What Screenwriting Contest Readers Really Look For

Image by: Laura Chouette

If you've ever submitted your script to a screenwriting contest and wondered what happens after you click "submit," here's the blunt truth: It lands in front of a reader like me, bleary-eyed, over-caffeinated, and holding your script to a terrifyingly high standard.

Yes, contests can help advance your screenwriting career. However, most entries are rejected for reasons that have nothing to do with poor writing. Although submitting your script before it's ready will likely result in rejection, the primary reasons are related to clarity, cohesion, and control of your craft.

I've been a reader for a respected competition for the past five years, and I want to lift the curtain on how scripts are evaluated behind the scenes. Here's what really matters when your script hits a judge's desk.

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Concept and Creativity

After reading through a script, I ask myself if the concept is not only clear but also unique. I can't tell you how many stories I've read about a retired hitman having to get back into the profession for some reason or another. While this is not a bad concept, per se, they mostly lack the major hook that makes their story unique.

I also look to see if the concept feels fresh. Again, this all points back to whether your story has a major hook, something different that sets it apart from the other 50 or so scripts I read over the course of a contest season. If your script feels derivative (another cabin in the woods, another haunted doll) without a twist or POV that reinvents it, it's already on shaky ground.

The logline should scream what's special about your story.

Genre Clarity

When I first start reading a script, I want to know what genre I'm reading by page five. If I don't know what the genre is by the end of the first act, then I stop reading. In the first five pages, I'm scanning for if the script feels like a comedy, and if the tone is consistent with a horror, or if I'm being misled by genre bait-and-switch.

The best thing you can do is ensure that your opening scene aligns with the genre you are writing. If you are writing a horror script, open with a horrifying scene. If you are writing a comedy, that opening scene better make me laugh.

A story that hides its genre for too long often reads like it doesn't know what it wants to be.

Theme That's Baked Into the Story

Strong scripts usually explore a clear idea or emotional truth, but they do it subtly. When I'm reading a script, I'm looking for what the script is really about. Does the theme emerge through conflict and character rather than speeches? Is the theme layered into the structure of your story and the subtext?

Let your characters live the theme. Don't have them explain it.

Solid Structure

While the structure of your story is important, we don't need a "by-the-numbers" beat sheet, but we do need shape. As I read your script, I'm checking to see if there is a clear beginning, middle, and end. I also keep an eye on whether the story escalates with purpose and if the turning points are well-paced.

Whether it's three acts, four, or five, your story needs rhythm, momentum, and payoff.

A Strong, Active Protagonist

When I'm reading a script, I like to know who I'm supposed to be following. This matters more than what happens. As soon as I start reading, I'm looking for who the main character is, what they want, and what stands in their way. Another important aspect to consider when writing your protagonist is whether they evolve over the course of the story.

A passive protagonist is one of the fastest ways to get a "pass."

Purposeful Supporting Characters

Every character that you have in the script must serve your story in some way. What I look for are characters that have distinct voices and roles, along with relationships that add depth to the protagonist. You want to avoid writing "filler" or redundant characters.

If you can remove a character without affecting the plot, you probably should.

Dialog That Works on the Page and the Screen

I don't just look for "realistic" dialogue. I'm looking for storytelling. When I read the dialogue you've written, I'm looking to see if the dialogue reveals character and emotion. Is it efficient, not expository? Does it flow well and feel castable? I also look to see if it is "on the nose" or if you've included subtext with each line of dialogue.

Great dialogue has subtext. Characters rarely say exactly what they want or feel.

Pacing That Keeps Us Turning Pages

When it comes to story, slow doesn't mean boring, but dragging does. I examine each scene to determine if it advances the story and if it is concise and purposeful. Each scene must build tension, conflict, or intrigue. If it doesn't do one of these, then you need to cut it from your script or find a way to rewrite it so that it does. If you want to be a professional screenwriter, then you have to learn how to kill your darlings.

Trim anything that doesn't add new information, escalate stakes, or deepen character.

Format Isn't Scored - But It Is Noticed

Most contests won't deduct points for formatting... but as a reader, I will pass on a script that doesn't look professional. When a reader has your script, the last thing you want to do is pull them out of the story because your slug lines and dialogue formatting are incorrect, your action paragraphs are way to dense (remember in scriptwriting white space is your friend), or your spacing, margins, and fonts are inconsistent or sloppy.

Format is the first impression. If you don't know how to use screenwriting software or follow basic industry standards, it suggests that you're not yet ready. Use Final Draft, WritersDuet, or Arc Studio.

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Final Thoughts

As a contest reader, I don't want to reject your script, I want to love it. But if your story lacks clarity, structure, or character drive, it's hard for me to advocate for it in a sea of submissions. So don't just hope your script will stand out. Shape it like someone's going to score it, because someone is.