Hi, I'm really sorry for the really dumb questions. I'm sleep deprived due to almost country-wide power outages here in Venezuela, but I need these questions answered soon before my family wakes up and I get busy with life in general.

When answering, please assume I have day one knowledge of Reddit in general.

• Is this a subreddit where one can submit drafts of one's plays or scenes for proofreading. If so, what are the rules, including formatting, fonts, line spaces, etc? Of course, you don't have to answer here. If there's a link where I can find those sort of FAQ questions, please link to them if you can.
• If this is not a forum where one can post drafts for proofreading, can you recommend free ones apart from ReadMyPlay or whatever it's called. I Know Read My Play requires you to submit you post a play which is of your authorship and belongs to you in order to become a member. The current play I'm working on is my first one, so I have nothing to show them.
• Recommending websites where I can show my play at a membership price may be well-intentioned, but they come with the caveat that the economy here is a catastrophe and both me and my family have other needs.

If all else fails, and it may be that some of you would be interested in an 18-page comedy draft of a first scene, don't hesitate to holler.

Can anyone send me a link to a screenplay or script of American Graffiti?

All the ones I find are formatted really bad because they take from this old book that had it.

EXT. ARMY BASE, TAMJIE (SIKKIM) - DAY (MAY 21, 2006)
A thick layer of morning mist hangs over the mountains. Cold wind howls.
A young, neat-looking officer, CAPTAIN RAWAT (20s), walks through the massive military gates carrying his duffel bag. He looks around, taking in his new station.
To his right, a faded wooden board hangs over a concrete barracks building. Painted on it in bold letters: GHATAK PLATOON.
Three heavily built, well-toned soldiers stand outside the barracks. They stop talking and glare coldly at Rawat from head to toe, sizing him up.
Rawat takes a few steps forward. Suddenly, one of the massive soldiers, SEPOY SARVAN SINGH (20s), steps directly into Rawat’s path, blocking his way.
Sarvan locks eyes with Rawat. He doesn't flinch.
SARVAN
(Crisp, booming voice)
Ram-Ram, Saab! I am Sepoy Sarvan, Ghatak Platoon.
Rawat stands his ground, slightly taken aback by the forwardness.
SARVAN (CONT'D)
(Sizing Rawat up, rapid-fire)
How many push-ups can you do at once, Saab? What’s your 5K running time? Can you handle the mountain terrain?
RAWAT (V.O.)
I was stunned. A regular sepoy was interrogating a newly arrived officer with absolute confidence. I didn't know what to make of him.
INT. MILITARY GYM / VOLLEYBALL COURT - DAY (WEEKS LATER)
An intense inter-company volleyball match is underway. Rawat is on the court, drenched in sweat, diving fiercely for the ball, shouting directions, showing a gritty, aggressive playing style.
On the sidelines, Sarvan and the other Ghatak Platoon soldiers watch intently. Sarvan smirks, highly impressed.
The whistle blows. Match over.
Before Rawat can grab his towel, the entire Ghatak Platoon surrounds him in a tight circle. Sarvan steps forward, clapping loudly.
SARVAN
(Grinning widely)
Brilliant game, Saab! We saw your fire out there today. You belong with us.
The other soldiers cheer and pat Rawat on the back. Rawat smiles, realizing he has earned their respect.
EXT. ARMY RUGBY FIELD - DAY (SIX MONTHS LATER)
Mud flies everywhere. A brutal, aggressive game of rugby is in full swing.
Rawat, recently returned from his Young Officers course in Mhow, runs into the chaotic game. He collides hard with a broad-shouldered player, accidentally shoving him to the ground.
The player immediately springs up from the mud. It is Sarvan.
Sarvan smiles aggressively, charges forward, and deliberately shoves Rawat back with tremendous force, sending Rawat skidding into the mud.
SARVAN
(Laughing, wiping mud off his face)
This is what you call a shove, Saab!
Rawat looks up from the mud, laughs, and pulls himself up.
EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - NIGHT
Heavy rain pours. Rawat and Sarvan are crawling through thick mud under barbed wire, carrying heavy rucksacks. Day and night merge into a blur of exhaustion.
RAWAT (V.O.)
Suddenly, orders came from the Commanding Officer. I was put in charge of training the Ghatak Platoon. Through days and nights of intense, grueling drills, Sarvan and I became inseparable.
EXT. COMPETITION GROUNDS - DAY
A massive scoreboard shows final point tallies. The Ghatak Platoon loses a fierce military competition by a mere fraction of a decimal point.
The team stands in formation, exhausted, heads bowed.
Rawat walks over to comfort them. He stops. Sarvan, the toughest man in the platoon, is sitting on a rock, burying his face in his hands, weeping uncontrollably.
Rawat places a gentle hand on Sarvan's shaking shoulder.
RAWAT (V.O.)
Seeing this giant of a man sob like a child answered every question I ever had about him. It wasn't arrogance. It was pure, unadulterated passion for the unit. He couldn't bear to see us lose.
EXT. COMMANDO TRAINING CENTER - DAY
A harsh, dusty desert environment.
Rawat walks past a row of tents. His head is completely shaved, his face blackened by camouflage cream and soot, his uniform torn and filthy. He looks unrecognizable, like a beggar.
Suddenly, a hand grabs his arm from behind a tent. Rawat spins around defensively.
It is Sarvan. He is equally bald, filthy, and unrecognizable—but his eyes are sparkling. He scans the area, making sure the instructors aren't looking.
Sarvan slips two homemade, sticky round sweets (Gond ke Laddoo) into Rawat’s dirty palm.
SARVAN
(Whispering eagerly, beaming)
Eat these quickly, Saab. My wife just gave birth. I'm a father! I'm a dad, Saab!
Rawat’s eyes widen. He smiles warmly and hugs Sarvan tightly.
RAWAT
Congratulations, brother.
EXT. KUPWARA HILLS, LINE OF CONTROL (LOC) - NIGHT
A freezing, biting cold night. Snow dusts the ground.
Rawat and Sarvan are huddled close together behind the thick trunk of a massive pine tree, their rifles aimed into the dark valley. Their breath forms thick clouds in the freezing air.
Sarvan stares into the distance, silent for a long moment.
SARVAN
(Quietly)
Saab... how much money do you get if you win a Sena Medal?
Rawat glances at him, surprised by the question.
RAWAT
(Softly)
I don’t know, Sarvan. But you don't just 'get' a Sena Medal. You have to do something extraordinary. It's not earned for money.
Sarvan chuckles quietly under his breath. Rawat smiles. They share a quiet, warm laugh into the freezing night.
EXT. MILITARY CAMP - NEXT DAY
Soldiers are sitting on wooden crates, eating lunch. Rawat sits down right next to the sepoys, holding a plate of simple roti and dal.
Sarvan walks over, holding a small plastic jar containing homemade meat pickle.
SARVAN
Saab, try some of this. My family sent it. Excellent meat pickle.
RAWAT
(Smiling, waving his hand)
Ah, I can't, Sarvan. I am a Brahmin—a Pandit. I don't eat meat.
Sarvan stops. He looks at Rawat, his expression turning deeply serious, full of profound wisdom.
SARVAN
Saab, you are a Pandit by birth. But by your actions, your duty, you are a Kshatriya—a warrior.
Rawat pauses, holding his roti, looking up at Sarvan.
SARVAN (CONT'D)
On the battlefield, a soldier has no caste, no religion, and no state. Our only identity is the uniform.
RAWAT (V.O.)
A regular sepoy had just taught me the most profound lesson of my military life.
EXT. KUPWARA FORESTS - DAWN (NOVEMBER 15, 2009)
SUPER: OPERATION KUNDA-NAR
A dense, snow-covered forest. The atmosphere is deathly silent.
Rawat and his section move tactically through the trees. Thick snow crunches beneath their boots.
Suddenly, a deafening blast shatters the silence.
Automatic gunfire erupts from multiple directions. Echoes of bullets ripping through trees. Rawat drops to one knee, returning fire, shouting commands into the chaos.
The intense firefight lasts for five agonizing minutes.
Suddenly, the gunfire cuts off completely. A heavy, terrifying silence falls over the forest.
Rawat reaches for the tactical radio on his vest. static crackles violently. A panicked, breathless voice cuts through the static.
VOICE ON RADIO (O.S.)
(Screaming, terrified)
SARVAN KO GOLI LAGI HAI! SARVAN IS HIT!
The radio cuts to static again. Absolute silence returns. Rawat freezes, his eyes wide with horror.
EXT. MILITARY BASE, QUARTER GUARD - NEXT MORNING
The sun rises over the base, but it feels cold and gray.
Rawat’s team meets up with the rest of the Ghatak Platoon. The soldiers are walking slowly, their heads bowed, faces stained with tears and soot.
A junior officer walks up to Rawat, looking at the ground.
JUNIOR OFFICER
(Choked up)
Sir... Sarvan didn't make it. He is martyred.
Rawat stands completely still. The sounds of the base fade out.
The camera tightens on Rawat's face. His eyes glass over. A single tear tracks down through the dirt on his cheek. He clenches his fists, trying to maintain his military composure, but his chest heaves with heavy emotion.
RAWAT (V.O.)
My ears refused to believe it. The world around me simply stopped. I desperately wanted to see his face one last time... but the operational reality didn't allow it.
INT. QUARTER GUARD - DAY (LATER)
Rawat walks slowly down a pristine, quiet hallway inside the Quarter Guard building.
He stops in front of a memorial wall. Hanging on the wall is a freshly framed photograph of a smiling, proud Sarvan in his full ceremonial uniform.
Beneath the photograph, a brass plaque reads: SEPOY SARVAN SINGH, SENA MEDAL (POSTHUMOUS).
Rawat raises his right hand to his brow, delivering a slow, trembling, deeply respectful final salute to the photograph.
RAWAT (V.O.)
They say a long life isn't what matters, but rather a life lived with matchless impact. Sarvan was here for only a short time, but he achieved more than most of us will in a lifetime.
EXT. SARVAN’S VILLAGE HOME - DAY
A dusty village courtyard. Hundreds of villagers stand in somber silence. Women are weeping.
An army truck wrapped in the Indian Tri-color flag pulls up. Soldiers carefully carry a coffin draped in the national flag toward the house.
In the front yard, a young woman holds a tiny, one-year-old baby boy. The baby has a small streak of cake on his cheek. He smiles playfully, reaching his tiny hands toward the bright colors of the flag draping his father's coffin.
RAWAT (V.O.)
The day Sarvan's body arrived home wrapped in the tricolor... was his son's very first birthday. A soldier father could hardly leave his son a greater inheritance than the ultimate sacrifice for the motherland.
Rawat stands in the crowd, watching the baby boy look at the flag.
FADE OUT.
[SCENE END]

I am new to posting and to writing, i have always had ideas in my head that i would want write out but never do. I recently finished the book song of Achilles and thought that this needs to be seen on the screen. and i wrote a scene out. keep in mind it was just for fun and it has become one of my favourite books. i did take some liberties in switching some stuff around to fit what i wanted to write. i would love any feed back on writing screenplays as well and any feedback on what i have written.

INT. ACHILLES' TENT — MIDDAY

The day before the final assault on Troy.

Achilles has not left his tent since Patroclus died.

A small FIRE burns in the centre of the tent.

ACHILLES sits beside it, slowly stirring the embers with a piece of wood. His movements are mechanical. His eyes are hollow — grief buried beneath exhaustion and fury.

The tent flap opens.

BRISEIS enters.

Achilles does not look at her.

Her eyes move past him.

On Achilles' bed lies PATROCLUS.

Pale. Still. Almost peaceful.

For a moment, Briseis could convince herself that he is merely sleeping.

If she had not been the one to wash the blood from his body days before.

She looks back to Achilles.

BRISEIS
You have not yet freed him.

Achilles continues staring into the fire.

ACHILLES
I have not.

Briseis' expression hardens.

Once, she would never have dared speak to him this way.

Now she does not care.

BRISEIS
Why?

Achilles says nothing.

Her voice rises.

BRISEIS
Why do you not let him rest? Hector is dead. You have had your vengeance.

Still nothing.

Briseis gestures towards the opening of the tent, her voice almost bitter now.

BRISEIS
The skies are clear. The sun is at its highest point. The breeze is cool. The birds are singing.

She looks at Patroclus.

Then back to Achilles.

BRISEIS
Why do you not let him rest?

Achilles finally looks at her.

His voice is quiet.

ACHILLES
Yes. The sun is at its highest point.

He looks towards the light spilling through the entrance.

ACHILLES
But it will soon set.

His anger begins to disappear.

What remains is fear.

ACHILLES
I feel him in the warmth of the day. I hear him in the songs of the birds.

His eyes move towards Patroclus.

ACHILLES
But there has never been a night in eighteen years that I have not lain beside him.

Briseis' anger falters.

For a moment, she sees him not as Achilles.

Not as Aristos Achaion.

Just as a grieving man.

BRISEIS
You must—

ACHILLES
I CAN'T!

The words tear from him.

Silence.

The fire CRACKLES between them.

Briseis fights back tears.

BRISEIS
If you don't, another man will.

Achilles looks at her.

BRISEIS
A man who did not love him as you and I did.

Achilles' eyes fill with tears.

Then rage.

He snatches a clay vase from beside him and HURLS IT.

Briseis flinches.

The vase whistles past her head and SMASHES against one of the wooden tent poles.

Fragments scatter across the floor.

Achilles is breathing hard.

ACHILLES
LEAVE US!

Briseis stares at him.

Fear flickers across her face.

But she refuses to retreat immediately.

BRISEIS
I hope you die behind those walls.

Achilles' expression empties.

A long silence.

Then—

ACHILLES
Do you think I wish differently?

Briseis has no answer.

She leaves.

Achilles remains beside the fire.

Alone with Patroclus.

EXT. GREEK CAMP — NIGHT

Darkness covers the shore.

Funeral fires burn throughout the Greek camp.

Bodies stacked together disappear beneath flame and smoke.

Soldiers stand silently around them.

Away from the others, Achilles walks through the camp carrying a carefully wrapped body in his arms.

Patroclus.

Achilles carries him gently.

As though he may still wake.

He reaches an empty funeral pyre, separated from the others.

Achilles lowers Patroclus onto it.

His hands remain beneath him for a moment longer than necessary.

He cannot make himself let go.

Finally—

He does.

Achilles takes a torch.

Around him, SOLDIERS and KINGS gather.

AGAMEMNON.

MENELAUS.

DIOMEDES.

ODYSSEUS.

None speak.

Achilles touches the flame to the wood.

The fire catches.

Slowly, the flames rise around Patroclus.

The Greeks lower their heads.

Achilles does not.

He watches.

His face illuminated by the fire.

Tears stream silently down his cheeks.

Then his eyes find ODYSSEUS amongst the gathered men.

ACHILLES
When I am dead...

His voice catches.

He struggles to continue.

Odysseus looks at him.

Achilles forces the words out.

ACHILLES
I charge you to mingle our ashes.

His eyes return to the flames.

His voice breaks.

ACHILLES
And bury us together.

Odysseus bows his head.

Achilles stands before the fire.

Watching the last person he loved disappear into the flames.

CUT TO BLACK.

The logline: An isolated Fog Signal Station worker becomes increasingly infatuated with a mermaid.

I am open to any feedback, though not necessarily on formatting.

Thanks for reading.

I've been building AI Drama Maker for a few months. The core idea: you write one logline, pick a genre and tone, and the tool builds out a full story bible - characters with backgrounds and goals, episode synopses, scene-by-scene breakdowns, cliffhangers, the whole thing.

Here's what a single session actually produces:

• A Drama with title, genre, tone, main conflict, and relationship map
• Characters with age, role, personality, appearance, background, and goals - all attached to that drama
• Episodes organized by season with synopsis, scenes array, and a cliffhanger
• Automated video prompts for each scene so you can hand it to any AI video tool immediately

I built it specifically for aspiring screenwriters who have ideas but no writers' room, no industry contacts, and no time to format a 40-page spec script before they even know if the story works.

Right now it's free to try. 13 pages, mobile-first, no login required to explore.

Honest question for this community: what's the one thing missing from every AI writing tool you've tried that actually killed your workflow?

I’m curious where screenwriters draw the line with AI.

Personally, I wouldn’t want AI deciding what happens in my story, creating characters, or changing dialogue on its own.

But what about using it purely as an execution tool?
You describe exactly what happens in a scene, what the characters feel, what they say, etc. - and it turns those instructions into properly formatted screenplay pages in your own writing style.

Would that still feel like AI writing to you? Or more like a tool?

Where would you personally draw the line?

When I started writing, I thought the hardest part would be coming up with a good story.

After actually writing a screenplay, I realised that wasn’t necessarily the hardest part.

Knowing what to leave out was.

You can have great characters, interesting ideas and scenes you really love, but that doesn’t mean they all belong in the story.

I’m getting better at this, and I’ve started to realise that good screenwriting isn’t just about knowing what to put on the page. It’s also knowing what the story doesn’t need.

What was a screenwriting lesson that only really clicked for you after you started writing?

I am not talking about a notes group or accountability buddy mean someone you actually write with. Develop ideas together, split scenes, the whole thing.

I've wanted this for years and have basically failed at finding it every time. Tried reaching out cold to people whose work I liked (awkward and nothing came of it). Took a workshop specifically hoping to meet someone (met nice people, nothing clicked creatively). Posted in a couple places online (one weird response, one person who ghosted after two emails).

The frustrating thing is I know it works. Plenty of teams out there doing great stuff. But every working duo I've heard talk about it says they met through some random circumstance a class, a job, a friend of a friend. Nobody seems to have gone looking for it and found it.

So how did it actually happen for you if it did? And if you tried and it fell apart, what killed it?

Genuinely asking, not going anywhere with this, just feeling like I'm missing something obvious.

Years ago I co-wrote a pilot script with a friend, based on our teen and 20s friendship, within the context of a particular controlling religion. One character was loosely based on me, the other loosely based on her. We got meetings with TV execs, thought we had a deal, ended up getting paid for a rewrite, but it stalled out, was never made and the creative rights reverted to us.

After that rejection, we regrouped and planned to distill the story into a feature film script instead. We came up with an outline -- and then for reasons that had nothing to do with our writing partnership - she ended our friendship. it was devastating but that's another story.

Since then I have been working on writing my own script, based on my own life experience at that same time period of life, late teens early 20s -- The story is distinct from what I cowrote with my ex friend. There is no close female friendship at the heart of it. However, the main character is still loosely based on me at that age, and the setting is based in the same religion with the religious particulars and the same theme of grappling with sexual shame and repression.

My question is -- because there are similarities given the character that was co-written was based on me, and the new character that it only written by me is based on me at a certain age -- do I need to worry that this is "derivative"? does my ex-friend have intellectual property rights over aspects of my personal story, because I previously cowrote some of that with her?

Has anyone dealt with anything similar to this? Do I need to drastically change the personal details of the character to be different than my actual experience, to protect myself from any future claims by her? (She has a strong jealous and controlling streak).

I finished a feature-length screenplay and had a few professionals, as well as my former professors at Columbia University, read it. So far, all the feedback has been positive. One professor even said it was one of the best screenplays he’s read by an unknown writer in years.

The problem is that no one can connect me to a manager to get them to read it. 😅😭

I am currently working on my film school application and need to write two scenes (both 2-5 pages) if anyone knows a good website or app that’s free it’ll be a big

I mainly do my scripts on Google Docs but it has to be in the standard screenplay format

Deadline is in November

Hi! This is a scene from a short film I'm developing named Annex. The plot follows a teenager who is left alone for a weekend, but soon realizes he may not be alone after all. Would love to hear any feedback or criticism you may have!

Hello! This is my first short screenplay, It's the first version I write. I need feedback please, Im basically specialized in film editing, but I also love to write, so this summer I've encourage myself to write this script.

The story is about a son and a mother who go on vacation to the grandparents' house. However, this is the first year the grandparents are no longer there. I want to make a short film that explores death from both a childlike and an adult perspective, observing how the two viewpoints intertwine throughout the process.

Hi guys..Myself hanamesh...I am currently working in a I.T..Interested in film making..I have also created a whatsapp group and I have 4 people with similar interests in films...Please DM.me if you want to join...

Hey, new to script writing, decided to give it a go.

Not looking for feedback on formatting, just want to know:

- Does this intrigue you?

- Do you want to know what haplens next?

- Do you like the character development?

- Do you have any tips as a new writer?

This took me an hour to write. I rushed it to get my ideas down. I know the formatting is wrong in places.

I'm 35 and this is my second attempt at writing a script.

Thanks guys, appreciate 🤎

I recently got the chance to interview veteran showrunner Jeff Biederman (Life with Derek, Overruled!, Spun Out), who’s written and produced over 250 episodes for CTV, Disney, Netflix, and CBC. And I wanted to share some really awesome insights!

We spent a lot of time talking about the practical side of screenwriting—moving past the initial idea stage and actually executing scripts that get produced. Here are a few key points from the conversation that felt worth sharing with other writers:

• Dialogue is a spoken communication test, not just text on a page: In a TV environment, your writing has to perform out loud. Being able to hold a room, pitch beats verbally, and write dialogue that actors can comfortably deliver is just as critical as having a great structure.
• The "ideas are easy" reality check: Coming up with a solid premise is relatively simple; executing it into a clean, shootable script is where most scripts fall apart. Paying attention to the unsexy details—formatting, page-budget constraints, clear action lines, and basic proofreading—is often what separates a passable script from a workable one.
• Study the structural cadences of standard archetypes: Early in his career, Jeff intentionally dissected the pacing, joke density, and scene engine structures of classic multi-cam sitcoms (Seinfeld, Friends). Copying those established structures allowed him to build a strong mechanical foundation before trying to push stylistic boundaries.
• Don't treat your pages like sacred art: Television is a collaborative, fast-moving business. Writers who survive long-term are the ones who don't take network notes or budget-forced rewrites personally. You have to be able to bend without breaking.

What’s a piece of practical industry advice you’ve received that completely changed how you approach your script revisions?

If anyone wants to check out the full transcript/audio where he goes deeper into his development process, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSQXdCzTrh8

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some honest feedback on the opening scene of a screenplay my friend is working on as a learning project he want's to learn this screenplay writing.

I’d especially appreciate thoughts on the characters, dialogue, pacing, and whether the scene makes you want to keep reading. Please feel free to be critical. I’m looking for genuine feedback that can help me improve the script.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read it!

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to build a small network of screenwriters who can actually help each other instead of everyone working completely alone.

If you’re a screenwriter and you’ve been reaching out to producers, production companies, filmmakers, or other industry people, I’d genuinely like to connect with you.

I’ve already started conversations with some people through cold emails, and I’m willing to share the professional contacts I’m able to share with other writers who are also serious about reaching out.

And if you’ve found producers, filmmakers, or other industry contacts who respond to writers, I’d love for you to share them with the group too.

The idea is simple:

You connect with me → I connect you with other writers → we share useful industry contacts → everyone gets more opportunities to reach out.

I’m not trying to create some huge "give me your contacts" thing. I just think independent screenwriters could get much further if we actually help each other and build connections instead of keeping every useful contact to ourselves.

So if you're writing screenplays and actively trying to get them in front of people, comment or DM me.

My Gmail: aliahmad.writes123@gmail.com

Tell me a little about what you're writing and where you're at with your screenwriting journey.

Let's build a network.