Know what the job really requires, and prepare yourself

Dreamers imagine knocking out a screenplay in a few days or weeks. But while anyone can slap 100 pages together, 99% of those just waste the producer's time — because they don't deliver what the producer really needs.

To write a gripping page-turner that's aligned to industry needs, you must craft an extraordinary screenplay that can compete with the very best writers in the industry. It's a challenging and complex task, but it's achievable — one step at a time.

In this profound and insightful phase, you'll set yourself up with a rock solid foundation from the very start. After the Setup Phase, you'll understand the job ahead clearly and be ready for it, no matter where you're starting from.

The Setup Phase has
2 Movements:

1. Prepare for the Marathon of Writing

   You'll begin by preparing mentally and physically for the writing process. Most writers leap right into blasting words on the page, and then burn out halfway through their project. Instead you'll develop pro habits that set you up for the real world of a professional career. You'll lay a solid foundation that will ensure you complete your project and launch your career.

2. Prepare for the Business of Writing Movies

   With your foundation in place, you'll prepare for the business of writing movies. This ain't novel writing. Screenplays are not stand-alone stories — they exist to be turned into movies. Here, you'll learn what the producer really needs before you start writing, so your own innate creativity can push you in the most effective directions throughout the rest of the process.

When you've completed the Setup Phase, you'll be ready for the job ahead, and overflowing with ideas and excitment for creating powerful screen stories producers can actually use. You'll be "set up" for the Focus Phase and the whole journey ahead.

Here’s some of what you’ll learn, do, and master in the Setup Phase

It would be impossible to list everything included in this phase, but here's a small taste of what's in store:

• How the very first thing you do (before you write a word) will determine your success or failure in the months ahead (and this one little thing is so simple and effortless, it's astonishing that most writers will never do it)
• How to make writing a daily habit (even when you really don't have time to write)
• How to write 5 pages in 10 minutes (yes, there's a simple secret to it)
• Why it's vital to set up your work space before you start (and why some people will thrive at a busy kitchen table — and how to know which kind of writing environment is your ideal)
• Where and how to find extraordinary movie ideas that only you could ever write (you'll start to look at the world in a whole different way)
• How to make sure you never lose that perfect movie idea, even if it hits you in the shower (most writers aren't prepared when lightning strikes)
• How to guarantee you'll finish what you start (there's a simple little trick you must do right up front)
• How to break any huge project into manageable chunks (we used this very idea to create FAST Screenplay)
• How to silence your Critic voice (it will eventually become your biggest fan)
• How to avoid the common pitfalls that make writers quit (everyone faces them, 95% of people succumb — you'll set yourself up right to make sure you're in the 5%)
• Understanding the promise in every word you write (here's a new way of thinking creatively that will transform your career)
• Why the number one mistake most writers make — writing before they're ready — turns 99% of them into hobbyists (and what it means to be a pro)
• Why there's actually very little competition in this industry, and why the naysayers want you to believe otherwise (for the record: screenplays producers can't use are not real competition)
• How to get inside the producer's head before you even start (so your unique creativity is always exactly what they need)
• How to let go of expectations and just have fun (it's not called a "screenWORK", it's called a screenPLAY — having fun is your secret to success)
• Why the industry needs screenplays, and always will (and why there will be an even greater need for screenwriters in the years ahead)
• The screenwriter's role in the larger filmmaking process (knowing where you fit will lift the quality of your writing)
• What the industry needs in your screenplay (they need a whole lot more than just an amazing, well-written story)
• How to see your idea through the producer's eyes (writers almost never do this, which kills their chances of a sale)
• Why screenplays are formatted the way they are — unless you've worked in production, you probably don't realize there's a reason for every element (even some gurus can't tell you why)
• How to format your screenplay (and when it's okay to break the "rules") — in a single step, we'll cover it all
• How to discover exactly what the audience wants before you write a word (so you don't spend months on something nobody can use)
• Why "writer's block" is an illusion (and why telling yourself you've got it is really just a form of procrastination)
• How to set deadlines so they help your career (and not cripple you with stress)
• How to blast through the steps of the Setup Phase in minutes on every future project
  
  ...and we haven't even scratched the surface!
  
  
  

We turned all that
into this:

This is the foundation — step by step.

Imagine knowing what the producer needs you to know... before you spend all that time writing your screenplay. If you invest a little energy upfront preparing yourself, you'll completely transform your results — turning ideas into screenplays that stand a real chance of selling.

Simply DO the steps of the Setup Phase, and you'll understand exactly what's needed from a professional screenwriter — and you'll be prepared for the marathon ahead.

 

The Setup Phase requires no prior screenwriting knowledge, but prior knowledge will help you reach mastery more quickly.

When you're done here, you're ready for: