I wanted to write about something ridiculous today. So I legit was like, what are three words that I think would stand out on the opening page of a script and get me to lean in? What started as a new exercise for me quickly became this post.

Before you write an email to me in anger, I want to tell you that this is not prescriptive. Do whatever you need to do, write whatever you want.

But this was a fun way to break me out of my normalcy and try to do something unique on the opening page of my script.

Let's have some fun.

1. "EXCEPT"

Okay, this was one I was playing with this morning. You want the opening page to set expectations: genre, protagonist, and tone.

But what if you started on a subversion?

Starting a script with an exception instantly creates conflict, whether on the page or in the reader's mind.

You can force the reader to ask a question. If everything in the world functions one way except for this one person, place, or rule, the story has already begun.

Let's expand on that idea.

  • How to use it: Put it right in your opening action description or voiceover to disrupt the status quo in sentence one.
  • Example: Everyone in Suburbia Heights cleans their gutter on Sunday morning. Except Arthur. Arthur spends Sunday mornings throwing rock salt at the mailman.

See how that shows us who Arthur is right away? We see this is the exception to a rule, the one person who rebels, and we also see he's kind of a nutty guy, too.

2. "SUDDENLY"

I probably overuse this word in my writing, but why not add one more on the first page just to set the reader up for a few others in big moments along the way?

Seriously though, when placed intentionally, a word like "suddenly" acts as a sudden jolt to the reader's pulse. It signals the exact moment the normal world collapses and something exciting steps in. Page one needs energy. This word provides it.

  • How to use it: Isolate it on its own line or use it to interrupt a mundane moment with immediate danger, surprise, or comedy.
  • Example: Elena carefully picks the lock. Suddenly—the floor gives out, and she falls through.
That surprise would get me reading to find out what comes next, and if you get them to page two, then you only have like 100 to go.

3. "WRONG"

I'm always searching for the right words, but what if the right word is the wrong one?

Whether a character makes a catastrophic mistake, misinterprets a situation, or realizes they've walked into a trap, the word "wrong" delivers dramatic irony that can layer your theme into the very first page.

Audiences love knowing something a character doesn't, or finding out a plan has fallen apart. It sets up immediate stakes for the reader.

  • How to use it: Use it in action lines to highlight a miscalculation or reveal that something or someone isn't what it appears to be.
  • Example: Leo checks his GPS, grins, and steps into the elevator, convinced he’s following the tracking device. But if he bothered to look up to see the dead body, he'd know he was completely wrong.
I made up these ridiculous scenes on the fly, so judge them all you want. But as you can see, you're suddenly in control of the scene when you're giving the reader information the character doesn't have, or you're worried about a character not being right.

Summing It All Up

I hope these words help you get out of your own head and just write the best scene possible. Using subversively simple words like EXCEPT, SUDDENLY, and WRONG on page one keeps the reader turning pages and eager to see what happens next.

And hopefully it gets you writing page two onward, as well.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

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