Screenwriting : Question by Craig Prickett

It’s better to have one polished piece than a handful of mediocre scripts. That being said, taking up another project may clear your head of the first and let you return with fresh eyes for round two.

This is going to be hard to hear, it was for me. Your first script is no good compared to what you will write in the future. It was like your first steps as a writer, it can’t be considered waking.

Put it to one side and write more scripts. You will come back to it in two years and be happy it was never sent out. You will see how much you have grown as a screenwriter (which is completely different to all other forms).

What Craig said. I'd write the next one and compare it. You'll see how much you've improved already.

Before I wrote more scripts and saw the growth in my writing, I would definitely have said to stick with polishing your first script. But, the reality might be that you won't have developed your writing enough to be able to see the shortcomings in it and correct them.

Looking back on my first script, I cringe lol. Now, I can go back and work on it as I've grown a bit and learned a lot more about the craft. It's all a process, you'd find as you write more, you'll come back to older scripts and polish them up because your skill level would have yet again increased.

Good luck bro!

My method of editing and polishing is do a couple of read throughs right after completion, then start another and let that one sit and come back as a reader not a writer. I do a minimum of five read throughs and edits, plus at least two readings to listeners. You'll be surprised at how much you can clean up every time.

But, also Craig is right. The first script I wrote was the greatest thing on paper, five scripts later it didn't look so great. Twelve years later I don't even list or mention the first on anything.

well done for finishing your first script. That is achievement in itself. So many people say "I'd love to write a movie one day" and dont but you have pushed through and done it. It may need work, it may need refining but you've done it!! Kudos.

Congrats Craig Prickett , finishing a first script is win in itself! Write another, practice is key. Plus you need to give your mind a lil rest before coming back to the first one, new ideas might come up.

Thanks everyone for the input.For anyone interested I've started writing a second screenplay and already have a 3rd screenplay basically plotted out.So I think I'll just write them and then go back and take a look at the three and see what I've got.Thanks again for all the input.