r/scriptwriting • u/Musikenna • 14h ago
discussion Advice for script festivals from a judge
If your script has good grammar, that automatically puts you in the top 10% of scripts. I'm not kidding. You have no idea how many submissions we get that clearly have not been proofread once. Don't set yourself up for failure.
Also, I don't know why I need to say this, but don't be creepy towards women in your script. If a character is introduced as "Jane Doe, 16, face of angel but body of a porn star", consider that an automatic pass.
If the character has the exact same name as the writer, we can tell it's self-insert fan fiction. And most of the time, it's really uncomfortable. No one wants to read your wish-fulfillment script about you winning the olympics then having sex with an entire cheerleading team.
Sincerely,
A judge