Is My Script Too Long, and Why?

One of the most common questions a screenwriter will ask early on in their screenwriting journey is, “Is my script too long?” While there is no single exact page count you need to hit when you’re writing scripts on spec (under speculation that they will be sold and produced), there are general film industry guidelines and expectations when it comes to page counts. Most scripts that feel or look too long usually are. More often than not, the page count itself isn’t the main issue. It’s what is on those pages that is the most revealing.

With that in mind, here we’ll break down why your scripts may be too long, why Hollywood cares, and what you can do to avoid this red flag. 

Screenplays are blueprints for feature films, with screenwriters being tasked with laying out a cinematic story by telling future collaborators (producers, executives, directors, actors, and crew) what should be seen and heard, all within the confines of a universal screenplay format. It’s then the job of filmmakers to bring those words to life, using the screenplay as the central collaborative document (blueprint).

There’s an old Hollywood adage that works as a surprisingly accurate estimation barometer for screenplays: one script page equals one minute of screen time. It’s not an exact science, but it’s a fairly consistent measuring tool to go by.

So, a 120-page script generally suggests a two-hour movie. While there are certainly plenty of very successful films that go over that two-hour mark, studios, producers, executives, and script readers prefer screenplays that get to the point and maintain consistent momentum. The longer a script is, the more opportunities it has to lose its audience.

This doesn’t mean every spec script needs to be 90 pages. Different genres naturally lend themselves to different script lengths; some stories require more script space, and others require less. But knowing this general barometer will help you gauge where your script measures up as far as being too long, too short, or just enough. 

The industry sweet spot for most feature-length screenplays falls between 90 and 110 pages. Using this sweet spot as a range to shoot for gives you some breathing room when it comes to dialogue sections that stretch the page count, or more detailed scene description required for action sequences. 

• Comedies usually land closer to 90-100 pages because they thrive on quick pacing.
• Horror scripts trend at 90-100 pages as well because of the need for fast pacing and simple but efficient building of suspense.
• Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, and Fantasy scripts may stretch closer to 115 pages because they often require a little more world-building, larger casts, and more elaborate set pieces. Even then, professional screenwriters work hard to ensure every page matters.
• Dramas are more flexible. Some intimate dramas only run for 100 pages while sprawling historical dramas may justify additional length. 

Once again, there’s no single answer to the question of how many pages your script should be. The above estimations should always include some give or take when it comes to pages. If you focus on that sweet spot of landing between 90-110 pages, you’ll do just fine. 

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you’re not overwriting your script is to go into the writing process with a specific page count in mind.

If you don’t have an intended page count set going into the writing process, you risk writing yourself in a bind by writing too much, forcing you to have to cut possible essential scenes that you’ve built into the structure of your story.

Screenplays are like houses of cards. If you remove one scene, the whole foundation could come tumbling down. You can avoid that by targeting a specific page count goal and writing towards that. If you fall short of that goal, or go just beyond it, you’re okay as long as you’ve chosen a page count goal that falls in line with industry wants, needs, and expectations. 

Beginning screenwriters, and even some seasoned and experienced ones, often fall in love with every scene, every conversation, and every detail they’ve written. They become married to their words, which makes it very difficult to cut anything.

On the script reader’s end, when they receive screenplays that are 130, 140, or 150 pages long, they know the script is likely overwritten. Readers read dozens of scripts per week. The concern isn’t an arbitrary number: it’s the likelihood that the writer hasn’t learned how to edit their own work.

Readers know from experience that overly long screenplays usually contain:

• Repetitive Dialogue
• Overly Expositional Dialogue
• Unnecessary or Repetitive Scenes
• Subplots that Don’t Affect the Main Story
• Overwritten Scene Description

While every screenplay deserves a shot, having a lengthy script pushing 120 pages and beyond creates an uphill battle for you before anyone reads the first page. 

While we’ve been discussing a lot about page count, it’s important to remember that a high page count is less about a number, and more about what’s on the page that is causing that higher number of pages. A high page count is a symptom of a much larger issue. 

One of the biggest culprits of long scripts is an overextended first act. Many writers spend thirty or forty pages on character introductions, setups, and backstory before the central conflict finally arrives.

Screenwriters should take solace knowing that today’s audience is fairly savvy when it comes to picking up on character archetypes. They don’t need to see ten scenes establishing that a character is lonely, ambitious, funny, stubborn, depressed, cowardly, or heroic. One strong scene can usually accomplish what you need to get your character into the thick of the core conflict of your script.

Yes, it’s always good to give readers a glimpse into the ordinary world of your characters. This offers great contrast to how they will handle the conflict coming their way. But character development and depth happen throughout the script as they react to the conflict being thrown at them.

Dialogue can often expand far beyond what the story needs. It goes back to the fact that contemporary audiences are fairly smart and don’t need things over-explained to them. If you trust the audience, you’ll be able to say so much more with so much less.

In many scripts from beginning screenwriters, characters frequently greet one another, exchange pleasantries, repeat information we already know, or explain emotions that are already obvious through behavior. Try to avoid falling into those bad habits.

Instead, it’s good to enter conversations late and leave them early. Rather than show every step of a discussion, start the dialogue scene in the middle of an argument or conversation, building from the scene or scenes directly before that moment.

Trust the audience. They’ll catch up quickly.

Each line has to matter. Each line has to be there for a reason. Avoid the trap of trying to be overly funny or clever. Trim every dialogue scene to its core, and you’ll quickly discover your page count going down, but, even more important, you’ll notice that your scenes are getting better.

Reading your dialogue aloud to yourself is one of the easiest ways to identify unnecessary lines or exchanges. If a line of dialogue can disappear without changing the meaning or point of a scene, it probably should go. And, yes, that sometimes means deleting your darlings in the form of jokes, anecdotes, references, etc.

Every single scene should build to the next, making each scene unique and special. Sometimes screenwriters unknowingly write three or more scenes to accomplish the same story or character objective.

A script may have a protagonist complaining about work to their spouse in one scene, shortly followed by them complaining to co-workers in a second and third scene. The audience will understand the conflict in that first scene.

Instead of reinforcing the same emotional point repeatedly, combine those moments into one stronger and more dynamic scene that advances multiple story elements at the same time.

When two or more scenes produce the same takeaway or story/character beat, merge them to create a single scene that is even more impactful. And then move on to the next. 

Screenwriters naturally understand every detail of the characters, worlds, and stories they’ve created. The common mistake made is trying to make sure audiences understand everything, which comes in the form of lengthy exposition that pauses the story to deliver history lessons, mythology, technical details, or backstories.

Expositional scenes and dialogue blocks like this slow the pacing and momentum of your scripts to a halt. Again, trust the audience. Audiences enjoy connecting the dots themselves. They don’t need or want you to over-explain everything.

Let the audience (script reader) discover information organically. Rather than explain every detail or rule of your world in long and redundant scenes, hold back and reveal only what’s necessary for any given scene. This is called discovery. Let the audience and the reader discover things along with your characters. Don’t feel the need to force-feed them anything.

Subplots are great. You’ll always hear or read about the need for B and C stories that accompany the A story. However, subplots also take up extra space in your script.

Make sure that every subplot influences the main story in a meaningful way. Romantic relationships, family conflicts, work drama, friendships, and banter between characters should always intersect with the protagonist’s primary story.

In screenplays, there’s no room for entertaining detours. They can be tempting to include. But if they aren’t a pivotal part of the main story, you’ll be better off getting rid of them and saving multiple script pages when you do.

Go through your script and examine each subplot. Ask yourself these questions with each:

• Does the scene change the protagonist?
• Does the scene raise the stakes of the story?
• Does the scene move the story forward?

If not, it likely could be deleted, even if it’s written very well. 

Overly long scene description can turn what would normally be a 105-page script into a 120-page script or beyond.  

Remember, you’re not the director. It’s not your job to direct the camera or describe long, beautiful, and stylistic shots and visuals. Instead, stick to the basics, embrace a less-is-more mantra, and give us one line of description instead of multiple lines. Fragments are welcome as well.

It’s okay to sometimes offer a little more detail for visuals that are vital to the story. But most scripts that are too long usually go overboard with scene description in nearly every scene. 

Again, a high page count is a symptom. Page count should never be an obsession for a screenwriter. Cutting meaningful scenes simply to reach 100 pages can weaken a screenplay just as much as keeping unnecessary scenes because you enjoy them.

The point is that most overwriting that leads to high page counts can be avoided with ease.

Read through your script and make sure that every scene is indispensable.

• Challenge every line of dialogue and every conversation between characters
• Question every scene and its worth
• Review every subplot and make sure it’s necessary
• Read every line and block of scene description and trim what you’re trying to describe down to its core 

The symptom of overwriting is usually a high page count. But you can also have a 100-page script that is overwritten. The key practice is that you always move the story forward with each line of dialogue, scene, sequence, and subplot. 

Pro Tip: It’s easy to become married to everything you write. Sometimes it blinds you to glaring issues within your script, especially after you’ve spent weeks writing it and you just need to be done. Do yourself a favor and take a couple of weeks to a month away from your script once you finish it. Don’t think about it, talk about it, or share it with anyone. Then, when you return after a hiatus, read it from beginning to end with the goal of looking for things to cut. After a break away from your script, you’ll often discover many opportunities to cut or rework dialogue, scenes, subplots, characters, and scene description. Issues and opportunities will stick out with more ease after you’ve distanced yourself from it all for a bit. 

It’s very tempting to cheat by changing the margins of the screenplay format. Avoid that at all costs. Why? The screenplay format is very traditional and universal. The margins and fonts are there for a reason.  

However, there is some gray area that you can play with if you’re trying to reduce (or add) just a few pages.

In Final Draft Screenwriting Software, you can go to Document > Page Layout > Options > Line Spacing, and then choose between Very Tight, Tight, Normal, or Loose. The software will then make minor margin adjustments that will be barely noticeable to the eye.

Just make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons, and that your script contains only what it needs, and nothing it doesn’t.