When Scenes Stop Evolving by Sai Vijendhiran
In my experience auditing screenplays, a recurring issue is the repetition of scenes, character traits, and dialogues—often unknowingly done by the writer.
Many scripts tend to over-establish characters. Their nature, behavior, or arc is explained multiple times without adding any new dimension. Similarly, dialogues and core purposes of the story are repeated scene after scene.
This kind of repetition doesn’t strengthen the script—it weakens it.
👉 The root cause?
Usually a lack of fresh scene ideas or limited thought process while expanding the screenplay. Writers, in the absence of new conflict or development, resort to echoing earlier scenes and conversations.
🎯 But for a screenplay to engage, every scene must feel new. It must:
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Reveal something unexpected
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Shift a relationship or goal
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Deepen the conflict or theme
Without this, the audience experiences déjà vu—not discovery.
As a Screenplay Auditor, I point out these repetitions, diagnose their cause, and guide the writer to either compress, restructure, or replace them with sharper scenes that evolve the plot.
