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Keeping audiences hooked relies on meaningful dramatic questions, yet few stories will generate tension on the most meaningful level of all.

Clever concepts, genre staples, and rare characters can entice audiences, but without story-long dramatic tension your script will struggle to keep them engaged. The more levels on which your script tries to wield story-long tension, the more chance it has of holding its audience until the end.

Personality goes a long way, but if a protagonist’s behaviour is not well thought-out, their winning persona won’t save them from audience disinterest. Script readers keep basic touchstones in mind concerning a protagonist’s Activity, Believability, and Rationale.

From Terrence Malick to Marvel, every cinematic story strives for audience involvement. Drama engages. But Drama without Theme is meaningless and meaningless stories are quickly forgotten. That’s why theme is so fundamentally important.

The industry is a severely competitive environment in which to survive, let alone succeed. These are not necessarily tips you ought to follow to the letter but rather advice you should be made aware of as you begin your journey.