The Difference Between a Good Script and a Great One

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A good script gets read.

A great script gets remembered.

In a world flooded with well-formatted, competent scripts, what makes one truly stand out? It's not just structure or strong dialogue (though those help). It's the intangibles - voice, risk, and resonance - that elevate a screenplay from solid to unforgettable.

If you're wondering why your script places in contests but never wins, or why managers say "great writing, but not for me," this post is for you.

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Good Scripts Follow the Rules. Great Scripts Bend Them.

Good scripts hit their beats, follow three-act structure, and keep to the 90-110 page range. Great scripts know when to break the rules - because they understand why those rules exist in the first place. They might open with a single image that burns into your brain or end on a gut-punch that makes you sit in silence. Great writers use structure as a spine, not a cage.

Good Scripts Deliver. Great Scripts Linger.

A good story builds tension and satisfies. But a great script haunts. It lingers in your chest. It makes you want to call someone and talk about it. This usually comes from bold thematic choices, emotional truth, or unforgettable characters who don't just act - they bleed on the page.

Good Scripts Have Voice. Great Scripts Have Soul.

Many scripts have distinct voices. But great ones have soul. You can feel the writer behind the story, not in a self-interested way, but in the conviction of writing. A great script feels like only this writer could have told this story this way.

Good Scripts Check Boxes. Great Scripts Take Risks.

Good writers play it safe. They try to write what's "sellable." Great writers dare to be weird. They understand marketability but still lead with boldness - maybe in the concept, the structure, the genre mashup, or the character POV. They don't try to write like everyone else - they write like themselves, with clarity and purpose.

Good Scripts Enter the Conversation. Great Scripts Redefine It.

Good horror scripts might echo Hereditary. A good rom-com might feel like When Harry Met Sally. A great script gives you something new - even if it's deceptively simple. It's a script that other writers reference. It doesn't chase trends; it sets them.

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Final Thoughts

The truth? You're probably already writing good scripts. The leap to great is about confidence, clarity of voice, and the courage to dig deeper than what's expected. The good new: great isn't reserved for a chosen few. It's available to any writer brave enough to risk showing us something raw and real.

-Renee

🔐 Want to level up your writing?

Download my Greatness Gap Self-Assessment — a free checklist to help you identify the difference-makers in your current script.