Treatments for Books

Film treatments are detailed summaries of scripts typically used to sell screenplays. They include all of the main characters, scenes, actions, and implications of what goes on in a movie or tv show. Treatments are significantly longer and more specific than a summary, and can be anywhere from ten to fifty pages long, depending on the film/show. 

Treatments aren’t limited to film, though. Creating a treatment prior to starting the first draft of a book can have many advantages. By writing a thorough treatment, you can be sure to know exactly where your book is headed. This gives you a chance to flesh out all of your characters and explore exactly what will happen and in what order. As you write the treatment, you will have the chance to figure out how you will incorporate all of those random ideas that keep floating around in your head. 

With a completed treatment, writing your first draft will be smoother and quicker. Instead of stopping every few pages to try to envision what should happen next, you will already have a specific plan to follow. 

Treatments can also be used to overcome writer’s block if you’ve already started your manuscript. Even if you have written a significant portion of the book, you should write a complete treatment from Chapter 1. Often, once you have written the treatment, the path to the ending will be clear. 

A treatment can be immeasurably helpful for the first stages of editing and rewriting. Once the entire story is written in a detailed summary format, it becomes clear which parts can be removed or where additional details or scenes can be added if you need to adjust the length of your book. It will also be easier to find a friend willing to read a 10-20 page treatment and give feedback rather than asking them to read the entire manuscript. 

Next time you are stuck, whether you have started or not, try a detailed treatment to get you on the path to a completed book!

© Maria Riley