How to Write a Killer Page One of Your Screenplay

Hi All,

I hate to say it, but it’s true, the first 3 pages of your screenplay can make it or break it for a reader. No, those pages are not ALL that matter, but they are definitely the most important thing when it comes to getting your entire script read. 

If you want a reader to invest the 2-3 hours it takes to properly read and review a screenplay, you need to grab them emotionally right away.

But your opening pages need to be a lot more than a compelling hook. They also need to highlight your unique voice, communicate the concept, main character, and genre in a dynamic enough way, that the reader is excited to dive into the rest of your story. 

No pressure, right?

Here are 9 tips to make your opening pages blazing hot, and ensure a reader doesn’t fall asleep or toss your script:

1. Start it off with a bang

Start with a powerful/visceral image or a compelling emotional scene. You want to pull them into your story from the very first moment. Something strong and original that, I like to say, grabs them by the throat… or the heart. Jaws opens with a point-of-view shot of the great white shark underneath the surface of water, an innocent girl swimming above; Forrest Gump starts with a small, white feather popping up onto the screen; The Social Network begins with an unforgettable break-up scene in a college bar. Think of something that, if you were the reader, would make you sit up and take notice.

2. Set up the world

Chances are the setting of your story is very clear and vivid in your imagination. Make sure you communicate that same level of vividness to your reader, and set the scene right off the bat. Are we in present day? Are we in the 1800’s? Are we in a dystopian universe where only pre-teens survived? Are there events that happened right before your story begins that we need to know about? Give us the context and images we need to clearly imagine the world you’ve created.

3. Serve up a dynamic intro to the protagonist

Introduce us to the protagonist right away so we’re instantly invested in their story. What are they grappling with before your script begins? What are their flaws? What do they look like? What do they need/want? What’s the thing that’s standing in the way of them getting it? But, that being said, be careful not to overdo these details in character description. Find a way to sew it into the action and dialogue as well. For example, if your script is about a lonely kid, instead of writing ‘Aya is a lonely kid’, maybe the opening scene shows the protagonist on the playground eating lunch alone. Lean into showing us your protagonist, rather than telling.

4. Set tone and genre up early

I can’t tell you how many scripts I’ve read where the writer hasn’t properly communicated the tone and genre in the first few pages. Don’t confuse me about the tone and don’t make me guess at what genre I’m in. Communicate it early so I can get in the right mindset to read the rest of your script. If you are writing fantasy (like a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter), include elements of fantasy right away so I can be open-minded to the world you’ve created. If your script is horror, put in a cool ‘scare’ early on so I’ll buckle up for whatever terrifying moment you’re going to serve up next. The sooner I know the tone and genre, the sooner I can invest in your story.

5. Conflict!

Set up the problem (also referred to as the “inciting incident”) that needs to be solved. No matter how you might feel about procedural dramas, one thing they do very well is set up the problem (usually a crime) right off the top, and then they use the entire episode to solve that problem. Serving up a problem right away hooks us in, and keeps us watching until the end. Create conflict early, and give the reader a hint of how high the stakes are going to go.

6. Let your writer freak flag fly

Everyone in Hollywood is trying to find the next ‘unique voice’ in screenwriting. Make sure those first few pages of your script highlight what makes your style of writing fresh, dynamic, and unlike anyone else’s they’ve read before. Your script is your time to flaunt all that makes your writing YOU. Sometimes, even if a reader is not totally sold on your script off the top, they’ll keep reading if your ‘writer voice’ is interesting enough to them to see where you take the story.

7. Give them what they signed up for

If someone is reading your script, there’s a good chance they’ve already read the logline. Connect what’s happening in those first few pages to that logline. Did your logline mention a talking pig? Then have that pig (or at least the farm) in the opening pages. Quickly get the reader to the core concept and take them on a journey from there. Yes, there are dozens of great films that create a stylistic slow burn to get to the core story, but those films are often written by screenwriters with plenty of hits under their belt. Spec screenplays need to grab us right away.

8. Format, then format again

Check your script for formatting, grammar, and spelling. Do it. Then do it again. There is no worse first impression than the dreaded ‘their’ vs ‘there’ mistake. Sure, one or two grammatical errors are not going to tank a blazing hot script, but they never make a good first impression and can be a red flag to a reader that you don’t have an eye for detail. The best way to check is to print out your script. For some reason that I don’t understand, but it’s true, you can’t see those kinds of mistakes when you’re reading on a screen.

9. White space is your friend

Now here’s the real trick of writing your first few script pages: include all the elements listed above, but don’t make those pages feel too dense. White space on the page is your friend. Keep your dialogue, scene description, and action lines streamlined. You want a reader to be able to fly through your script with ease, excited to turn the page and see what happens next.

What do you think makes the opening pages of a script blazing hot? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!