actualiz Tips & Best Practices

Explore these best practices to make the most of actualiz and elevate your screenwriting.

From generating your first draft to structuring your story and refining your final script, these tips will help you every step of the way.

Tips for Using the AI Script Generator (FirstDraft)
Tips for Using the One-Sheeter and Beat Sheet Generator
Tips for Using the Script Writing Software
General Screenwriting Tips
Tips for Character Development
Tips for Pacing & Tone
Tips for Editing & Rewriting
Tips for Collaboration & Feedback
Tips for Pre-Production Planning

Tips for Using the AI Script Generator (FirstDraft)

More is more, be as specific as possible with story details
When getting started with the FirstDraft tool (Magic Mode), make sure to answer the questions as specific as possible. It’ll still work with vague information, but like with any tool, quality in equals quality out. If you take your time in the beginning at this step, you’ll need to spend far less time making changes and rewrites later on. Instead of “It’s a love story,” describe your key conflict or setting: “It’s a love story set during a heist in 1930s Chicago.
Experiment with different approaches
Don’t be afraid to run the generator multiple times with different story setups. Trying out various perspectives or tweaking character motivations can reveal new creative angles. Remember, you can create as many scripts as you’d like. Your limits are only on the umber of active projects. Don’t like how the first generation of your story came out? Save your answers, then archive the draft and start over, making tweaks to your outline answers, then generate again. Repeat until you get something you like.
Use the generated script as a framework
Treat your AI-generated script as a foundation to build on. actualiz’s script generator is meant to be a tool to help get you started—not to write the entire screenplay for you. Use it to explore story possibilities and refine from there.
Write “in between” the beats
actualiz makes you review and edit your beat sheet before progressing to the script generator for a reason: to keep your screenplay structured. Films are structured in a very specific way, with certain events taking place at specific times. This storytelling formula goes back to ancient times and we still use it today because it works. actualiz will generate your script, with all the main beats in your beat sheet, but you still have 50 – 60 pages more to go. the beat sheet shows you the beats that need to happen, so now you need to write “in between” the beats with additional plot points and character development, so your story leads up to and builds towards the main beats. This will keep your screenplay structured and paced well, with a tighter plot and better developed characters.

Tips for Using the One-Sheeter and Beat Sheet Generator

Make your edits on the one sheeter before generating the beat sheet
The beat sheet generates based on your one sheeter so make your changes on the one sheeter first, before moving on to the beat sheet.
Make your edits on the beat sheet before generating the scrit
Likewise, your script is generated based on the information that came before it, which is the beat sheet. Take the time to flesh out your beat sheet. Make edits to things you don’t like, make improvements to plot points, add extra details and change your structure and pace in the beat sheet. You’ll end up with a much better script.
Focus on the core conflict in your one-sheeter
The most engaging one-sheeters highlight the central conflict right away. Be clear about what’s at stake and what your protagonist must overcome.
Balance plot and emotion
When creating your beat sheet, think not only about what happens next but also about how your characters evolve emotionally. Each beat should build the stakes and deepen your characters.
Identify your midpoint twist
The midpoint of your story is a critical turning point that changes everything. It’s where the stakes escalate or the protagonist learns a key truth. Ensure your beat sheet reflects the midpoint twist you had in mind for your story before drafting the script, otherwise the rest of script after the midpoint will probably need to be rewritten entirely.
Use the beat sheet for problem-solving
If you’re stuck while writing, go back to your beat sheet. Often, structural issues can be traced to missing or weak beats. Adjust the structure to fix pacing or narrative flow.

Tips for Using the Script Writing Software

You’re not done yet – actualiz is a professional screenplay software, not just a script generator
actualiz will generate about 30+ pages of screenplay but you still have more work to do to finish your screenplay. Use the full-featured script editor tool to edit, expand, rewrite and finish your script in a professional, industry-standard format.
Use the visual cues to see what you’re writing
On the left of your script you’ll see an icon that indicates which script element you are writing: Scene heading, Action, Character, Paranthetical, Dialogue, Transition, or Act. You can also click on the other icons to change your selected text from one script element to another.
Utilize scene descriptions wisely
Scene descriptions should be brief and visual. Focus on what the audience will see and hear rather than internal thoughts or overly detailed explanations.
Keep action lines active and concise
Write action lines in present tense and keep them punchy. For example, “He sprints down the alley, breathless” is more engaging than “He starts running, gasping for air.”
Break dialogue into shorter chunks
Long blocks of dialogue can feel heavy on the page and hard to follow. Break up speeches into smaller chunks, using action (scene descriptions) and replies from other characters to maintain rhythm and keep the reader engaged.

General Screenwriting Tips

Create stakes for every scene
Every scene should have stakes—something the characters want, something they stand to lose, and an obstacle in their way. Without stakes, scenes can feel flat.
Think visually
Film is a visual medium. Show what’s happening through action and imagery rather than relying on heavy dialogue and internal thoughts to explain the story. Don’t say your character is nervous, describe the nervous behavior-tapping fingers, looking around, pacing, snapping dialogue-so we can visualize the tension.
Write characters with contradictions
The most interesting characters are complex because well, people are complex. Holding complex, competing thoughts makes people interesting, viewing a situation one way with one set of circumstances than another. Give your protagonist flaws, contradictions, and internal conflicts that make them feel real.
Establish strong motivations early
Ensure every character has a clear goal or motivation that drives their actions. This keeps your story focused and gives each character a purpose.
Don’t skip the subtext
Great dialogue often hides what’s really being said. Let characters talk around their feelings or express something through action rather than stating it outright. Most films have some kind of message or theme being explored but audiences don’t want to feel lectured. Delivering your message through subtext, rather than speeches, makes audiences connect with the story at a much deeper level as they peel back the layers of your story with their own minds, rather than being told exactly what you, the filmmaker, are trying to say. Speeches and being too on-the-nose with your messages breaks the immersion of the story. Subtext deepens it.

Tips for Character Development

Build comprehensive character profiles
The Character Builder is a very cool tool in actualiz. Use it to detail everything about your characters—from their backstory and motivations to physical traits and personality quirks. You can refer to this at any time you’re feeling stuck on dialogue, or how to progress the plot. The more you know about them, the more authentic they’ll feel on the page.
Give every character a unique voice
No two characters should sound alike. Read your dialogue out loud between two different characters. If you can’t tell which character is which based on their tone, phrases and manners of speech, then you need to make adjustments. Pay attention to how each one speaks—consider their background, education, and personality when crafting their dialogue.
Focus on relationships
Strong character relationships create compelling drama. Define how your characters relate to each other and how those dynamics evolve throughout the story.
Show character growth
The best characters change by the end of the story. Make sure your protagonist’s journey reflects personal growth or transformation.

Tips for Pacing & Tone

Vary scene lengths
Alternate between short, punchy scenes and longer, more reflective ones to keep the pacing dynamic. Too many long scenes can drag the story down, while too many short ones can feel frantic.
Use tension and release
Build tension in your story, but give the audience moments to breathe. Keeping the story cranked up to 11 for 90+ minutes is not only very difficult to do, it’s exhausting for the audience, and will make your story feel like an hour has gone by when it’s only been 30 minutes. That’s not good and will fatigue your audience. Well-placed moments of humor or calm can make the next scare or dramatic beat hit even harder.
Stay true to your genre
Ensure your tone aligns with your chosen genre. A horror-comedy should balance scares with laughs, while a psychological thriller should maintain a sense of dread and mystery throughout.

Tips for Editing & Rewriting

Take a break before revising
We know it’s exciting to finish a draft and then immediately want to make revisions so you can finish your script completely. But you might be a little too personally invested to be objective about issues in your story if you do this. Instead, step away for a few days before revising. This will give you fresh eyes and help you spot issues with a more objective perspective.
Focus on one element at a time
Don’t try to fix everything in one pass. Focus on structure in one revision, dialogue in the next, and pacing in another.
Kill your darlings
If a scene or line doesn’t serve the story, cut it—even if it’s your favorite. Every element and every scene should move the narrative forward. Try skipping one a scene when reading and see if the story still makes sense and progresses the plot and characters. If so, you might consider cutting the scene altogether.
Read aloud for dialogue revision
Reading your dialogue aloud helps you catch awkward phrasing, unnatural speech patterns, and differences in dialogue between characters. If what you’re reading out loud doesn’t have any distinguishing differences between two characters, or doesn’t sound like something a real person would actually say, you probably need to make some changes.

Tips for Collaboration & Feedback

Get feedback early
Don’t be afraid to share your film idea, no one is going to steal your story. Share your script with trusted collaborators early in the process. Fresh perspectives can reveal blind spots and help you improve your story, and the earlier you catch issues, the less rewriting you’ll need to do later.
Be open to criticism
Feedback is an opportunity to grow. Listen carefully, and be willing to make changes if multiple people point out the same issue. If multiple people are commenting on an issue, there’s a good chance your audience will too.
Test the core idea
Before revising extensively, ask for feedback on your one-sheeter or beat sheet before writing an entire script. If the core idea works, you’ll have a strong foundation for the full script and save yourself a lot of time if you need to change the core concept.

Tips for Pre-Production Planning

Budget early and accurately
actualiz has a Budgeting Tool to estimate your production costs early. Knowing your budget will help you make smarter creative decisions. If you’re comfortable doing a budget yourself, consult with a line producer who can help. Budgeting is very complex, especially with union films, but getting a rough estimate will help keep you realistic about what’s feasible to shoot in your script and what isn’t.
Create a detailed shooting schedule
A well-planned schedule is critical for staying on time and under budget. Use templates to organize your shoot day by day to stay as efficient as possible on set. Remember, expenses in preproduction are dramtically lower than when on set.
Scout locations thoroughly
Visit locations at the time of day you plan to shoot. Lighting and sound can vary drastically based on the time of day and weather conditions.