Narrative Structure is Dead. Long Live Narrative Structure
Like most fledgling writers, I’m obsessed with the scriptwriting podcast Scriptnotes. There’s a point that routinely gets hammered home on the pod that, for a while, I was incredibly resistant to. They hate structure. But, the more I’ve read, and the more I’ve written, I’ve come to realise they’re absolutely right. Narrative structure in screenwriting is utter codswallop, and yet without it this industry is nothing.
The Best Pilot Episodes you Can read for free right now!
What makes a great first episode? Or, a “pilot”, if you will…
Honestly, it depends on the larger story you’re trying to tell. Even anthology series tend to have a thematic arc. Who are the key players? What are the stakes? What’s the “question” you’re asking your audience that will keep them coming back week after week?
How Important are the First 10 Pages REALLY?
If you start learning how to write, at some point you’ll come across ‘the first ten pages’. This is, apparently, the paradigm page count to hook your audience and make all the necessary promises to keep them hooked for the duration of your story.
But, how true is it?
What really happens on the 10th page? How much to we really know?
Using Thematic Language to Make Readers Love your Script
There are millions of scripts out there with exciting plot twists and deep character development. What is it that makes certain scripts feel special?
Theme.
Lessons Learned from a Month of Reading Scripts
It’s pretty telling of how chronically online either I or my generation is that the concept of reading is considered a ‘challenge’, but in January 2026 I did exactly that. Over the course of 31 days, I read 30 complete scripts and plays.
Here’s what I learned.
Character Introductions – How The Best Writers Reveal Their Protagonists
There’s no ‘right’ way to introduce your character, but there are some things you can do to really showcase in their first few moments on screen / stage who they are and how they fit into the larger narrative.