Write it. Hear it. Fix it.
Practical guides for screenwriters on table reads, dialogue, pacing, formatting, and rewriting by ear.
How to Hear Your Screenplay Read Aloud
Four ways to hear your screenplay read aloud: friends, hired actors, text-to-speech, and AI table reads. What each costs, what each reveals, and how to start.
Table readsWhat Is a Table Read? A Screenwriter's Guide
A table read is a seated read-through of a script by its cast. Learn who attends, what happens in the room, and why film and TV productions rely on them.
Table readsHow to Run a Table Read: A Complete Checklist
A practical checklist for running an in-person or virtual table read: casting, choosing a stage directions reader, timing the session, and collecting notes.
ToolsAI Table Read vs. Live Actors: When to Use Each
An honest comparison of AI table reads and live actor readings: cost, speed, performance, and feedback, plus when each one makes sense for your screenplay.
CraftHow to Write Dialogue That Sounds Natural
How to write screenplay dialogue that sounds natural: test it by ear, cut exposition, use fragments and interruptions, with before-and-after scene examples.
FormattingScreenplay Page Count and Runtime Explained
Does one screenplay page really equal one minute? How page count maps to runtime, where the rule breaks down, and how to estimate length by listening.
CraftHow to Find Pacing Problems in Your Screenplay
How to find and fix pacing problems in a screenplay: listening signals that a scene drags, simple scene-length math, and practical fixes for slow stretches.
ToolsText-to-Speech for Screenwriters: What Actually Helps
What makes text-to-speech useful for screenwriters: separate voices per character, sensible narration of action lines, parentheticals, and direction.
FormattingScreenplay File Formats: PDF vs. FDX vs. Fountain
PDF, Final Draft .fdx, Fountain, or plain text? The pros and cons of each screenplay file format, when to use which, and tips for converting between them.
CraftHow to Give Each Character a Distinct Voice
How to give every character in your screenplay a distinct voice through diction, rhythm, and vocabulary, and how to check the result by hearing it read aloud.
WorkflowRewriting Your Screenplay With Audio: A Workflow
A practical listen, note, and revise workflow for rewriting a screenplay with audio, from first draft to final polish, with note templates and listening passes.
WorkflowHow to Prepare Your Screenplay for Contests and Readers
A polish checklist for sending your screenplay to contests and readers: story checks, a final listening pass, formatting, title page, and submission details.