Screenwriting : Redrafting you screenplay! by Gavin D Walsh

I never start a new document. I work with Final Draft and simply edit, add or remove material.

I agree with Phillip. As you stated...polish up the original, scene by scene (which will inevitably result in 'page by page' ) LOL

I fix up the original too, but I've heard a few people say they start from scratch again. I think that's insane!

Use the original, but don't just polish. Take a long break if you can, to see your work with fresher eyes, then make sure you question EVERYTHING. Too much lousy writing can linger through multiple drafts simply because it happens to be there. You need distance and savage judgment to make the occasional necessary changes likely zapping whole scenes, subplots, characters, favorite lines of dialogue... Nothing is grandfathered in. If it doesn't serve your story RIGHT NOW, it's gots to go.

I use the same document. Instead of permanently deleting scenes, I'll keep promising cut material in a separate folder for use in other features or as standalone shorts.

Thank you, everyone. You don't know how relieved I am to read these comments . I've always polished up the original, but was worried I was doing it wrong. :) I'm three quarters of the way through my second draft, and find myself going back through it already. I'm probably not doing myself any favours this way, though. I need to just get it done and then go back.

It's important to remember there's two sides to redrafting/rewriting/polishing. There's being able to critically analyse your own work and being able to implement significant changes. Both are hard, but the ability to effectively do the latter is very much subject to having the ability to do the former. You also have to develop a degree of masochism toward your writing. When I first started I really felt like what I'd written, or at least envisaged, was set in stone, that was how it was, how could I possibly change it? It took a long time learning and practicing the craft before I was able to separate the story from the writing on the page and actually enjoy hacking it up. A lot of writers talk about rewriting and redrafting but we rarely talk about pre-writing or drafting. I feel that it's actually our creation process that changes more than our review process (both consciously and subconsciously). Anyway, a few methods that have really helped me along include; 1) Stripping first drafts back to the essential beats, swapping them around to have more impact, and pulling back in the good prose and dialogue I originally came up with. Very effective with adlibbed first drafts. 2) Putting each scene through an analysis process, either through notes or via a spreadsheet. Going through each scene and identifying the conflict, motivations, turnarounds and heightening them. 3) Using revision mode or simply changing the font colour between drafts. This really serves to remind you how much progress you're actually making.

Great comment, CJ. I really like that. I tend to rewrite a scene in a new document, using the original as my notes. Then I simply paste the new scene in and replace the old scene.

I have to agree with Kerry Douglas Dye. I try to give myself a break from the script before I go back to make it better. It gives me some emotional distance but the story gets to ferment in my brain for a bit so when I go back and look at it I can see it objectively. That break also allows me to see what is actually written, not what I thought I wrote.

Gavin, that's a good system. It's so much easier to rewrite a scene when you have the freedom of a new document. I use a piece of software called Scrivener and that breaks your writing down into sections which you can take snapshots of. That pretty much recreates the same process.

John, time sure helps one approach a script with a more objective mind, especially while we're learning more about the craft.

Thank you, John. I often find myself taking a few days away from it when I become stuck on a scene. This always helps me find the answers to what I am looking for to carry the story forward. I definitely agree that this would help with rewrites also.

I have a brother currently finishing a degree in English and plans on getting his MFA. Basically it is all about speculative fiction for him. Taking a break is a common theme for novel writers as well. Of course the "take a break" will be based upon any deadlines one might be up against. Although when writing for an assignment that is not my original idea, I find the break has less impact.

Thanks, CJ. I am also keen to find the best software for myself. I currently use Celtx and I do find it very easy to use. I may test a few others to see how they feel to me as well. The only thing I find with Celtx, is you don't seem to have the freedom to add a sub scene heading, such as 5A or 5B etc. I can't seem to get to grips with Final Draft. Maybe I just need to spend a little more time with it.

Well the good thing is, most software has some sort of free trial period, so you can try them out. Here is the link for the Scrivener demo: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/trial.php I've tried quite a few software options and got a little pre-occupied with formatting. In the end, I came back to what was best for my development process. There's writers on here happily using pretty much every piece of screenwriting software out there.

Good question. Seems everyone has their own definition of rewriting. Which ever works for you I say is the best way to do it. But for me, someone w/ ADHD had to learn, when I have a solid outline, that became my first draft. I rewrite my outline in a new document and I don't start to write my script until the outline is solid. But sometimes I do get in the mood to free write quite often, and unless it's a short, I rewrite those scripts. Come to think of it, maybe I should rewrite the shorts as well!

Fiona, Scriver imports and exports into Final Draft format :) When I optioned my first short, the producer asked for a Final Draft version of the script and it was no problem to provide it. It can even export and import document notes. I think a lot of writers fear that, by choosing anything other than Final Draft, they are painting themselves into a corner, but there's really nothing to worry about.

Thanks for all the replies, again, everyone. Thanks for that link, CJ. I am going to take a look at that. :)

I polish up the draft I have. But when I was a younger writer, I noticed that my cuts and adds were making my script kind of choppy to read. At that time I did start over with a fresh draft.

Thank you, Richard. :)