As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression. Although that saying is usually applies to meeting people. It also applies to your script.

That’s why the first ten pages of your script are truly make or break. It can mean the difference between success or pass. The first ten pages not only open your project but also sets the tone, the style, and the promise of what is in store for the reader.

Although film is a visual medium, it is first a written document read by a human. Probably a very busy human with limited time and attention. Most executives, producers, and script readers who will evaluate your project do so quickly. Is this fair? Maybe. Maybe not. But those execs have hundreds of scripts to get through and not enough hours in the day. So, rather than lament the validity of this process, a process that’s not going to change anytime soon, lean into your first ten pages again. Hone them. Streamline them. Every word, every sentence not only introduces your story-it also tells the reader something else. Whether or not to keep reading.

You’ve no doubt worked hard to not only write your story, worked hard to get your script into the right hands. Now you owe yourself and your project to take another look at your first ten pages.

If you read your first ten pages separately as a stand-alone document, do they entice the reader to wonder “what happens next?”

Does the world you’ve built, and the characters you’ve created intrigue the reader? As Stage 32 executive and acquisitions exec turned writer/producer Julie Wentzell Chang explains, the first ten pages must make the reader need to know “what happens next?”

In Julie’s upcoming class How You Can Win Buyers Over In The First 10 Pages Of Your Script, which kicks off Wednesday, September 21, she will share the secret “markers” executives look for in your first ten pages. Since she’s been on the other side of the table and read countless scripts, Julie will share how scripts are evaluated by acquisition executives and what they look for in those first ten pages. As a writer, she can also guide you from the creator's perspective.

Over this four-part class, Julie will share her insider knowledge and workshop each student’s projects. She’ll work with you to hone your opening scene’s “hook” and ensure you’ve covered world-building, intrigue, action, and emotional connection.

Julie will make sure that your script and your first ten pages leave a strong impression and create a promise of an impactful story for the reader.

And let’s not forget that often, in life and in writing, sometimes it’s the little things that can trip you up. Yes, I mean tpyos typos. Don’t get tripped up by the small stuff. In most cases, typos and unprofessional formatting are an automatic pass.

Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.

Check yet again for typos?

Homophones correctly used? (There, their, they’re)

Tenses correct?

Is your font readable?

Is your document written in an industry-standard format?

Before you’ve sent your script off, hand it to someone adept at proofreading. Don’t read it for content, check for typos. Since you’ve lived inside your script for way too long, have someone put fresh eyes on it. A good trick is to have someone read it from front to back to check for typos or take pages out of context to check for spacing, typos, and correct word tense and usage.

Make sure your first ten pages, the first impression of you as a writer and the strength of your project, is strong enough to hook your reader and excited to read what happens next.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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