On Writing An "Undeniable" Script

If you ask a random sample of literary agents, producers, and studio executives what it takes to break in as a writer, chances are good that you’ll hear the same thing over and over: your script must be undeniable. 

But what the heck does that actually mean? What qualities does an undeniable script have? The most literal interpretation is that, no matter who reads your script, they won’t be able to pass on it. They will be unable to deny your big break. They will be left with zero doubts that you are a singular talent, worthy of having the gate thrown open for you and laurels being heaped upon your shoulders.

That’s a nice thought, but it almost never happens like that. Creative taste is just too broad and too subjective. I’ve read scripts that I didn’t like at all but which went on to become Oscar winning movies. Was I wrong? Maybe. Or maybe the acting, directing, editing, and a thousand other elements elevated that script into something special. But if a writer doesn’t have credits or clout and they’re trying to break in, then they don’t have the luxury of hoping their script will be elevated along the way. If they want to win over the hearts of contest readers, agents, and other gatekeepers, they need a script that’s undeniable.

With that in mind, I  want to take a closer look at the term “undeniable” and try to demystify it by identifying some broad targets for writers to hit.

TARGET 1: Make the reader feel your passion.

Here’s a common scenario: A writer thought of a cool premise and immediately went half-cocked into a draft. Unfortunately, a cool premise isn’t enough. Most writers I know are incredibly smart and creative and can come up with a dozen cool premises a month. But without real passion or conviction behind the story, the best emotional reaction you can hope for from a reader will be “huh, that’s neat.” Neat doesn’t move the needle. 

What moves the needle is passion. If you stuck with an idea through multiple drafts, ignoring the dozens of other cool premises that pulled at your attention, it’ll be that much stronger. If you have a personal connection to a story, it will translate to the page. It will be felt through the characters, dialogue, and the mood of the story. If your dream is to write formulaic action movies and collect a paycheck, you can do that after you break in. After you’ve shown that you can write from a place of passion.

TARGET 2: Choose the right protagonist, then develop the hell out of them.

So many scripts focus too much on plot and forget about the protagonist. I get it. I’ve done this myself. The plot is the fun part. But the protagonist is who the reader follows across a hundred pages. If they’re not interesting, complex, dynamic, and flawed…the rest is pointless. The reader must form an attachment to the protagonist. They must understand them and their objective (whether or not they agree with them is immaterial), and they must have specific outcomes to hope and fear for. They must understand what’s at stake if the protagonist fails to reach their goal, and most importantly, they must care about that outcome. A lot of scripts have clear stakes for the protagonist, but they’re surface-level. The protagonist has past-due bills, so he has to take this risky bank job or he will be evicted. That’s really hard to care about because it’s so generic. Now, if the would-be robber had a sick child to take care of, and if it was a family home that his grandfather built which he really didn’t want to lose, suddenly it’s a little easier to care. 

The point is, crafting a compelling protagonist should be priority #1. It’s totally fine, and necessary, to dream up an interesting premise and a flashy plot, but they should be wrapped around a powerful protagonist, and that protagonist needs to be at the center of the action, driving it forward with every scene. That’s what makes scripts hard to put down and is an important brick on the path of being undeniable. 

TARGET 3: Nail the execution.

This should be obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many scripts I see that are riddled with formatting errors. There’s really no excuse for this. Fifteen minutes on Google will show you exactly how to format a script. There are multiple places where you can find produced screenplays for free to use a point of reference. And even if you don’t spring for fancy screenwriting software, Chrome has a perfectly workable Screenplay Formatter extension for Google Docs. I talk to other story analysts about this all the time. Nothing dampens our enthusiasm for a script more than poor formatting. The writer is communicating that they didn’t care enough about their script to do it properly, so why should the reader care?

TARGET 4: Have fun!

Yes, I’m serious. Have fun! This is simple psychology. If you walk into a party and everyone is sitting down staring into their phones, you’re going to want to leave as soon as possible. But if you walk in and the music is good, people are smiling and dancing and having a good time, you’re going to want to stay. If you’re writing a comedy and you’re consistently making yourself laugh with the situations and dialogue you’re writing, that’s good! If you’re writing a horror film that keeps you up at night with how creepy it is, that’s good! Your enjoyment and immersion in the story will be evident on the page. It will make the reader want to stay at your party. 

I don’t believe these targets are exhaustive, nor do I believe that every “undeniable” script needs to or should be the same. They are merely my perspective as someone who has read a few thousand scripts. And this might sound cheesy, but the longer I read and write scripts, the more I believe that “have fun” is actually the most important target to hit. If writing isn’t fun, you’ll burnout. It's one of those "it's the journey, not the destination" things. Odds are that most writers will spent a long time writing in obscurity before seeing any success. If they're not having fun during those times, it will be hard to sustain the effort.

So get out there and have some fun!