Screenwriting

Screenplay Outline template

Plan a screenplay outline from logline to act turns, sequences, beat sheet, scenes, and final image with a visual story map.

Best for: Screenwriters moving from logline to beat sheet to scene outline.

Start mapping freeRead the guide
Screenplay outline structure shown as visual story beats
Template beats

What to map first

Put these beats down before you write the scene list. The order matters less than the connections: what causes what, what mirrors what, and where the story changes direction.

  1. 1Logline
  2. 2Opening Image
  3. 3Inciting Incident
  4. 4Act One Break
  5. 5First Sequence Goal
  6. 6Midpoint
  7. 7All Is Lost
  8. 8Act Three Break
  9. 9Climax
  10. 10Final Image
Step 1

Write the logline first so every beat has a target.

Step 2

Map act turns and midpoint before scenes.

Step 3

Break each beat into scenes only after the spine works.

Best fit

  • Feature screenplays
  • Short films
  • Writers moving from idea to beat sheet

Watch for

  • A scene list is not enough if scenes do not change the situation.
  • Act Two needs specific reversals, not generic escalation.
Related templates
Screenplay structure

Save the Cat Beat Sheet

Fifteen screenplay beats mapped as connected story events, with mirrors between the opening, theme, midpoint, and final image.

Core structure

Three-Act Structure

A flexible setup, confrontation, and resolution map for writers who want structure without a rigid formula.

Character development

Character Arc

A template for tracking how a character changes under pressure, scene by scene and choice by choice.