I don't know if this has been asked before, but what is the shortest amount of time you've spent writing a "First Draft" of a screenplay? I ask because I recently just completed a 90 page script in a day and a half. Of course it needs re-writing, but still. Something must be wrong with me :/
Screenwriting : Fastest Writing Time by Curtis James Coffey
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
1 person likes this
I did one, start to finish, in one day - then spent many months re-writing and polishing. I can't do an outline or anything structured like that when I write. I sit down and put my main character in a situation then watch as he/she figures out what to do and say, where it leads and who all intervenes. I let it grow organically. Nothing 'wrong' with you - we're just all different creatively. Best of luck to you!
I'm not much for features, but I once wrote a first draft hour-long pilot in five hours, got notes from friends, spent about an hour tweaking and had (more or less) the final draft. It got a few bites from agents, one wanted to Rep it but couldn't find a buyer. That's still my record - six hours total from fade in to final draft, and it turned into something that got my foot in the door. It's still my go-to sample.
Wow, a day. Thats intense. Lol i can only get a few pages a day because Im very picky about what I put on the page.
There are famous writers who do this method of writing a script non-stop. (I'm an edit freak, so cannot do this, myself.)
Is writing now a race?
D, writing a script nonstop to the end helps some prevent writer's block, IMHO. So whatever works. works
^5 Vonnie
I hate how slowly I progress. I would love to have the problem of writing too quickly.
Yeah, I posted because a lot of other writers take months, even years, to write a script and I've never had that issue.
1 person likes this
Mr Coffey, "like the drink, mam"...Can you write as fast when you are creating from someone else's idea?
Every writer is different -- however the fact that you FINISHED. Congrats!!! So many people start but can't get through the process because screenwriting can be such a slog. Good job and get to the rewrites!!!
Mr. Knecht, indeed I can!
I do it all the time in "ScriptRace." My twitter friend @MyBrainHurts and I (@AngeloBell) started it to encourage writers to stop BSing and get their first draft written. Basically, we spend weeks and weeks outlining, writing a treatment and an elongated synopsis. Then when it's time to write we never have to guess what scene to write next. Our outline already tells us. We don't try to convince anyone that the finished rough draft is perfect. It's not. But why spend six months writing a script when you can spend a week writing and five months 3 weeks rewriting?
@Will How long were the scripts?
I've written 6000-7000 words for a finall draft short story in a day... one long friggin day of 15 hours and it translated to only 25-30 pages. SO, considering the formatting in a screen play, you might hit 90 pages... but wtf's the hurry? Your Oscar will wait for you... take you time. The story at 7k was called, THE WOMAN IN THE WOOD and I am currently scripting it. Dan and Jaq know there stuffs - max
My best is 7 days for a first draft.
You must be JERRY MAGUIRE writing that manifest! Very impressive but it's the rewrite that will factor your script. Other than that you got talent! Keep yourself productive.
That's pretty Awesome. That's focus!
When you get to the level of screenwriting on assignment, 60/90 days with additional 30 days for re-writes is the norm (not withstanding, those gigs that need faster turnarounds). If you are an unknown, trying to get read in the business, you need to be concerned with writing something crafted, something compelling that people want to read through to the end.