Hey everyone!
I recently completed a first draft of a feature length script I wrote. Being my first time completing a script at that length, I was super excited upon finishing it. However now I'm beginning the fun part: rewriting.
I found myself banging out page after page while writing the first draft, and I did it with such excitement to see where the story would take me. But now that it's completed, I feel kind of stuck.
I know the things I want to rework throughout the script, and I've had some close friends read through it and give suggestions too. But do any of you guys have some tips on how you get inspired to rewrite and redraft a completed script?
Any advice is appreciated!
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I have a few different re-write passes that I do, and it works best for me.
First pass - make sure that in each scene the conflicts and goals were clear-cut and believable, and that those elements move my story forward.
Second pass - make sure the dialogues are as good as I can make them.
Third pass - make sure that the action is written as good as I can make it.
Fourth pass - make sure the A & B (and sometimes C) story lines are as good as I can make them.
Fifth pass - make sure the rising action and tensions are as good as I can make them.
Sixth pass - make sure the pacing is right.
Seventh pass - make sure my character transformations happen logically within my story.
The first pass is kinda the hardest for me, since that involves the most structural inspections, both from an individual scene standpoint, and from an overall standpoint. I typically add and delete entire scenes in this pass, even though I usually had planned the entire original storyline before I start writing.
Good Luck and Happy Writing and Re-Writing, Daaaaaaa-kota!
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You should be seeking feedback from fellow writers. Personally, I avoid letting friends read my scripts, except those who also write.
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Yes...I would suggest to look at each scene - 1) Character Objective 2) Counter Force 3) Whose scene is it? 4) What the hope of the scene? 5) What the fear of the scene?
I will give a chance to view the script from a different perspective - plus let determine the strength of each scene - figure out if they fit with the over all plot of your film...
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I focus on each element separately. I'll do a scene pass, do two scene do the same thing, if yes combine them. Then a dialogue pass, then a scene description pass, action pass... you get the point.
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Truby's good. I have his book. I read it a lot. But, writing is a personal thing. Everybody's different.
I'm no big star, but I write a lot.
Here's my deal:
Like you mentioned, I get an idea for a story, and I run crazy with it. I've written first drafts in 3 hours. Hahaha. They weren't my best, but I did it.
In all that excitement over a first draft, I tend to over-write. My descriptions are chunky and blocky. So, on my rewrite, I go through and thin out the description. I try to find the best words to describe, which usually means I can do it in less words.
In my first draft, I also tend to have a lot of straight line dialog. I'm really just blurting what everybody wants and how they're going to get it. So, in my rewrite, I go through and make the dialog more rhythmic and interesting.
Stuff like that. Go through each aspect, one at a time. Find a better way to put it, and change it. Simple. But, really friggin hard. LOL.
Good luck.