Writing 2-Pagers (the screenwriting docs that actually get your TV movie greenlit)
Two-pagers are a unique quirk of the TV movie business, but the lessons of these long synopses can help you crystallize any story.
Never heard of a two-pager? Don’t worry, neither had I!
The more I write about writing TV movies, the more I discover that there isn’t a hell of a lot of information online about this particular niche of screenwriting.
Two pagers are absolutely essential documents to getting a TV movie greenlit. Yet, when you google two-pagers, you’ll find… a lot of information about one-pagers (sometimes also called one-sheets). Important for completely different reasons, there is not a lot of similarities between a one-pager and a two-pager.
Generally speaking, a one-pager is a short introduction to not just the story, but also the reason for its creation (“why you?”) and its marketability (“why now?”). Something like…
A 2-pager for TV movies is what you create when the buyer / distributor / production company has already expressed interest in the initial one paragraph pitch and wants to read the “whole script”. There may also be situations where you’ll pitch directly with the two-pager.
Two-pagers are the docs that sell TV movies
However you get there, the two-pager is ultimately the one document that secures you that greenlight in TV movies. If they deem your story a “consider”, you’ll probably have a chance to incorporate their feedback and try again.
My career writing TV thriller films actually began with a two-pager. Based on the strength of the sample my agent had submitted, I was hired to write the script of a film that would later be titled MURDER RUNS IN THE FAMILY (2023). The first thing they gave me was a previously-greenlit two-pager (which the development exec had written herself) and I was then tasked with fleshing it out into a full script.
The subsequent three thriller films I wrote/am writing were all commissioned based on pitches that I wrote, so the two-pagers were up to me. In addition to the three that were greenlit, a couple other dozen will forever live in the dusty corners of my hard drive. Through the process of writing so many, I learned a lot and even started developing my own methods. Ok, let’s CUT TO:
What is a two-pager?
Two-pagers are 2-3 page documents that outline your proposed film from beginning to end. Think of them like an extra-long synopsis.
Why is writing a two-pager challenging?
Wait — It’s just a synopsis?! Easy peasy, right?
Doesn’t it always sound so simple? Giving your two-pager just the right amount of detail, hitting the tone, and keeping it streamlined are what make it difficult.
But of course, every piece of writing has its unique challenges. In the case of the two-pager, the biggest challenge is making a document that is usually dry as saltine crackers palatable. So much so, that the buyer is going to jump up and shout “I need to see this film!” (or at least state: “this will nicely fill a gap on a single Tuesday in April 2027 at 2PM” from a seated position)
The unique challenge of the two-pager is to create a delicious soup to soak those brittle crackers in.
Outside of TV movies, why would you need a two-pager?
This oddly specific document doesn’t really seem to have too many applications outside of writing TV movies. But ever since I started writing them, I haven’t been able to stop, even for non-TV movie scripts.
That’s because they really are just the perfect precursor to the longer, yet-more-detailed outline.
If the outline is the foundation on which to build your script, the two-pager is the hole you need to dig to lay that foundation.
Two-pagers help you…
clarify the story
identify plot issues early
create a basis for character development
see if your story is too big / small for a 90 minute film
set out an initial blueprint for your script
experiment with new ideas in a format that isn’t going to topple your story
The stakes for a two-pager are low, since they are short and easy to rework.
But don’t be fooled into thinking that just because they are short, they’re easy to write.
As I mentioned above, it takes a lot of practice to do a two-pager well. It will take my practiced hands 1-2 weeks to write a two-pager that I’m happy with, depending on what else I have going on.
Since there is not really a “formula” for writing a two-pager, I’m going to give you some guidelines below that I’ve developed along the way.
Guidelines for writing a two-pager
FORMATTING
Like any script, a two-pager is written in third person present tense.
Include character names and ages.
As you would in the script, write character names on first occurrence in ALL CAPS followed by their approximate age in brackets.
Break it up into paragraphs
You want the two-pager to be easy on the eyes, so break up large paragraphs of text into smaller ones.
You (probably) don’t need to add your contact details
If you’re writing a two-pager, there is a good chance you already know the person you’re submitting it to (an exec, a producer, etc.) so it’s actually not that important to put your contact information at the top like on a one-pager.
STYLE
Whip out your best prose
Half the fun of writing a two-pager is that you’re writing prose (the screenwriter’s forbidden fruit). In our less-is-more medium, screenwriters hardly ever get to use flowery language. This is your chance!
Start with a bang
In the case of the TV thrillers I write, I usually start the two-pager with the teaser. You can read more about teasers (and the rest of the TV movie structure) here:
This really hooks the reader and lets them know immediately what kind of a script this is going to be. But really any two-pager should strive to start with a scene that offers something visual. Something exciting.
Set the tone for the script
Depending on what type of script you’re writing, the tone should always be reflected in a two-pager (just like it should be in a logline or outline). If it’s a comedy, your two-pager should be hilarious. If you’re writing a thriller, let’s have some thrills.
STORY
Be clear in your telling
The point of the two-pager is to tell the whole story of your film, from beginning to end, in a straightforward fashion. I must emphasize straightforward here since it’s easy to overcomplicate a two-pager and add too much detail or two many characters. Stick to the basics, but…
Tell the WHOLE STORY
With most other synopses, writers tend to want to keep an air of mystery about their story (especially the third act), treating it more like a fleshed-out logline. (If you’re interested, here is the method I developed for writing loglines:)
In a two-pager, tell the whole story, including the climax and the denouement.
But, stick to the A plot
A two-pager should only follow the protagonist on their journey. Any B or C plots don’t need to be included, otherwise, the story gets harder to follow in this format. Any characters who aren’t directly relevant to the A plot also don’t need to be mentioned. The protagonist’s/antagonist’s goals and motivations should also be clear!
Don’t get thrown off by the weighting of the acts
In most of the two-pagers I’ve written, almost the entire first page is all Act 1 stuff: details about the protagonist’s ordinary world and setting up the inciting incident and answering the call. The subsequent one or two pages cover Acts 2 and 3. Obviously, this is not at all how an actual script is balanced. My best advice here would be to ignore the weighting of the script versus the two-pager. Which also leads me to my next point…
Feel free to gloss over Act 2…
Act 2 always gets a lot of grumbles. It’s long. It’s hard to keep things exciting (although the more screenplays I write, the more Act 2 jazzes me because it’s a veritable playground). When you’re writing a two-pager, it’s OK to gloss over the details of Act 2.
The very practical reason for this is that it takes a lot of mental energy to bring Act 2 together and if you’re trying to quickly get a script greenlit, you don’t have the amount of time you need to invest in a script that may go nowhere.
For now, it’s OK to vaguely mention the trials and tribulations, wins and losses your protagonist will go through in Act 2. Give us the major events, but it’s not necessary to break your brain by going into too much detail. YET.
HONING
Get people to give you feedback
Even if someone doesn’t work in the industry, I argue that, because our brains are storytelling machines, anyone can read something like a synopsis and give you helpful feedback. While they might not be able to tell you WHY your story isn’t working, anyone will inherently know if it is indeed working or not.
Do multiple drafts
Because two-pagers are what is going to convince your buyer to invest in this script, it’s so important that you do multiple rewrites before you submit. You need to take as much care in editing as you do with any other type of writing. Just because it’s short, just because it’s “just” a synopsis, doesn’t mean it should be quickly done. Take some time off between drafts, even just a day or two if you can manage, to give the story a bit of breathing room before returning to it.
It should be exciting to read
If you’re not exciting your reader, your two-pager isn’t really doing its job. Include all the twists and turns and unique aspects of your script. The purpose of this document is to sell the reader on the story, so make sure it’s making them feel something (anything!).
WRITING EXERCISE
Recently, I started using Dan Harmon’s Story Circle to either plot out my ideas in a mini-outline form or test to see if stories I’m writing are standing up to this simplified version of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth.
Here is a video that I find particularly helpful, since it includes an example along every step of the way (my brain NEEDS an example).
So the exercise is to take the below list of Harmon’s eight points on the story circle and plug your story in:
A character is in a zone of comfort,
But they want something.
They enter an unfamiliar situation,
Adapt to it,
Get what they wanted,
Pay a heavy price for it
Then return to their familiar situation
Having changed.
Then use this list of 8 events as the basis for your two-pager and flesh it out from there.
So there it is! My best advice on how to write this hulking cousin of the synopsis. I hope it helps!
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Further note, Lauren, the two pg'er must drive home the hook of the story -- why someone would want to watch it.
Having written plenty of 2 pagers myself, I can attest to Lauren's excellent advice. Well done Lauren, as always.