The 16 Steps to a Screenplay
Screenwriting System
A clear, repeatable workflow for taking your screenplay
from idea to finished draft.
What Writers Love About This System:
CLARITY
16 organized steps that take you from idea to “Fade Out”
No getting lost.
STRUCTURE
Explained simply.
Understand beats vs scenes &
make stronger
writing choices.
PROCESS
Learn the system once and use it every time you start a screenplay. Builds a consistent writing routine that will keep you from burning out.
Amanda Moresco is a writer, director, and screenwriting instructor with more than twenty years of professional experience. She has worked with countless writers, helping them understand real story structure, not page count or act breaks. She created the 16 Steps System to give screenwriters a simple, reliable workflow they can use directly inside Final Draft.
Student Successes Using the 16 Steps System
Writers using this workflow have earned competition placements, major creative breakthroughs and production deals. Here are just a few recent success stories.
Amanda has not only been inspiring with her approach to screenwriting, but work gets produced!
I now have an understanding of the monolithic journey and how to apply it to my writing. Amanda has given me powerful tools to continue my screenwriting and I feel confident.
Ivy K.
Google Review
Morgan James, NY
Amanda offered some of the best, concise, thoughtful and essential notes to improve the structure and plot of my play that I had missed as playwright. I don't know anyone who knows structure as well as Amanda, not only in her own screenplays, but how to teach it
J. Pickering
Google Review
“Have customers review you and share what they had to say. Click to edit and add their testimonial.”
A.R. Bloch
Google Review
Amanda has been a vital contributor in my growth as a playwright, tv writer, and screenwriter. Her tough, no nonsense wisdom broke down crucial “road blocks” allowing me to finish my pilot, HOOKED, and stage play CLEMENTINE!
How the
16 Step System
Works With
STARTER KIT + ADD ON PRINTED NOTEBOOK (Recommended)
Best for: writers who do not already own the starter kit.
👉 GET THE STARTER KIT if you want all tools delivered instantly, no shipping, and you prefer printing worksheets from the course notebook as needed.
👉 ADD ON the print edition of the course notebook if you want a durable, coil-bound notebook you can carry everywhere, and work the system the old fashioned way: with pen and paper. After all, AI can't steal your ideas if they aren't on the computer. (Discount code to add on the printed notebook inside your starter kit)
👉 WORK THE STEPS - Complete the Prep, Story & Plot phases in a messy, unformatted way. Now, you open Final Draft! You can transfer all of your messy answers on the 16 Steps worksheets into the 16 Steps Worksheets inside the Final Draft templates tab (coming soon) in a clear organized way. Follow the daily writing momentum suggested in Steps 9-16 and write your screenplay.
FINAL DRAFT TEMPLATES + ADD ON Printed Notebook
Best for: writers who have purchased the Starter Kit and already have the 16 Step-by-Step Tools.
👉 YOU ONLY NEED TO PURCHASE THE STARTER KIT ONCE - You can re-use the starter kit's step by step tools for working the System for every new screenplay you write.
👉 Print the 16 Step Worksheets from the course notebook PDF included in the kit, or find the 16 Step Templates inside Final Draft's templates tab (coming soon) and work steps 1-8 directly inside Final Draft. OR, ADD ON the print edition of the course notebook for every new screenplay you write! Your starter kit discount code to add on the printed notebook never expires.
👉 WORK THE STEPS - Complete the Prep, Story & Plot phases in a messy, unformatted way. Then, follow the daily writing momentum suggested in Steps 9-16 and write your screenplay.
16 Steps Mantra
“Out of clutter, find simplicity.
Out of discord, find harmony.
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
— Einstein (Rules of Work)
A Quick Guide to What Each Module Includes
Whether you’re using the 16 Steps Templates in Final Draft or working directly from your Starter Kit + Notebook, each module guides you through a focused part of the story development process.
This section gives you an overview of what’s inside every step, worksheet, and tool, so you always know exactly where you are in your story
and what to do next.
Story
Inside the Final Draft Templates (coming soon): Guided, typing-only prompts that help you clarify the beginning, middle, and end of your story. These prompts walk you through defining your protagonist’s goals, the obstacles in their way, and the emotional arc that drives your story forward.
Inside the Starter Kit + Notebook:
Full Page Story Map templates (three variations) where you can brainstorm your structure visually. These color graphic maps live only in the Notebook so you can explore freely, make a creative mess, and see your entire story at a glance before transferring your decisions into Final Draft.
**Notebook Exclusive: the ordinary world full page chess board graphic, + act break index card graphic breaking down what needs to happen in each act to achieve catharsis.
Prep
Inside the Final Draft Templates (coming soon):
Six guided Prep Worksheets (typing-only) that help you clarify your creative vision before writing. You’ll define your story’s tone, theme, world, character arcs, purpose, and emotional spine, all inside Final Draft.
Inside the Starter Kit + Notebook:
You’ll find the same six Prep Worksheets in a full-color, graphic-rich format designed for deeper, organic brainstorming by hand.
You also get:
-
The 16 Steps Glossary (all key terms explained)
-
Story Structure Cheat Sheet
-
Daily Writing Prompt Calendar
-
Optional onboarding call
-
Link to discounted future consult rates
Everything works together to guide you through the full 16-Step System from start to finish.
**Notebook Exclusive: the full 4-page Anatomy of an Adaptation worksheet: a guided breakdown for adapting books, articles, true stories, and IP into a cinematic blueprint. Discount code for the physical notebook included in the Starter Kit
Write
Inside the Final Draft Templates (coming soon): Once your Prep, Story, and Plot decisions are locked, you’ll move directly into screenplay pages with clear direction. This module includes a concise explanation of cinematic writing and a built in writing timeline to keep you focused, intentional, and moving steadily forward as you draft.
Inside the Starter Kit + Notebook:
A daily writing-prompt calendar that shows you exactly what to work on every day during your 8-week writing phase, expanded cinematic writing guidance, and research tips with optional exercise worksheets to add depth and authenticity to your script.
Starter Kit Exclusive: A discounted rate for 1:1 Story Consults via Zoom. During the writing phase, you can use this discount to book a story consult for page review, 15 pages at a time. On Zoom, we will read your pages together. I’ll give you line-by-line notes on how to strengthen your draft in real time..
Plot
Inside the Final Draft Templates (coming soon): Three typing-only plotting worksheets that help you understand what an incident/ story beat is and how to card your plot like pro writers do in working writing rooms.
Inside the Starter Kit + Notebook:
Color-coded Plotting Card templates for both linear and non-linear structure. These plotting tools live only in the Notebook and are designed for creative exploration before transferring your refined beats into Final Draft.
**Notebook Exclusive: Aristotle’s Poetics Cheat Sheet (your breakdown of the seven core concepts as they apply to modern screenwriting), plus full page color graphic worksheets: "Understanding Reversals" and "Identify the Incident" to solidify your understanding of Poetics.
A Preview of the 16 Steps Templates in Final Draft
The full 16 Steps System Templates will soon be available inside Final Draft, giving you a streamlined way to pair the software with the prep-story-plot-write method taught here.
01.
PREP
STORY
PLOT