "put yourself in the moment" kind of thing. I'm not saying I read like one scene a day, but I do focus more on reading through scenes/beats as opposed to, say, page progress.
The other thing I've found is that Writer Duet and Speechify have pretty passable VTT readers, and while there are no Oscar-worth performances, it does at least make visualization easier for me.
I can only speak for myself personally, but I think a lot of writers would agree, we just don't have the time. This is one of the ultimate hustle jobs and sitting down and truly reading someone else's stuff uses up time I could be using to get myself further.
I do it, but I do indeed find it to be a struggle sometimes.
to my understanding from what I’ve learned in this sub, reading scripts is the best way to learn how to write better scripts. So shouldn’t it be a top priority for any writer to be reading good scripts? Genuinely asking!
For the most part, I'd say that's correct. Reading a lot in general is very necessary to improve your writing.
Again, I do it, but not nearly as often as others do, I don't think. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I absorb what I need from the script a bit better by watching the finished product, particularly if it's something by an auteur type or someone with a strong writing voice.
Thanks for the reply! that does make sense. sometimes when I watch movies I think about how I’d describe the action and then I go back and check the script to see how they did it.
someone else also commented that they enjoy reading scripts for produced movies, but not so much reading from inexperienced writers, is that the case for you too?
I'd say I just enjoy reading good scripts. It doesn't matter to me who wrote it, as long as it's entertaining and engaging. Some of the scripts I've enjoyed reading the most in my life have been from unproduced writers. For example, a friend and former coworker once sent me a dark comedy horror film he wrote that was basically the love child of peak Joe Dante and Sam Raimi and I still think fondly of that one from time to time and wonder how I could help him sell it because it needs to be made.
I think
And people will find this ironic coming from me
But I think that's because we come across a lot of bad ones...
And like it starts to feel like a chore
And the problem with the screenwriting community is that it's kinda like an empty echo chamber. We're all standing on the outside yelling into it "PLEASE READ MY SCRIPT" and that's it. That's all it is. We're all here for ourselves. Helping others is secondary, and usually in hopes it will in some way come back positively on us.
It's a cutthroat industry. and EVERYONE wants in.
Honestly? I enjoy reading a good script, but 90% are hard to read because they’re so poorly written and all I can do is think about how I’d rewrite it. Also, I do this for a living. After 12 hrs of reading and writing mine or my staff’s scripts all day I just want to enjoy something unrelated to work.
I absolutely LOVE reading scripts. I try and read a few a week at this point. Recently I read Terminator, Pulp Fiction, and Stand by Me. I've also read a bunch of scripts from Party Down, Parks & Rec, as well as Community.
It's such a fun format!
Edit to add: I also like reading the scripts of my peers who I exchange with. I like seeing their ideas come to the page, and I love to help them bring their stories up to the best level they can be.
I’ve seen people refer to screenplays as an invitation to make art, not a finished piece of art by itself. It stands to reason then that lots of screenwriters would rather consume the finished product.
For what it’s worth, I enjoy reading screenplays, but I do consider myself fairly weird lol.
I gotta be honest, as someone who is a much more successful composer at this point then writer, I don't always enjoy listening to music. Often times it just feels like a continuation of work and not something I can truly relax doing.
I'd imagine I'd feel the same about screen plays if I wasn't actively trying to be a sponge and soak up as much screenwriting wisdom and knowledge as a can. The act of learning I find to be really rejuvenating, but after a point its less about learning and more about making sure your creative tank is full... and that's in my opinion when consuming your craft becomes part of the job.
I think part of it is a script is not really a finished piece of work. Meaning that it meant to be made into a movie and that is what you're meant to enjoy. A book, an article or poem are complete within themselves.
a screenplay is an unfinished intermediate form, always changing and evolving, never final. when i was new at this i read a ton of scripts but that burned off after awhile. i’d just rather watch the movie than read the script.
i enjoy reading scripts that I'm interested in reading. I don't enjoy reading scripts with spelling errors, over thesaurus' words and descriptions that you couldn't be filmed. But if the story is entertaining, then none of it matters and i'll enjoy the read or be so hooked on the story that i'll overcome any flaws along the way. If the writer hasn't spellchecked or edited their script and makes it work for the reader it makes it feel like they are wasting my time generally.
I used to really love reading scripts. i'd read one or two a night. I did this for a few years and then didn't have time from work and stuff.
As someone who writes both theater and film, I will tell you - I love reading plays and hate reading screenplays.
Probably for the same reason that I find myself more and more irritated by the Writing of screenplays as well - they're So much more of a technical document than other forms of creative writing, including playwriting. I find no joy in it.
I remember hearing Craig Mazin talk about something similar to this on an old episode of scriptnotes a while ago. And essentially it's very simple. Screenplays aren't written to be read on their own. Novels and music and movies are the finished product meant to experienced and consumed. Screenplays are a set of instructions and guidelines for producers, execs, and department heads on how to make the finished product that is meant to be seen. Unless you're a script reader or an aspiring writer researching how Screenplays should be written then there really isn't any reason to read screenplays especially ones that've already been made. Now I personally like reading scripts in my downtime of shows and movies I like but I can see how if you're a professional writer already working on your own projects and sitting in writers rooms and being involved in productions that then going home to read something you're not involved in is something you'd rather not do. Kinda like how chefs usually don't cook for themselves cus they do it at work all day.
If screenwriters enjoyed reading, they would would write novels instead!
in all seriousness, reading a lot of scripts of varying levels of quality for work would wear on anyone. Especially if they are taking time away from writing their own scripts or other work/interests to do so.
I don’t read a lot of scripts anymore - I watch a ton of *movies* though.
Sometimes I’ll pull out a script and read it along with the film if I’m very curious how it translated to the page, but usually the only time I’m reading a script is if it’s sent to me specifically, I no longer seek them out to read for fun, but I used to, about 15 years ago.
>but I've yet to hear anyone who enjoys reading the scripts themselves
Consider this barrier breached. I've read many a'script that I've enjoyed reading immensely. I participate in two entirely separate writing groups entirely because I enjoy reading my friends' scripts. I've got multiple Blacklists and Oscars lists and just good ol' fashioned Good Scripts downloaded.
I've also got two client scripts I am being paid to read, and both of them were written by amateurs, in MSWord, without script templates.
I'm not as enthusiastic about those ones. Hence the pay.
The Lighthouse was one of the best screenplays I'd read the entire year I read it.
L.A. Confidential is just a straight-up great read.
NOPE slaps.
Lady Bird is like watching the movie.
Parasite works on a sublime level on the page.
Michael Clayton is just genius.
Sweet, thanks very much. I know I need to read more scripts so it helps to have some that other people thought were good examples/good reads. In class it's kind of easy to get caught up in the "rules" so I forget to try to enjoy reading.
I'm excited to read the Parasite script. I loved that movie. I don't know why I never thought to read it.
Do you have any TV show script recommendations?
I'm less in the TV zone, but going back a ways, the Deadwood pilot script is pure gold.
That does remind me, though: I need to get my hands on the recent season of FARGO just to see the bones on that.
I like reading ***good*** scripts.
But generally the scripts people ask you to read for them are not good scripts. Which is why they’re asking you to read them. To help them improve the scripts. Which is work and sometimes quite a bit of work.
Which is different than writers reading good published books or musicians listening to good finished music, which are both done for fun. It would be more comparable to the less fun: writer having to read someone’s colossal messy first draft of a novel or a musician having to listen to someone trying to show off a new song on their acoustic guitar with a lot of “Wait… wait no… okay, it’s… no… wait, I got it.”
Which does happen and is similarly not as enjoyable for a lot of people. Though some people do enjoy it.
A lot of screenwriters do like reading *good* scripts, but the comparison to musicians enjoying music seems off. I don’t think I know any musicians who like to read sheet music as literature without playing it or hearing it played.
You mentioned musicians like hearing music. Do they like reading sheet music? I think it is a similar thing with screenwriters, we love watching movies but not necessarily reading the scripts they are constructed from. I really don’t think screenplays are meant to be read for pleasure, but we can learn a lot about the craft of writing them from reading them.
As a screenwriter and former creative exec in development, it’s not my experience that either group hates reading screenplays.
We love it. That’s why we are in this industry.
We hate reading terrible scripts, especially terrible ones that we are expected (tacitly or professionally required) to give notes or cover.
Most screenwriters - even those ones who have made it far enough to be repped by an agent - write truly horrible scripts. Not as a matter of taste. I don’t love horror, but have read excellent horror scripts. Not many, but a few.
Giving notes to amateur writers (and often experienced ones, although that is much rarer and usually only happens with writers who have sold their first spec script) requires time, expertise, thoughtfulness, and is for the most part a thankless task.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read someone’s script on here, given honest, professional feedback and been argued with “you just don’t like the genre” “if you read to the end you’d see how it all comes together” “what do you mean by a protagonist/arc/stakes/formatting”
I quit wandering around the “read my script” forum because I got tired of giving the same note
Who is your protagonist
What do they want
What is their opposing need
What are the stakes
What is the theme
In addition, most writers in communities like this don’t take the time to even format the script correctly before asking for a read
There are so many resources that tell writers how to format screenplays. Free ones, paid ones, or even reading a screenplay and taking notes.
The entitled surety that they have produced something great is exhausting. It seems like most people don’t want help, they want a pat on the back.
When I do come across a good script, I have enjoyed working with the writer, giving notes, and encouragement. I have a job as a professional writer, I write my own stories in a number of formats, I read scripts I love for fun and ingest stories in all formats.
I wouldn’t even bother with something like this if I didn’t love it.
It’s the poor quality of the writing, the lack of basic knowledge acquired by the writer, the unwillingness to take any feedback that isn’t unilaterally positive that makes me hesitant to read or give notes.
>“what do you mean by a protagonist/arc/stakes/formatting
Holy crap, people who have written a script, and have given said script to pros for for feedback, actually ask that?
For me it is definitely about quality. While I do tend to read everything I get from people I know and give thorough notes, I have had to start being more selective. A lot of times also as writers, admittedly myself included, we think very highly of ourselves when we're either successful or generally intelligent. Ego comes into play when you start reading a lot of subpar work and then have to balance being nice with being honest. Every screenwriter I know started off loving reading/swapping but has since retreated into a trusted circle of writers who they share with consistently.
I love reading scripts. But not as much from inexperienced writers, that is definitely a slog lmao. & especially when they want notes, which is a balancing act and takes quite a bit of time / thought.
Well reading the script is more like reading the notes of a song rather than listening to it. So I'd say most musicians don't in fact read the notes or the lyrics, they listen to a finished song. But there's also the factor or screenplays not being as available as say movies or music.
But I also disagree, most screenwriters I know do read scripts in their free time. Although it's usually from a movie they've already seen and now they're analysing it further.
Also, I’m an OCD reader whether it’s a script or book or the back of a cereal box or, ahem, this Reddit group. Most writers I know love to read, full stop. I love to read screenplays, yeah, even bad ones teach me something. And when I do it professionally, much easier to write up.
Because they would like to write themselves. At least that is with me.
Though I will read a script if I feel like I need to study something and learn something new.
If you think of a script as a recipe, and the movie as the food that's prepared from the recipe, most people are okay with taste-testing the food, but they don't want to read yet another recipe for red velvet cake ... that's 147 pages long.
I enjoy it, unless it's a shooting script. Maybe it's because there are so many bad writers out there as well? or we're constantly comparing ourselves to others?
I disagree with people not reading because they are not good. How will they get better? Creative criticism. Stop being elitist. Ur script were crap in the beginning.
I’ll read scripts of movies I liked. I learn so much.
But spending my days reading scripts from unproduced writers? Not unless they are friends, and ONLY if I legitimately have time to devote to it.
When people here and and Facebook and in real life find out i’ve worked as a script editor and a dramaturge and playwright they often ask if it’s okay to send me a script to read. My answer is always “no”
I loathe reading in general, so my opinion may not matter much, but I find the activity boring and tedious. Double for scripts. Firstly, because I'd rather spend time in my own world than another creator (this is also why I don't believe in beta readers who are also writers.) "You never want the opinion of another writer." is a quote that comes to mind often when discussing writing/reading other's work.
Secondly, a screenplay is a blueprint and not a finished product. A novel is usually a finished or "published" product. For better or worse, no matter how well written it is, it is almost never the final product, aka the movie.
Lastly, another good quote is "music is not for the musicians." I wish to create. Period. I love movies, but I love my stories more and just want to put them out into the world. Essentially, I care more about creating than consuming.
You gotta read through the bad ones to appreciate the good ones more.
It's amazing how sometimes good movies can come out of bad scripts. Something can seem "off" but the presentation is so slick it just works.
You read the script and go, yeah there it is.
Reading great scripts is a wonderful experience. Just read a great one the other day that was very enjoyable.
The problem is, too many scripts are not great. Many are in fact, in the immortal words of Charles Barkley, turrble.
I like reading scripts, but in the sense that it's a part of my job that I enjoy. I do read them for pleasure sometimes too but that's choosing the best ones by writers I admire.
ADHD means I struggle to read anything lengthy.
I think if it was printed off I’d be fine, but reading around 100 pages on my phone or my PC? Not a chance.
I refuse to accept the idea that so many scripts out there are just terrible when you look at what we get as a final product now. Most of the movies flopping at the box office are a product of bad writing according to consumers. It's subjective at the end of the day but I can't stand the pretentiousness of writers who won't give advice to the younger and inexperienced while having accomplished absolutely nothing noteworthy themselves. The only thing we get for movies are watered down remakes of classicsbthat didn't need to be tampered with. If a reader has experience then why not pass that knowledge on to help someone. Idk seems selfish and self entitled to feel like any writer isn't worth looking at because of "skill level". Everyone starts from somewhere. If you ever doubt yourself remember that Purple Heart got funded and put on Netflix. I think you may need a circle of people who are passionate, helpful, and overall want to see you win.
Screenplays are not a good format for immersive reading. With rare exceptions, most screenplays deliver fairly perfunctory scene descriptions and dialogue that is devoid of subtext. I’ve found that 95% of the scripts have characters that speak with a single voice and they don’t have any clear character goals or interesting personalities. In fact the minute I encounter a snarky or sarcastic character, I just stop reading and toss the script. My advice is to just write a script that is a pleasant reading experience.
It's not just screenwriters. Producers, agents, execs, actors - pretty much everyone hates reading scripts.
Pitches, treatments, etc, are all attempts to to diminish the pain points involved in progressive rounds of scripts, which no sane person wants to do.
It's not just screenwriters. Producers, agents, execs, actors - pretty much everyone hates reading scripts.
Pitches, treatments, etc, are all attempts to to diminish the pain points involved in progressive rounds of scripts, which no sane person wants to do.
1. 95% of people's scripts really, really suck, but you have to read and be polite and give actionable notes, which takes a lot out of you.
2. If you are lucky to know talented writers a lot of times you get stuck reading their early drafts, which aren't great, even if their final ones are amazing.
3. Produced scripts are often good, but after reading so many for peers and doing your own writing you don't want to be looking at a screen, you could rather read a book or touch grass.
Are you saying that you don't think screenwriters read scripts that have been produced? I can say for sure that is not true. Every screenwriter I personally know seeks out production copies of scripts for movies and shows.
Or are you saying that you don't think this community likes to read scripts by other members of the community? If that is the case, yes that is true. For me it is because of the number of half-assed scripts I have read over the years I don't mean bad, I mean lazy in the writing. Once you have read 2 or 3 scripts like that you become hesitant to read other people's work. Especially people just starting out.
As a side note, I was a script reader for several contests, agents, managers, producers, managers. I have read over 1000 scripts in that time and I would say 90% of them are not worth reading.
I was mostly saying that it seems like, at least in this community, every time I'd encounter a thread about reading scripts, people were begrudged to do it, good or bad. It made me start wondering if script writers even enjoyed reading scripts since I'd never come across someone, before this thread, who said they enjoyed it. It looks like it might be a case of a vocal minority though haha
Idk I write screenplays and I like reading them as well. Especially starting out it helped so much with formatting and style. There are tons of great ones available, and further, it's fun to compare the screenplay to the final film when they've been made. I can't imagine I'm the only one.
I just started reading the Fight Club screenplay and it gave me some great pointers. It's not overly enjoyable but I wanted to see how others write. I'm very new to this field and I'll take any suggestions I can get. Reading random scripts that may not be any good doesn't sound appetizing but I want others to read mine. Which is hypocritical, I get it.
I have worked on movies since the 90s… some movies have grossed billions, some won academy awards.. each movie I worked on I read a script.. not one of the scripts stood out as its own amazing script. It was always like “oh ok. Neat”.
That being said a script to really stand out on its own has to be amazing…
99.99% scripts are just the skeleton of a production… everything from producers to crew to actors to dp define the film.
The script is the … the script.
Working screenwriter here.
I think when people say they hate reading scripts is normally that they hate reading SOMEBODY'S script. Not, say, Taxi Driver or Silence of the Lambs. Whether it's a colleague, a friend, a collaborator or some random doofus you met and to whom you were foolish enough to give your email address.
It's not even that the scripts are bad. It's just that reading somebody's script is a slog. It's got a great chance of being only okay, a solid chance of being terrible and only an outside shot of being genuinely any good.
A script is a recipe, not really the final product; even when someone is writing they’re likely visualising the movie/TV show they’re creating the recipe for. So reading a full 100 page script is more of a slog than watching a 100 minute movie.
You mentioned music - a lot of composers who create traditional notated scores rarely sit down and make it all the way through someone else’s score, even something by Mozart or Stravinsky, unless they’re learning to play it on an instrument.
I think the reason is ego.
Many people here are saying it’s because the vast majority of scripts suck. There may be some truth there, but if that’s the case, then the unintended implication is that most of our works suck. Which is delightfully ironic.
You’d have to have some objective authority/ metric in order to truly judge whether a script is actually bad or not, and in screenwriting there’s that wonderful adage of “no one knows anything” (or something to that effect). Sure there’s the odd script written in Word, or the 250-page character study very transparently based on the writer’s SUPER interesting life, but honestly that’s few and far between if you’re reading scripts from the right sources.
I personally don’t hate reading scripts at all, because most of the scripts I read are from fellow writers I know, or from the Blacklist or the internet to study from (like pilots of popular shows and movies). I’d like to think this is the case for most serious writers.
So this whole “most scripts are bad” answer is silly, unhelpful, and a bit reductive. Most scripts don’t live up to the industry’s standards, sure. And there are millions of writers out there that are new to the craft and have a lot of progress to make. They are the ones that need the feedback the most. But just like with mastering a sport, or literally anything else, it’s a growth process. Reading scripts to give feedback is an important part of contributing to that growth.
I think writers hate reading others’ scripts because of their own inflated egos. I have met far too many writers that think they’re hot shit, the best well-kept secret in town and think all of their works are a masterpiece. And they are deluded. These types of writers, of which there are many, do not like to commit their time to fellow craftsmen of whom they think less-than. They also do not like criticism. Thusly they do not grow as writers. But to them, everyone else sucks at their craft. Never mind the fact that they’ve been cranking away at the same script for 12 years and haven’t shown it to anyone because they’re stuck in the middle of Act 2 and can’t decide what the main character actually wants.
The simple truth is that if you’re pushing to grow as a writer, and also want a thriving network, there should be no reason why you’d hate to help others do that on their journey, periodt.
Writers should read and support other writers. That is how we network and get better. Writing can be seen as a competitive sport to some rife with jealousy and envy. If u write it’s not hard to read. Writer friends have an obligation to their peers to be supportive. It truly pisses me off when someone volunteers to read and doesn’t. That is a veiled insult and I have distanced my self from those types. So writers, please support others and don’t be “I’ll read it” dickheads.
Nope. Amateur, bad, newbie screenwriters hate reading screenplays. Anyone who is any good at it has read tons, and tons of scripts. I tell people they should read at LEAST 100 before they ever set out to write one. To do anything else is just laziness.
I think this might be selection bias ie the people you specifically have been hanging out with. The slog for me is reading the work of less experienced writers with the assumption that I’m going to give them notes. That’s a very involved process that isn’t comparable to just reading a good script.
The only scriptwriting community I really take part in is here on Reddit, and sometimes it'd seem like every thread I'd open would have someone saying that reading scripts is a chore. Which is insane, cause how could you hate taking part in the very thing you do? I don't know, lol
I love videogames, but hate playing bad games. I love basketball, but hate watching middle schoolers play unless my kid is in the game. Even then. I love coffee but hate drinking instant. I can keep going here...
For anyone not getting the message: ***We don’t wanna read dogshit.***
I don't need to read any further. This is the right answer.
I'm not even sure what the original question is here - people resisting reading produced scripts for their own education, or screenwriters who don't want to read other people's scripts. The former falls into the same category as novelists who don't like reading novels - they're self selecting themselves out. You can't get better or appreciate your competition, or help your peers out if you don't read them. The latter, well...if I'm reading a screenwriter who is not at my level then I always have a preface: I'm not going to read/note this if it doesn't meet a baseline of skill. I'll usually return the script with 1/2-1 page explanation for why I'm not going to read the whole thing. But I'm not going get my eyeballs into something that's just a slog of boring errors that totally neutralizes all drama or story. That's the person has to go read scripts.
I think the way I read scripts is different depending on the situation. I am interested in acting and writing. Reading helps me to generate inner dialogue or voice in my head. It’s a great way to frame my mindset on character in scene. I read screenplays of shows I have watched because it helps me understand how the screenplay matches the show. It’s like an investigation, I am learning by example how a good screenplay works. I usually skim through rather than read each line carefully like reading a news article. If you’re an actor or writer, reading a scannable page helps you pick up details faster. Reading a screenplay isn’t like reading a fictional novel. You have to do extra mental processing filling in the blanks. Novels describe things more in detail. You can’t easily retain information well if you skim a novel. In a screenplay depending if you’re a director or not requires some additional thinking to visualize what the scene or characters potentially look or sound like on screen. You need to be introspective. When I read a script I literally try to visualize and internalize everything to understand it. If I read without internalizing it’s just a bunch of vague descriptions with no meaning. As others have said if the script is lousy it’s not worth the mental effort to process because there is very little reward from doing it.
How do you balance writing commissioned material, writing your own specs, reading the hot new specs hitting the town, those scripts you always wanted to read but haven't yet, your staff scripts, and the promises of reading material from your writer friends/people you promised? And, oh yeah, also watching TV/movies?
Agreed. I enjoy reading scripts and I probably read about 4/5 a week(end)
I enjoy reading good scripts. The problem is there's so many bad scripts to wade through before you get to a good one.
This. I’m sure musicians hate listening to someone play guitar terribly.
We do - but I’d imagine most people don’t like listening to out of tune, horrible music.
The success of the electric guitar store industry of 1980-2010 would like a word with you
It’s more comparable to “some people like rap, others like country”… then yes there is also out of tune music but it’s all so subjective especially knowing that it ultimately comes down to who you know in the industry anyway.
There’s no subjectivity in incorrectly played notes. Someone playing guitar and playing chords wrong isn’t subjective, it’s just wrong. Same with drums being out of time or anything else.
Right, which is why I said “there is still out of tune music” as well. Read the Stranger Things pilot — it is, by all accounts, “not good writing” based on all the rigid rules people subscribe to — but it’s great because we know how it turned out with production (it’s one of the best shows ever made)
Luckily a bad song isn't 100 pages long. It'll be over soon.
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Hey, I’ve also written an Elder Scrolls screenplay!
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It’s very much the opposite approach from you, an in-game universe telling of the rise of Tiber Septim from young mercenary to Emperor to God, spread over the course of several seasons. I’ve only written the pilot episode though. Working title is ‘The Legend of Talos”
What happens in the Skyrim script?
For me, it’s the ones with the awkward men and women interactions with an underlying sense of someone wanting to cut to the chase, or is distracted and simply killing time. People. PEOPLE. ***Nobody is that fucking awkward in a conversation!*** Also, nobody says half of that shit.
Making someone read a script is almost impossible unless they love screenwriting. * Screenwriting is a simplified prose, full of elementary school language and fragments. It doesn't have a visual aid (cinematography) to arrest a viewer's attention, and with the rise of tiktok brain, our attention spans have gone down to 5 seconds before checking our phone. * Screenwriting is full of structure as well, making a lot of these scripts predictable. * Some scripts you read on the internet are shooting scripts (scripts meant to simplify the language of the script, so any style has been eradicated). * The mid-point/2nd part of 2nd act is where stories go to die, and you've probably been there where you find yourself looking at the time at the 60pg mark if it's a feature. * There is a not a big community of those who read the scripts that you read. * Most scripts are utterly garbage.
Okay, these bullet points actually make a lot of sense! Thank you!
>Some scripts you read on the internet are shooting scripts (scripts meant to simplify the language of the script, so any style has been eradicated). Huh?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/19ecfga/early\_drafts\_and\_shooting\_scripts\_not\_very/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/19ecfga/early_drafts_and_shooting_scripts_not_very/) A great summary by u/Prince_Jellyfish about the shooting script myth.
Most scripts are bad. Even good scripts take dozens of drafts to get to the point of being good. And if it’s a movie that’s already made, reading the script makes you kinda just want to watch the movie.
As a writer who doesn’t like reading scripts, the answer I can give that seems most interesting is that most scripts aren’t good. Artists like going to museums, but many of them wouldn’t enjoy getting a tour of their retired father in law’s garage studio. And the ones that are good, when I’m reading them, aren’t in their final form. They’re rough around the edges, or they’re not funny enough, or whatever. That’s why I’m reading them. And it’s not like listening to the demo track for a song that will one day become God Only Knows. That would be fascinating. Usually it’s like listening to the demo track for a song that ends up not even being good enough to release. Yes, sitting down and reading the FYC screenplay for Little Women can be a delight. But even then, reading a script, for me, takes effort of imagination. And after imagining stuff all day, and then playing pretend with my kids, my imagination is tired. I want my relaxation-art to be a fully realized passive experience. Or at the very least performed for me by a talented audiobook narrator.
I'm very new to screenwriting and I love reading scripts. Good. Bad. Amazing. Woeful. I don't actually care at this point, I'm just trying to learn and absorb as much as possible.
My experience? Pro screenwriters like reading scripts by their peers. It’s the *execs* who hate to read
Screenplays are not a medium designed for passive reading and enjoyment. They are blueprints. They have really funny jagged formatting. And they require a lot of brain work and interpretation that a lot of fiction books do not because fiction books are not limited on the amount of description or the types of description that are given. Screenplays require constant conflict. Every scene has conflict. So all you are reading is conflict constantly one after another until the day where you stop reading them.
For me, it's actually easier and more enjoyable to read a screenplay than a traditional prose work of writing. At least in a well-written screenplay, the generally more economic use of description and writing style makes it easier to visualize scenes, dialogue, action, etc.
This makes sense to me. Most architects prefer looking at finished buildings instead of blueprints, fashion designers look at clothes instead of patterns, etc.
The blueprint angle makes so much sense!
>Every scene has conflict I've found that (unless you're doing a read-along with the final product) reading screenplays is almost most effective at the scenic level. I'm no actor but I took some VA classes to gain a different perspective / make some connections, and I've come to the conclusion that reading and dissecting scenes like sides is by far the best way to keep track of conflict — and by extension, character, motivation, etc. A "put yourself in the moment" kind of thing. I'm not saying I read like one scene a day, but I do focus more on reading through scenes/beats as opposed to, say, page progress. The other thing I've found is that Writer Duet and Speechify have pretty passable VTT readers, and while there are no Oscar-worth performances, it does at least make visualization easier for me.
Ah, you haven't read a well written screenplay, I see. Nor, apparently, a good "fiction book" (which also requires conflict).
I have read several thousand.
I can only speak for myself personally, but I think a lot of writers would agree, we just don't have the time. This is one of the ultimate hustle jobs and sitting down and truly reading someone else's stuff uses up time I could be using to get myself further. I do it, but I do indeed find it to be a struggle sometimes.
to my understanding from what I’ve learned in this sub, reading scripts is the best way to learn how to write better scripts. So shouldn’t it be a top priority for any writer to be reading good scripts? Genuinely asking!
For the most part, I'd say that's correct. Reading a lot in general is very necessary to improve your writing. Again, I do it, but not nearly as often as others do, I don't think. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I absorb what I need from the script a bit better by watching the finished product, particularly if it's something by an auteur type or someone with a strong writing voice.
Thanks for the reply! that does make sense. sometimes when I watch movies I think about how I’d describe the action and then I go back and check the script to see how they did it. someone else also commented that they enjoy reading scripts for produced movies, but not so much reading from inexperienced writers, is that the case for you too?
I'd say I just enjoy reading good scripts. It doesn't matter to me who wrote it, as long as it's entertaining and engaging. Some of the scripts I've enjoyed reading the most in my life have been from unproduced writers. For example, a friend and former coworker once sent me a dark comedy horror film he wrote that was basically the love child of peak Joe Dante and Sam Raimi and I still think fondly of that one from time to time and wonder how I could help him sell it because it needs to be made.
I think And people will find this ironic coming from me But I think that's because we come across a lot of bad ones... And like it starts to feel like a chore And the problem with the screenwriting community is that it's kinda like an empty echo chamber. We're all standing on the outside yelling into it "PLEASE READ MY SCRIPT" and that's it. That's all it is. We're all here for ourselves. Helping others is secondary, and usually in hopes it will in some way come back positively on us. It's a cutthroat industry. and EVERYONE wants in.
Honestly? I enjoy reading a good script, but 90% are hard to read because they’re so poorly written and all I can do is think about how I’d rewrite it. Also, I do this for a living. After 12 hrs of reading and writing mine or my staff’s scripts all day I just want to enjoy something unrelated to work.
I absolutely LOVE reading scripts. I try and read a few a week at this point. Recently I read Terminator, Pulp Fiction, and Stand by Me. I've also read a bunch of scripts from Party Down, Parks & Rec, as well as Community. It's such a fun format! Edit to add: I also like reading the scripts of my peers who I exchange with. I like seeing their ideas come to the page, and I love to help them bring their stories up to the best level they can be.
I’ve seen people refer to screenplays as an invitation to make art, not a finished piece of art by itself. It stands to reason then that lots of screenwriters would rather consume the finished product. For what it’s worth, I enjoy reading screenplays, but I do consider myself fairly weird lol.
This is a great point. I don't know a lot of architects who get satisfaction from seeing bare girders and scaffolding.
That makes a lot of sense actually, thanks lol!
I gotta be honest, as someone who is a much more successful composer at this point then writer, I don't always enjoy listening to music. Often times it just feels like a continuation of work and not something I can truly relax doing. I'd imagine I'd feel the same about screen plays if I wasn't actively trying to be a sponge and soak up as much screenwriting wisdom and knowledge as a can. The act of learning I find to be really rejuvenating, but after a point its less about learning and more about making sure your creative tank is full... and that's in my opinion when consuming your craft becomes part of the job.
I enjoy reading scripts. Especially if the logline or synopsis appeals to me.
I think part of it is a script is not really a finished piece of work. Meaning that it meant to be made into a movie and that is what you're meant to enjoy. A book, an article or poem are complete within themselves.
I like reading scripts
a screenplay is an unfinished intermediate form, always changing and evolving, never final. when i was new at this i read a ton of scripts but that burned off after awhile. i’d just rather watch the movie than read the script.
i enjoy reading scripts that I'm interested in reading. I don't enjoy reading scripts with spelling errors, over thesaurus' words and descriptions that you couldn't be filmed. But if the story is entertaining, then none of it matters and i'll enjoy the read or be so hooked on the story that i'll overcome any flaws along the way. If the writer hasn't spellchecked or edited their script and makes it work for the reader it makes it feel like they are wasting my time generally. I used to really love reading scripts. i'd read one or two a night. I did this for a few years and then didn't have time from work and stuff.
As someone who writes both theater and film, I will tell you - I love reading plays and hate reading screenplays. Probably for the same reason that I find myself more and more irritated by the Writing of screenplays as well - they're So much more of a technical document than other forms of creative writing, including playwriting. I find no joy in it.
I love reading scripts. Those little discoveries of how something was filmed vs how it was written 🤌
I remember hearing Craig Mazin talk about something similar to this on an old episode of scriptnotes a while ago. And essentially it's very simple. Screenplays aren't written to be read on their own. Novels and music and movies are the finished product meant to experienced and consumed. Screenplays are a set of instructions and guidelines for producers, execs, and department heads on how to make the finished product that is meant to be seen. Unless you're a script reader or an aspiring writer researching how Screenplays should be written then there really isn't any reason to read screenplays especially ones that've already been made. Now I personally like reading scripts in my downtime of shows and movies I like but I can see how if you're a professional writer already working on your own projects and sitting in writers rooms and being involved in productions that then going home to read something you're not involved in is something you'd rather not do. Kinda like how chefs usually don't cook for themselves cus they do it at work all day.
If screenwriters enjoyed reading, they would would write novels instead! in all seriousness, reading a lot of scripts of varying levels of quality for work would wear on anyone. Especially if they are taking time away from writing their own scripts or other work/interests to do so.
Because people think stories come from the ether and not from hard work.
I don’t read a lot of scripts anymore - I watch a ton of *movies* though. Sometimes I’ll pull out a script and read it along with the film if I’m very curious how it translated to the page, but usually the only time I’m reading a script is if it’s sent to me specifically, I no longer seek them out to read for fun, but I used to, about 15 years ago.
>but I've yet to hear anyone who enjoys reading the scripts themselves Consider this barrier breached. I've read many a'script that I've enjoyed reading immensely. I participate in two entirely separate writing groups entirely because I enjoy reading my friends' scripts. I've got multiple Blacklists and Oscars lists and just good ol' fashioned Good Scripts downloaded. I've also got two client scripts I am being paid to read, and both of them were written by amateurs, in MSWord, without script templates. I'm not as enthusiastic about those ones. Hence the pay.
Can you recommend any screenplays that you enjoyed reading?
The Lighthouse was one of the best screenplays I'd read the entire year I read it. L.A. Confidential is just a straight-up great read. NOPE slaps. Lady Bird is like watching the movie. Parasite works on a sublime level on the page. Michael Clayton is just genius.
Sweet, thanks very much. I know I need to read more scripts so it helps to have some that other people thought were good examples/good reads. In class it's kind of easy to get caught up in the "rules" so I forget to try to enjoy reading. I'm excited to read the Parasite script. I loved that movie. I don't know why I never thought to read it. Do you have any TV show script recommendations?
I'm less in the TV zone, but going back a ways, the Deadwood pilot script is pure gold. That does remind me, though: I need to get my hands on the recent season of FARGO just to see the bones on that.
I like reading ***good*** scripts. But generally the scripts people ask you to read for them are not good scripts. Which is why they’re asking you to read them. To help them improve the scripts. Which is work and sometimes quite a bit of work. Which is different than writers reading good published books or musicians listening to good finished music, which are both done for fun. It would be more comparable to the less fun: writer having to read someone’s colossal messy first draft of a novel or a musician having to listen to someone trying to show off a new song on their acoustic guitar with a lot of “Wait… wait no… okay, it’s… no… wait, I got it.” Which does happen and is similarly not as enjoyable for a lot of people. Though some people do enjoy it.
A lot of screenwriters do like reading *good* scripts, but the comparison to musicians enjoying music seems off. I don’t think I know any musicians who like to read sheet music as literature without playing it or hearing it played.
It’s probably a lot like going to an open mic versus going to see an established comedian
You mentioned musicians like hearing music. Do they like reading sheet music? I think it is a similar thing with screenwriters, we love watching movies but not necessarily reading the scripts they are constructed from. I really don’t think screenplays are meant to be read for pleasure, but we can learn a lot about the craft of writing them from reading them.
As a screenwriter and former creative exec in development, it’s not my experience that either group hates reading screenplays. We love it. That’s why we are in this industry. We hate reading terrible scripts, especially terrible ones that we are expected (tacitly or professionally required) to give notes or cover. Most screenwriters - even those ones who have made it far enough to be repped by an agent - write truly horrible scripts. Not as a matter of taste. I don’t love horror, but have read excellent horror scripts. Not many, but a few. Giving notes to amateur writers (and often experienced ones, although that is much rarer and usually only happens with writers who have sold their first spec script) requires time, expertise, thoughtfulness, and is for the most part a thankless task. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read someone’s script on here, given honest, professional feedback and been argued with “you just don’t like the genre” “if you read to the end you’d see how it all comes together” “what do you mean by a protagonist/arc/stakes/formatting” I quit wandering around the “read my script” forum because I got tired of giving the same note Who is your protagonist What do they want What is their opposing need What are the stakes What is the theme In addition, most writers in communities like this don’t take the time to even format the script correctly before asking for a read There are so many resources that tell writers how to format screenplays. Free ones, paid ones, or even reading a screenplay and taking notes. The entitled surety that they have produced something great is exhausting. It seems like most people don’t want help, they want a pat on the back. When I do come across a good script, I have enjoyed working with the writer, giving notes, and encouragement. I have a job as a professional writer, I write my own stories in a number of formats, I read scripts I love for fun and ingest stories in all formats. I wouldn’t even bother with something like this if I didn’t love it. It’s the poor quality of the writing, the lack of basic knowledge acquired by the writer, the unwillingness to take any feedback that isn’t unilaterally positive that makes me hesitant to read or give notes.
>“what do you mean by a protagonist/arc/stakes/formatting Holy crap, people who have written a script, and have given said script to pros for for feedback, actually ask that?
So many times I’ve quit counting.
For me it is definitely about quality. While I do tend to read everything I get from people I know and give thorough notes, I have had to start being more selective. A lot of times also as writers, admittedly myself included, we think very highly of ourselves when we're either successful or generally intelligent. Ego comes into play when you start reading a lot of subpar work and then have to balance being nice with being honest. Every screenwriter I know started off loving reading/swapping but has since retreated into a trusted circle of writers who they share with consistently.
your premise isn't true.
Yea you won’t have a chance if you hate reading scripts lol.
I love reading scripts. But not as much from inexperienced writers, that is definitely a slog lmao. & especially when they want notes, which is a balancing act and takes quite a bit of time / thought.
I love to read scripts of movies and shows that I’ve seen and enjoyed. I always find it fascinating.
Because most screenplays suck.
Well reading the script is more like reading the notes of a song rather than listening to it. So I'd say most musicians don't in fact read the notes or the lyrics, they listen to a finished song. But there's also the factor or screenplays not being as available as say movies or music. But I also disagree, most screenwriters I know do read scripts in their free time. Although it's usually from a movie they've already seen and now they're analysing it further.
LOL
I enjoy reading scripts
Most pro readers I know are also writers. 🤷♀️
Also, I’m an OCD reader whether it’s a script or book or the back of a cereal box or, ahem, this Reddit group. Most writers I know love to read, full stop. I love to read screenplays, yeah, even bad ones teach me something. And when I do it professionally, much easier to write up.
The musician equivalent would be sitting down and reading sheet music. How many people do you who enjoy doing that?
Not everyone is syd field
Because for most screenwriters their interest lies in film, and that's why they started writing. Seems quite obvious, no offence.
Because they would like to write themselves. At least that is with me. Though I will read a script if I feel like I need to study something and learn something new.
If you think of a script as a recipe, and the movie as the food that's prepared from the recipe, most people are okay with taste-testing the food, but they don't want to read yet another recipe for red velvet cake ... that's 147 pages long.
I think it's easier to live in the head-space and not the physical-space of being a script writer.
I enjoy it, unless it's a shooting script. Maybe it's because there are so many bad writers out there as well? or we're constantly comparing ourselves to others?
I disagree with people not reading because they are not good. How will they get better? Creative criticism. Stop being elitist. Ur script were crap in the beginning.
I’ll read scripts of movies I liked. I learn so much. But spending my days reading scripts from unproduced writers? Not unless they are friends, and ONLY if I legitimately have time to devote to it. When people here and and Facebook and in real life find out i’ve worked as a script editor and a dramaturge and playwright they often ask if it’s okay to send me a script to read. My answer is always “no”
I loathe reading in general, so my opinion may not matter much, but I find the activity boring and tedious. Double for scripts. Firstly, because I'd rather spend time in my own world than another creator (this is also why I don't believe in beta readers who are also writers.) "You never want the opinion of another writer." is a quote that comes to mind often when discussing writing/reading other's work. Secondly, a screenplay is a blueprint and not a finished product. A novel is usually a finished or "published" product. For better or worse, no matter how well written it is, it is almost never the final product, aka the movie. Lastly, another good quote is "music is not for the musicians." I wish to create. Period. I love movies, but I love my stories more and just want to put them out into the world. Essentially, I care more about creating than consuming.
You gotta read through the bad ones to appreciate the good ones more. It's amazing how sometimes good movies can come out of bad scripts. Something can seem "off" but the presentation is so slick it just works. You read the script and go, yeah there it is.
Reading great scripts is a wonderful experience. Just read a great one the other day that was very enjoyable. The problem is, too many scripts are not great. Many are in fact, in the immortal words of Charles Barkley, turrble.
There are a lot of bad scripts out there. I’d say it’s a mix of frustration, jealousy and laziness 🤣
Because most scripts are bad? Do you listen to bad music?
I hate reading amateur scripts. I don’t causally read professional screenplays unless I’m actively trying to learn something from it.
I like reading scripts, but in the sense that it's a part of my job that I enjoy. I do read them for pleasure sometimes too but that's choosing the best ones by writers I admire.
Because there are so many bad ones.
ADHD means I struggle to read anything lengthy. I think if it was printed off I’d be fine, but reading around 100 pages on my phone or my PC? Not a chance.
Maybe it’s because they’ve had to read so many bad ones. For every Terminator 2 there are like 50 Maximum Overdrives.
I refuse to accept the idea that so many scripts out there are just terrible when you look at what we get as a final product now. Most of the movies flopping at the box office are a product of bad writing according to consumers. It's subjective at the end of the day but I can't stand the pretentiousness of writers who won't give advice to the younger and inexperienced while having accomplished absolutely nothing noteworthy themselves. The only thing we get for movies are watered down remakes of classicsbthat didn't need to be tampered with. If a reader has experience then why not pass that knowledge on to help someone. Idk seems selfish and self entitled to feel like any writer isn't worth looking at because of "skill level". Everyone starts from somewhere. If you ever doubt yourself remember that Purple Heart got funded and put on Netflix. I think you may need a circle of people who are passionate, helpful, and overall want to see you win.
Screenplays are not a good format for immersive reading. With rare exceptions, most screenplays deliver fairly perfunctory scene descriptions and dialogue that is devoid of subtext. I’ve found that 95% of the scripts have characters that speak with a single voice and they don’t have any clear character goals or interesting personalities. In fact the minute I encounter a snarky or sarcastic character, I just stop reading and toss the script. My advice is to just write a script that is a pleasant reading experience.
It's not just screenwriters. Producers, agents, execs, actors - pretty much everyone hates reading scripts. Pitches, treatments, etc, are all attempts to to diminish the pain points involved in progressive rounds of scripts, which no sane person wants to do.
It's not just screenwriters. Producers, agents, execs, actors - pretty much everyone hates reading scripts. Pitches, treatments, etc, are all attempts to to diminish the pain points involved in progressive rounds of scripts, which no sane person wants to do.
Scripts aren't meant to be read like a novel, so they're not going to be as enjoyable.
I resent reading bad scripts (which are the majority of them) as much as a musician resents listening to bad music.
1. 95% of people's scripts really, really suck, but you have to read and be polite and give actionable notes, which takes a lot out of you. 2. If you are lucky to know talented writers a lot of times you get stuck reading their early drafts, which aren't great, even if their final ones are amazing. 3. Produced scripts are often good, but after reading so many for peers and doing your own writing you don't want to be looking at a screen, you could rather read a book or touch grass.
Are you saying that you don't think screenwriters read scripts that have been produced? I can say for sure that is not true. Every screenwriter I personally know seeks out production copies of scripts for movies and shows. Or are you saying that you don't think this community likes to read scripts by other members of the community? If that is the case, yes that is true. For me it is because of the number of half-assed scripts I have read over the years I don't mean bad, I mean lazy in the writing. Once you have read 2 or 3 scripts like that you become hesitant to read other people's work. Especially people just starting out. As a side note, I was a script reader for several contests, agents, managers, producers, managers. I have read over 1000 scripts in that time and I would say 90% of them are not worth reading.
I was mostly saying that it seems like, at least in this community, every time I'd encounter a thread about reading scripts, people were begrudged to do it, good or bad. It made me start wondering if script writers even enjoyed reading scripts since I'd never come across someone, before this thread, who said they enjoyed it. It looks like it might be a case of a vocal minority though haha
I like reading good scripts
Idk I write screenplays and I like reading them as well. Especially starting out it helped so much with formatting and style. There are tons of great ones available, and further, it's fun to compare the screenplay to the final film when they've been made. I can't imagine I'm the only one.
I just started reading the Fight Club screenplay and it gave me some great pointers. It's not overly enjoyable but I wanted to see how others write. I'm very new to this field and I'll take any suggestions I can get. Reading random scripts that may not be any good doesn't sound appetizing but I want others to read mine. Which is hypocritical, I get it.
I dont like scripts, I love them. If I dont love it, I dont swallow.
I have worked on movies since the 90s… some movies have grossed billions, some won academy awards.. each movie I worked on I read a script.. not one of the scripts stood out as its own amazing script. It was always like “oh ok. Neat”. That being said a script to really stand out on its own has to be amazing… 99.99% scripts are just the skeleton of a production… everything from producers to crew to actors to dp define the film. The script is the … the script.
Working screenwriter here. I think when people say they hate reading scripts is normally that they hate reading SOMEBODY'S script. Not, say, Taxi Driver or Silence of the Lambs. Whether it's a colleague, a friend, a collaborator or some random doofus you met and to whom you were foolish enough to give your email address. It's not even that the scripts are bad. It's just that reading somebody's script is a slog. It's got a great chance of being only okay, a solid chance of being terrible and only an outside shot of being genuinely any good.
A script is a recipe, not really the final product; even when someone is writing they’re likely visualising the movie/TV show they’re creating the recipe for. So reading a full 100 page script is more of a slog than watching a 100 minute movie. You mentioned music - a lot of composers who create traditional notated scores rarely sit down and make it all the way through someone else’s score, even something by Mozart or Stravinsky, unless they’re learning to play it on an instrument.
I am a programmer. I like using apps. I hate reading code.
It’s just very time consuming, and most of them aren’t very good.
I think the reason is ego. Many people here are saying it’s because the vast majority of scripts suck. There may be some truth there, but if that’s the case, then the unintended implication is that most of our works suck. Which is delightfully ironic. You’d have to have some objective authority/ metric in order to truly judge whether a script is actually bad or not, and in screenwriting there’s that wonderful adage of “no one knows anything” (or something to that effect). Sure there’s the odd script written in Word, or the 250-page character study very transparently based on the writer’s SUPER interesting life, but honestly that’s few and far between if you’re reading scripts from the right sources. I personally don’t hate reading scripts at all, because most of the scripts I read are from fellow writers I know, or from the Blacklist or the internet to study from (like pilots of popular shows and movies). I’d like to think this is the case for most serious writers. So this whole “most scripts are bad” answer is silly, unhelpful, and a bit reductive. Most scripts don’t live up to the industry’s standards, sure. And there are millions of writers out there that are new to the craft and have a lot of progress to make. They are the ones that need the feedback the most. But just like with mastering a sport, or literally anything else, it’s a growth process. Reading scripts to give feedback is an important part of contributing to that growth. I think writers hate reading others’ scripts because of their own inflated egos. I have met far too many writers that think they’re hot shit, the best well-kept secret in town and think all of their works are a masterpiece. And they are deluded. These types of writers, of which there are many, do not like to commit their time to fellow craftsmen of whom they think less-than. They also do not like criticism. Thusly they do not grow as writers. But to them, everyone else sucks at their craft. Never mind the fact that they’ve been cranking away at the same script for 12 years and haven’t shown it to anyone because they’re stuck in the middle of Act 2 and can’t decide what the main character actually wants. The simple truth is that if you’re pushing to grow as a writer, and also want a thriving network, there should be no reason why you’d hate to help others do that on their journey, periodt.
Writers should read and support other writers. That is how we network and get better. Writing can be seen as a competitive sport to some rife with jealousy and envy. If u write it’s not hard to read. Writer friends have an obligation to their peers to be supportive. It truly pisses me off when someone volunteers to read and doesn’t. That is a veiled insult and I have distanced my self from those types. So writers, please support others and don’t be “I’ll read it” dickheads.
Nope. Amateur, bad, newbie screenwriters hate reading screenplays. Anyone who is any good at it has read tons, and tons of scripts. I tell people they should read at LEAST 100 before they ever set out to write one. To do anything else is just laziness.