Making Ideas Into a Film: The Script

Max Christopher, a well trained screen writer who has worked alongside some of the greatest in L.A. and Pittsburgh explains his process on how he writes a screenplay. After writing the feature film, Wire, in 2023 and spending time in L.A. as a development intern for the studio Project X (Scream VI, Abigail, Ready or Not 2), he has developed a keen eye to the industry writing styles. Here, he shares what makes a good writer...and a good script.

What is the first you do before writing a script?

The first thing I do before writing a script is ask myself, “Why me and why now?” Most of the time, I can’t come up with a good answer, if any at all, but eventually I reach a point where I realize if this story floating around in my head needs to be told.

What makes a good script?

I think a good script always comes down to character. A story is only as good as the characters that ground it.

Explain the process of hashing out your ideas. Are there any methods you follow?

When I’m hashing out ideas, I just vomit out as much brainstorming as I can. It’s typically a hodgepodge of bullet points, ideas, references, moments, themes, etc. I try to work all of these scattered brained ideas into working out the characters first. I like to flesh out a biography for all of my characters, where they have been in their lives before the first frame, and where they’re going after the credits end. From there, I create a world for those characters to inhabit.

What are the most important things to know about the story before writing the script?

To me, the biggest things to know about the story before you write your script is your protagonist’s dilemma and moment of crisis. You want to know what two unfavorable situations a character is faced with, and what moment will cause them to make an irreversible decision. The rest of the script builds off of those two components.

What do you do to get over writer’s block?

Typically to get over writer’s block I try to listen to music to get me into the right headspace or watch a movie that’s similar to what I’m trying to go for in my script. A coffee never hurts either.

Were there resources you used to help yourself become a better writer? For example, books, podcasts, courses, videos, etc.

I’ve never taken a formal writing course before, so everything I’ve learned has been from mentors, books, podcasts, and video essays. I’ve read Truth and Storytelling by Emily Edwards and The Tools of Screenwriting by David Howard for a lot of the basics.

For those who want to write a script but don't know where to start, what would you recommend to them?

Write as much as you can, about whatever you can conjure up, and then send to people you trust for feedback. This goes for writers at every stage and is something I wish I did more of.  As bad as you may think your first draft or first script may be, the important thing is getting words on the page. It doesn’t matter how long or short, big or small, or what genre… just write.

Max Christopher © 2025