Reading screenplays isn't the same as studying them

You’ve probably heard this advice:

"If you want to get better at screenwriting, read more screenplays."

It’s good advice – but there’s a problem.

You can read a great screenplay from beginning to end and come away thinking, "Wow. That was really good." You might even be able to tell someone what you liked about it.

But can you explain how the writer did it?

How did they make the mystery unfold at exactly the right pace?

How did they build a character arc without announcing the character’s transformation?

How did they make a handful of locations feel like enough?

How did they make the romantic relationship deepen while the rest of the story was moving forward?

That’s a different skill than simply reading a screenplay.

To really learn from a screenplay, you have to read it with intention. You have to ask questions, and look very closely at the answers the screenplay offers.

What is the writer doing here? Why does this work? How did they create this effect? Where can I actually see that choice on the page?

And: What can I learn from this for my own writing?

So this month I'm hosting something a little different.

📚 Screenplay Study Hall

5 days of guided study for screenwriters who want to understand how great screenplays actually work.

Here's how it works: You’ll choose one screenplay and spend five days investigating it, scene by scene, with a daily lesson and assignment to guide you.

We’ll look at things like:

• how to build a story foundation that can support a whole screenplay
• what structure is really doing (it's not about page numbers)
• character arc and theme
• supporting characters and relationships
• conflict
• scene work and voice on the page
• and whatever specific craft question you want to investigate in your chosen screenplay

I’ll be doing my own case study alongside you, so you’ll also get to see how I approach the analysis and what I look for.

And by the end, you’ll have more than a bunch of notes about one screenplay.

You’ll have a case study you can return to – and a process you can use the next time you find yourself wondering, “How did they do that?”

Because craft books can tell you what to do, but a screenplay can show you what that looks like in practice.

You can see how a writer handles structure, builds a character arc, escalates conflict, or develops a relationship — all in the context of an actual story.

And the more screenplays you study, the more you’ll start to see both the patterns and the possibilities.

​Join me for Screenplay Study Hall​

📬 5 days of guided study delivered by email, October 12 - 16​
💬 Optional community discussion leading up to and during the 5 days​
👩🏻‍💻 Live Q&A via Zoom on October 18 @ 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern
✅ See more about how it works and what we'll cover here.​

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You do not need to already know how to analyze screenplays in order to join. In fact, that's the point — we'll walk through the process together through the daily lessons.

You just need a screenplay you’re curious about, and a willingness to look a little closer.

($27 through October 5, then $39 after.)

Have any questions? Reply and let me know.

See you in Study Hall,

Naomi

P.S. You can study a feature screenplay or a pilot, so if there’s a TV script you’ve been meaning to dig into, this might be the perfect excuse. 😊