Your average studio reader is reading several scripts per week, and gets paid the same paltry sum whether they recommend it or say pass. And they don’t get a bonus if they recommend something that becomes a blockbuster. Your script is just another stack of pages that they have to get through.

So how do you make your script stand out in a very crowded field?

It’s all about stimulation.

You need to get someone stimulated to read your script. You’ve got to get someone even more stimulated if they’re going to use that script as a basis to hire you for a writing job. You’ve got to get someone practically busting out of their pants if they’re going to pay you big money to buy your spec.

How do you do that?

Give them a hook somewhere in the first 3-5 pages to draw them in.

Something big has to happen. But when you think of “big”, it doesn’t have to be an explosion or a murder, but it does have to be something that hooks a reader’s interest and makes him or her want to continue reading. That moment acts as a sling shot that propels the story into act 1 and will serve as the initial motivation for your hero.

After that, the three most important words are structure, structure and structure!

What is your hero’s goal?

That needs to be determined by the end of act 1, usually around page 30. If that doesn’t happen, your script will not make it past the first reader.

Is there a building tension and dramatic arc that reaches a breaking point at the end of act 2, usually around page 90? If not, it won’t make it past the first reader. Does your hero rise from the ashes of act 2, and change directions in Act 3 towards an exciting and satisfying climax and conclusion? If not, it won’t make it past the first reader.

Drama and well structured stories arouse readers and executives. But those are only two formulas in a much larger equation. One way to find out if your script is ready is to have a professional script service evaluate your screenplay. Like my own service, many of them use readers who have studio experience and know what studio readers and executives are looking for, both the good and the bad. They will give you an unbiased opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of your script, so that you can take that next step from good to great.

Spending a little money now to improve your script could reap huge benefits later on.