Community Guidelines

Screenplay Studio is a creative community built for writers, filmmakers, and storytellers. These guidelines ensure everyone can collaborate, share, and grow in a respectful and supportive environment. By participating in our community features, you agree to follow these rules.

Core Principles

Posting Guidelines

When sharing content in the community — posts, scripts, discussions, or resources:

Commenting & Feedback Guidelines

Feedback is the lifeblood of a creative community. When commenting on other members' work:

• Be constructive: Point out what works well and what could be improved. "This doesn't work" is not helpful; "The dialogue in Act 2 feels expository — maybe show the conflict through action instead?" is.
• Be specific: Reference particular scenes, pages, or lines when giving feedback. Vague praise or criticism doesn't help the writer grow.
• Be kind: Remember there's a person behind every script. Sharing creative work requires vulnerability. Treat others' work as you'd want yours treated.
• Stay on topic: Keep comments relevant to the work or discussion. Offtopic conversations can derail productive feedback sessions.
• No personal attacks: Criticize the work, never the person. Comments attacking a writer's identity, background, or character will be removed immediately.
• Respect the writer's vision: You can suggest alternatives, but don't demand that someone change their creative choices. It's their story.

Collaborative Editing Etiquette

When working in shared projects and editing scripts collaboratively:

• Communicate changes: Discuss significant edits with your collaborators before making them. Use the project chat or comments to explain your reasoning.
• Use revision tools: Track your changes and label drafts clearly so everyone can follow the evolution of the script.
• Respect roles: Each project has defined roles (owner, admin, writer, editor, viewer). Operate within your assigned role and reach out to the project owner if you need elevated access.
• Don't delete others' work: If you disagree with something, discuss it. Don't unilaterally remove scenes or rewrite sections another collaborator has contributed without consensus.
• Save drafts: Before making major changes, save a draft snapshot so the team can always revert if needed.
• Credit contributions: Acknowledge your collaborators' contributions on the title page and in conversations. Every voice matters.

Challenges & Competitions

Our community hosts writing challenges and competitions. When participating:

• Submit only original work created specifically for the challenge
• Follow the specific rules, themes, and constraints of each challenge
• Submit before the deadline — late submissions may not be accepted
• Vote fairly and honestly based on the quality of the work, not personal relationships
• Accept results gracefully — not every entry wins, and that's okay
• Don't manipulate votes through fake accounts or coordinated voting
• Provide feedback on other entries — challenges are about learning as much as winning

Direct Messaging Rules

Our direct messaging feature is for genuine connection between community members:

• Only message people who have DMs enabled and are open to contact
• Introduce yourself before asking for favors — cold pitches without context are unwelcome
• Don't send unsolicited promotional content, scripts for coverage, or requests for free work
• Respect boundaries — if someone doesn't respond or asks you to stop, do so immediately
• No harassment, threats, or inappropriate content in private messages
• Report abusive messages using the report feature and block the offending user

Sharing Scripts Publicly

When sharing scripts in the Free Scripts section or community feed:

• Only share work you own or have written permission to share
• Clearly state the license or terms under which you're sharing (e.g., "free to read", "open for collaboration", "attribution required")
• Add appropriate content warnings for mature themes
• Do not upload copyrighted scripts from produced films, TV shows, or other writers
• Understand that once shared publicly, others may read and comment on your work
• You can unpublish or remove your shared scripts at any time

Prohibited Content

The following content is strictly prohibited in all community areas:

Note on creative works: We distinguish between content shared as creative fiction (scripts depicting conflict, violence, or mature themes as part of storytelling) and content that promotes or glorifies harmful behavior. Well-crafted stories that explore difficult themes responsibly are welcome; gratuitous harmful content is not. See our Content Policy for details.

Enforcement

We enforce these guidelines through a graduated response system:

Severe violations (hate speech, threats, illegal content) may result in immediate permanent ban without prior warnings.

Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or behavior that violates these guidelines:

• Use the Report button available on posts, comments, and user profiles
• Include as much context as possible — screenshots, links, and descriptions help us investigate
• Reports are confidential — we will not reveal your identity to the person being reported
• We review all reports within 48 hours and take action as appropriate
• For urgent safety concerns, email us directly at safety@screenplaystudio.app

Appeals Process

If you believe a moderation action was taken in error, you can appeal by emailing appeals@screenplaystudio.app. Include your username, the content in question, and your explanation. We will review your appeal within 7 business days and respond with our decision.