Writing a screenplay can seem daunting if you don’t know where to start, where you’re going, or what happens along the way. But with the help of a beat sheet, you can get your entire story on one page, where you can evaluate and fine-tune it with a bird’s-eye view.

 

The beat sheet is essential in screenwriting, but also useful for novelists and memoirists. It’s a crucial organizational tool that goes beyond the outline. Think of it as a roadmap that shows each stop along the way of your story. It helps you clarify the objective for each act, shows you the overall arc, and pinpoints the important emotional moments.

 

Doing the beat sheet is challenging, but it will show you any weakness in your story—something you want to know sooner rather than later. It will also help you refine your story into a logline or elevator pitch.

 

In this 90-minute workshop, Margaret South will share various beat sheets for well-known films and show how you can develop your own.