WHY

Prep Is Necessary

The Prep phase gets the magic of your idea out of your head and onto the page, capturing its tone, intention, and emotional core before we shape it into a screenplay’s structure.

This is how you stay unformulaic: by honoring the story you want to tell, not the one the maps or templates might pressure you into. Story maps can guide you, but they should never smother your voice. You can only reject the wrong paths if you’ve first discovered your specific voice inside each new project.

HOW

Brainstorm

Brainstorming in Prep means writing freely and messily, without worrying about grammar, format, or “getting it right.” This is where you let your creativity spill out.

Use the guided writing prompt worksheets to write your way through the story you think you’re telling. You are not shaping it into a screenplay yet, you're discovering what’s actually there. The goal is exploration, not perfection, not "writing" but exploring.

TIPS

Pro Tips

Resist the urge to “have the answers.” Stay in the questions until the answers reveal themselves. Follow what feels right. Clarity comes from exploration, not certainty.

Don’t move on too quickly. The Prep phase only works if you finish it fully.

Every skipped exercise creates confusion later.

Do not skip this phase. If you bypass Prep, you won’t know why you’re writing your story, and you will get lost in the

Plot and Write phases.

Choose Your Route for the Prep Phase

PRINT PDFS FROM THE STARTER KIT

Download and print the Prep worksheets from the Brainstorming Notebook PDF included in your Starter Kit. Use pencil, scribble freely, and let yourself think on paper without pressure.

UPGRADE TO THE PHYSICAL NOTEBOOK

in a full-page, full-color, coil-bound format, designed for creative scribbling and unplugged exploration, on the go, anywhere. Purchase just the notebook, or get the Starter Kit - it includes a discount code.

TEMPLATES INSIDE FINAL DRAFT

(coming soon)

Open the “Templates” tab inside Final Draft to find the Prep worksheets in plain text format. While digital brainstorming can work, I highly recommend beginning with messy pencil and paper work first, then transferring your insights into Final Draft. This solidifies your decisions before you move deeper into the 16 Steps.

A Peek Inside Prep

Inside the Notebook