Question: Is there a formal list of bad scripts someone can read to learn what NOT to do?

An email from Shawn Larkin:

I found your 3 x 14 Days of Screenplays very helpful. There is almost nothing like reading solid scripts to understand the art and craft, except reading “bad” scripts.

It’s common knowledge that you learn quite a bit about what “doesn’t work” by reading lesser work. But I can’t seem to find any sort of formal list where there is a solid set of screenplays that have been analyzed for common problems.

Of course, if you pick up any random, un-produced spec, chances are it has plenty of “lessons” on what not to do in it. And if you go to sites like Scriptshadow or read Mystery Man’s script reviews, you can glean quite a bit about what doesn’t work in screenplays.

But do you know of any thing more formal, like your 14 Days of Screenplays section to study ‘bad” scripts — even famous or well known examples of bad writing?

I can imagine, few people would be interested in doing this, but if if there was a formal approach to it — “like this script is a study in why you should not change POV in the story VS. this script, which works for these reason…” then it might be very helpful.

I’ve been a screenwriter since 1987 and a teacher since 2002, but I confess I’ve never gotten this question. From the perspective of someone such as myself, who routinely reads ‘bad’ script pages, I guess I’m rather immune to what I can learn from them. But Shawn, I’m sure you’re right — that you can learn a lot from ‘bad’ scripts, specifically what not to do.

I don’t know of any websites that specialize in collecting bad screenplays. I did a Google search “bad screenplays website” and hit this: “13 Things Bad Screenwriters Commonly Do” and that’s a nice list to have handy. But where to go to immerse yourself in bad scripts?

What about screenplay sites like simplyscripts.com? Surely they have some screenplays for bad movies there. For example, they have three different scripts for An American Werewolf in Paris, which I thought was a pretty poor movie. 

The problem there is that even if the story isn’t good, the style and format will likely be up to professional standards.

So where to go to hit really bad scripts? 

I’m stumped. GITS readers, what say ye?

And do you see any potential educational value in reading bad screenplays?

Comment Archive