As the saying goes: "Write about scars, not your open wounds." Yet right now, I struggle to write about either my scars or my wounds. A while ago my mother was diagnosed with a terminal disease and my entire life is undergoing a profound shift.

I don't want to go into too much detail, but I am accompanying her through her illness. I have to give up a lot because I am taking care of everything because I have already lost my father, and my sister isn't much help.

I keep a journal of sorts to hold on to what is happening. I would like to turn it into a story, but I don't know how. I find it hard to change things or adjust them for dramatic effect, because holding on to the unvarnished reality is far more important to me right now. At the same time, I can't bring myself to write about anything else because everything else seems utterly trivial in light of my mother's situation. I have long struggled with writer's block, and I've always questioned why I should even tell fictional stories in the first place. But now, that feels even truer. I used to be on a good path toward making a living from writing, but now nothing is moving forward.

Title: The Vix

Format: TV Pilot

Page Length: 42 Pages

Genres: Drama/Comedy

Logline: When a desperate aspiring day trader borrows money from a childhood friend turned small-time criminal, he must convince the man and his crew he can teach them to trade when his debt comes due - despite never having made a real profit himself.

Feedback Concerns: I wrote this over a year ago and recently did a huge rewrite, focusing on more on pacing and cutting back on financial exposition. Looking for any feedback.

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iH_spuBYioLeP7xFSPHQ-Qch3mpxkYrz/view?usp=sharing

Hey everyone! I’m looking for feedback on the second draft of my screenplay Maddie’s World, a horror/mystery pilot presented as a late-’90s/early-2000s teen sitcom.

Logline: An airheaded sitcom sidekick begins to suspect something is terribly wrong beneath the laugh track of her seemingly perfect high school life.

The script shifts between bright, multi-camera sitcom scenes and single-camera horror as Bree starts noticing cracks in her reality.

I’d especially appreciate thoughts on:

Does the sitcom dialogue feel authentic to that era?

Is the mystery enticing?

Do the horror moments build tension without revealing too much too soon?

Are you invested in Bree, and does the ending make you want to keep watching?
Where does the pacing drag, or the action become confusing?

Are the genre switches confusing?

Any other feedback is welcome, too. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to read!

Maddie’s World

Hey everyone!
I’ve been working on a feature screenplay and have made several revisions, I’d love to get some honest feedback from the community.

Format: Feature Film
Genre: Dark Corporate Satire / Crime Thriller
Length: 108 pages
Pages for Feedback: 1–10

Logline:
A predatory fast-food giant exploits body positivity to disguise its controversial cost-cutting practices. Meanwhile, a grieving line cook plots violent revenge against the company. A conflicted executive struggles to reform it from within, unaware that his next corporate meal will end in catastrophe.

Script Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18WsELp4g0ugTFNVgXN0fxkF5FFQUdxI8/view?usp=drivesdk

I’m particularly interested in the opening hook, pacing, dialogue, character introductions, and whether the first 10 pages give you a reason to keep reading.

I’m open to any feedback, positive or negative. If something feels confusing, unnecessary, unrealistic, or poorly written, please point it out. I genuinely want to improve the screenplay.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read it. I appreciate it!

Title: The Frontiers

Format: Feature

Genre: Comedy

Pages: 106

Draft Status: Work in Progress

Longline:

Two guys quickly realize that their friend is in the hands of a drug kingpin after a night of hardcore partying. This will lead to three days of pure chaos, with explosions and bullets flying everywhere.

I posted yesterday. I got some really good advice and feedback. I added the character introductions and shortened the script. I am sorry if I behaved rudely yesterday. It was not my intention. I really care about this script. Please tell me what you think.

Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X2HbaRxpznzvoJpiFbOIvf97bXL_O9UP/view?usp=sharing

Title: Toy Economy

Format: Short Film

Page Length: 10 Pages

Genres: Comedy/ Mockumentary

Logline: In a toy economy, a college student sets out to steal the world's most valuable toy after losing all his savings.

Feedback Concerns: Seeking feedback on the pacing, comedy, and the overall plot, but all feedback is appreciated!

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmdmVYLfBpJxJ-hkYvH-h2XkSb6_vsBj/view?usp=sharing

This feels like it should be obvious, because in real life, it is. I want a Nintendo Switch, but I need food & water.

But things are a little different in writing, no? The way I understand it, the want is the goal the character is consciously chasing, and the need is the thing they're subconsciously chasing.

In a romance, the leads need to be together by the end of the film. So can it be said that one lead needs the other? Or is that just what they want, and the need is something deeper, like learning to let go of the past?

It feels like the two blur together a lot!

SIX

Half Hour Pilot

37 Pages

Comedy/Family

Logline: A father's plan for his next chapter are disrupted when four of his adult children are forced to move back home.

I'm a fairly new writer and have a sitcom pilot that is a little too long (37 pages). Looking to swap with anyone for some initial feedback :) Main concerns: unsure what to cut, worried there is just too much content, worried it's lacking comedic tone

Overthinking has been a running theme ever since I was a child. Im pretty sure being sensitive is related to many people wanting to write in the first place. Any one here took SSRIs for your writing career? How does it work out for you? My therapist recommended me to be open to all sort of help, but I had really bad memories with antidepressants. If anyone could share their experiences or opinions I will be very grateful. Just wanna hear it and wish to discuss more. Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PBqu5llaMDFsY4vYh5KgXhOtNkbPb0jbfakWZsyAvok/edit?usp=drivesdk

This is a summary/ treatment for BUZZ. A satire film I’m developing. Will move onto beat sheet phase assuming the general plot/ arcs work. Let me know what you think.

If you are unfamiliar with "Video Nasty" moral panic in the United Kingdom you can check out this overview on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_nasty

I chose these four scripts to be added to the featured page mainly because they probably aren't what you'd expect to see on a list of films that were seized by the police because they were deemed by the UK Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to be obscene.

Since these are on the featured page no account needed to read/download:

• Dead & Buried (1981, Dropped 33) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/dead-and-buried
• Visiting Hours (1982, Dropped 33) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/visiting-hours
• Dawn of the Dead (1978, Section 3) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/dawn-of-the-dead
• Prom Night (1980, Section 3) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/prom-night

More from the Script Hive database (requires a free account):

• Zombi 2 (1979, Final 39) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/8eed5506-b7f9-441f-864f-be4ff550f909
• Cannibal Holocaust (1980, Final 39) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/b24f5e87-4658-444c-8cdd-dbc8079a28cd
• The Funhouse (1981, Dropped 33) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/0a0ce7bc-8804-40de-84e4-3c64d53c5790
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, Section 3) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/f4d1e498-b5e1-4f84-bddf-31f40448bd8e
• Martin (1977, Section 3) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/3cc0e21f-cee9-42fe-bfdb-95872f4110cc
• Scanners (1981, Section 3) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/bd7decf0-c100-49f3-9f53-599e590719d7

Posting Schedule:

• Thursday, October 1: Universal & RKO, 1930s
• Monday, October 5: Universal & RKO, 1940s
• Wednesday, October 7: 1950s
• Friday, October 9: 1960s
• Monday, October 12: 1970s
• Wednesday, October 14: Video Nasties (1970s - 1980s)
• Friday, October 16: Body Horror
• Monday, October 19: 1980s
• Wednesday, October 21: 1980s
• Friday, October 23: 1990s
• Monday, October 26: 1990s
• Wednesday, October 28: 2000s
• Friday, October 30: 2010s
• Saturday, October 31: 2020s

Title The Last Relic

Format feature

Page Length 112

Genre Action/adventure + sci fi

Logline An atheist Navy medic grieving the loss of her fiancé is recruited into an order of female relic guardians and must choose between resurrecting her lost love or prevent their greatest foe from using the most powerful artifact from igniting the apocalypse.

(I've never really liked any logline I've generated for this - very open to rewrites)

Comps I describe this as street level Avengers mixed with the Da Vinci Code meet Indiana Jones in a Stargate. It's silly mad fun with a costumed team.

Feedback Firstly i'd like to know how people respond to it. I'm fully aware that it plays with formatting "rules" sometimes. Like to know you have fun on the ride? Anything sticking/bumping? Most interested how it works as a sample...

And on that note, what do you more seasoned industry members think I should do with it? Any out of the box suggestions>?

Link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s4T35CfyZoOofkHd4D74aDv-m_HitAb-/view?usp=sharing

I recently hired a ghostwriting company. They promised to help me develop my animation project, create a pilot, and pitch it to a major production studio. The total cost is 4,500, but the person I’m in contact with is looking into whether I can make monthly payments of 300, since I can’t afford the full amount upfront. The problem is, I suspect the messages I’m receiving are generated by an AI rather than a real person. At first, they said we would produce a 10-minute pilot, but now they claim it will only be a 50-second teaser. There are many inconsistencies, highly suspicious behavior, and phrasing that doesn’t sound human. Furthermore, the company has very few reviews, is not well-known, and their Instagram account features only comments made by bots.

Looking for scripts for the TV series The Dropout if you happen to have a copy. I can only find transcripts online. Thanks!

I really love one of my script ideas, even though i know it probably needs work. In the meantime, I’m working on a low budget horror film that i think may be more accessible but is still very much my voice.

Is having two different kinds of scripts like this enough to get an interested manager? I’m 22

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rbpiBh721SD8ZE2tVkhavE7NR4HSGwj0/view?usp=drivesdk

Just throwing some pages up on here for general feedback, readability and whether it character bombs.

Title - 638 Ways to Kill a Dictator

Historical Satire/ Dark Comedy

8 Page Extract

This is a project I'm working on based on Fidel Castro, this is only a first draft and some things will have better context in totality, as some things will be paid off later. When finished it will share similarities to Inglorious Basterds in how it changes established history. Thanks to anyone who reads and gives feedback.

https://focusfeaturesguilds.com/obsession/screenplay/Obsession.pdf

—

h/t https://www.simplyscripts.com/2026/10/07/award-season-has-begun-7/

Okay, so someone on threads was talking about their script and how they’d love James Gunn to read it. Gunn’s response was

“I like your enthusiastic approach so I'll give you the truth to the best of my ability. I personally don't read scripts or take pitches until after they're at a very late stage in the game as I'm busy working on my own projects and helping to guide others already in production or development. But in general DC Studios does not take spec scripts based on our IP at all, as it opens us up to all sorts of legal issues. So we only take pitches through official channels before commencing a draft.

For instance, Mike Flanagan had an idea for Clayface and came to us and pitched the idea and then we bought that idea and paid him to write the script. I hope this doesn't diminish your enthusiasm too much. I got MY start writing spec scripts - but in film, unlike television, it's generally better that your spec scripts aren't based on existing IP. Good luck.”

Now my question, what exactly does he mean by taking pitches through official channels?

Edit: thanks everyone for the answers. That cleared that up pretty quickly, glad I asked.

FAQ: How to post to a weekly thread?

BLACK LIST WEDNESDAY THREAD

Post Requirements for EVALUATION CRITIQUE REQUEST & ACHIEVEMENT POSTS

For EVALUATION CRITIQUE REQUESTS, you must include:

1) Script Info

- Title:
- Format:
- Page Length:
- Genres:
- Logline or Short Summary:
- A brief summary of your concerns (500~ words or less)
- Your evaluation PDF, externally hosted
- Your screenplay PDF, externally hosted

2) Evaluation Scores

exclude for non-blcklst paid coverage/feedback critique requests

- Overall:
- Premise:
- Plot:
- Character:
- Dialogue:
- Setting:

ACHIEVEMENT POST

(either of an 8 or a score you feel is significant)

- Title:
- Format:
- Page Length:
- Genres:
- Logline or Summary:
- Your Overall Score:
- Remarks (500~ words or less):

Optionally:

- Your evaluation PDF, externally hosted
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This community is oversaturated with question and concern posts so any you may have are likely already addressed with a keyword search of r/Screenwriting, or a search of the The Black List FAQ . For direct questions please reach out to [support@blcklst.com](mailto:support@blcklst.com)

Lurking this sub I’ve learned SO much and honestly probably wouldn’t have decided to try it without the things I learned here so, thanks to all of you for that. This year I took the leap and locked in. I was able to follow through on something I’d been thinking about for years. Out of that came my screenplays.

I submitted to more than a few festivals and comps. Feedback has been pretty positive and I received a few finalist/official selection nods. That in itself made me excited (when I wasn’t feeling sick to stomach waiting for notifications), but I was completely unprepared for this feeling. Printing them and seeing them in black and white is on another level of excitement. Happy dancing with abandon over here 😊

Title: THE FRONTIERS

Format: Feature

Genre: Comedy

Pages: 113

Draft Status: Finished Script

Longline:

Two guys wake up on a beach with terrible hangovers after a night of hardcore partying, only to realize that their friends are missing, which leads to the next 3 days of pure chaos.

This is the first full-length script that I have written in English, as it is not my native language. Please tell me what you think. I would appreciate any feedback if you find the time!

Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SoX2le_M2Ww06SL2zT9brpaw-Pur6Xgw/view?usp=drive_link

For context: Over the last year or so, I have developed several ideas - Including loglines, detailed character sheets, 1-pagers, and even beat sheets (Using the Snyder framework).

However, I have never managed to take it to the screenplay level, and one of the main reasons (besides the procrastination) is that most of my ideas follow very complex story structures, and multiple character perspectives.

I feel this tends to happen because ultimately these are the kind of films I enjoy watching (ensemble thrillers/dark comedies), but I’ve been thinking more and more of trying to stick to a traditional set-up - One protagonist, one antagonist, in a linear form. My reason is because to break structure, I feel I should have a good idea of how structure actually works in the traditional sense, even though such linear forms of storytelling does not captivate me as much as some of my other ideas.

Another reason for my thinking is due to the comments I’ve read over the months through experienced screenwriters on this sub, who keep mentioning that you will probably end up writing 5-6 screenplays before churning out stories that could be good enough to get produced. Since my first story is nowhere likely to be my best, should I just pick the simplest idea of the bunch, and try to write a first draft ASAP in the next few months? Or do you think it’s better to go with my #1 idea, even if the execution may be much harder?

I have a scene in my murder mystery where my character, Dan, goes into a room, get's into some fisty cuffs with the antagonist and returns a little beat up claiming he took care of them. Well Dan actually got his ass kicked and the antagonist, who runs a Hollywood special effects company, is wearing a convincing rubber mask of his face. We don't know this till later when all the characters are together and real Dan walks down the stairs in his underwear and everyone discovers there are two Dans.

My question is, I did it this way because of a reader of mine from Wescreenplay, I labeled the two characters as Dan and Double Dan; does that work? I was told for the sake of the film crew and those reading the script, that they needed to know when Dan is a double and when he isn't. For the sake of costume, make up, actors, ect.. The only thing is it spoils the fact Dan is a double to my readers, unlike the audience in the theatre. Hopefully one day. They will never know. Should I keep these two characters as Dan and Double Dan, or should I change it all to Dan? So my readers are surprised when original Dan enters the scene and they discover the Dan who has been with them is an imposter.