Screenwriting : Becoming un-muddled by Adam Harper

Push through it. There’s something you’re trying to work out and the answer may be in the jumble of nonsense that comes out on the page. Besides, it’s just a draft. There should be no pressure to write something coherent when you’re only drafting.

Thanks Stephen. I've pushed through with some of the stories, I have two features where I've completed the first draft. It's rewarding to conclude the story but they feel so flawed and unfocused that the re-writing process is more daunting than the first draft.

Solution: start with writing the logline.

Hi Rutger, I always start with the logline. I can get from A to B in a story but I always look back and feel a bit underwhelmed - so then I try and tighten the story and raise the stakes etc but, that is when it starts to get more muddled and messy.

I could definitely use the logline as a reference to keep the story more in check more often though. Thank you for commenting.

Tightening the story should lead to a clearer story; you get rid of scenes that do not serve the plot and confuse people. But in reality that could not be the case. Loosing a scene - that not serves the plot - leads more easily to the next scene being pulled out of context. And that leads to you being forced to somehow automatically rewrite the story in a way that does not serves your first basic plot (and only theme) anymore. A solution could be a 'beat sheet'?

Go back to the outline. Or if you did not outline to begin with, then stop and rework your story as an outline, certainly before things get worse. It is much quicker and easier to make changes, rethink structure, try something else, shift your perspective and look at your story from a bird’s eye view and solve story problems with an outline. ;)

Thanks Pat, glad to hear I'm not alone with this. I'll definitely try those techniques. Don't worry, I'm not giving up :-)

Hi Rutger, that's definitely the case with me - I shift/delete scenes and it has a knock on effect to the rest of the story. Eventually I'm left with a story that doesn't represent what inspired me to write it in the first place. I do use beat sheets, perhaps I'm not doing enough work with them before I write though. Thanks again for commenting.

Sometimes the changes become stories on their own. If those sub-plots become more important than your original vision of the story, as Beth Fox Heisinger says maybe the first starting plot isn't strong enough to let it flow naturally.

Thanks Beth! I do outline (well, I do a detailed beat sheet) but I'm going to have to spend more time at this stage in future. It's a bit disheartening throwing out a lot of my script to get it right but, needs to be done and will strive to improve on my future scripts.

I've written A screenplay but I haven't written THE screenplay... yet :-)

Adam, it is not just outlining itself as part of the process, it’s planning and thinking it through, first. If you meander in your own screenplay then you don’t have a plan and may not have a story.

Adam just enjoy the process. We all have unique ways of working and if we didn't we would all produce the same crap.

Thanks Karen!

I can absolutely relate. Trust your gut. Don't be too hard on yourself. I am a writer with a pretty loose writing process, so I think there are times that straying from a strict outline, and learning to love the process, can lead to surprising stories in the end. When I'm in an early draft, I have to protect my story, because it is the most vulnerable. I am still shaping the story itself, and if I allow others to offer feedback, I can be swayed into changing details, character choices, story ending, etc. That is one way that this overthinking issue can occur -- so for me, I have to shut everything out, and narrow my focus back down to the story. I would also offer the advice of tracing your screenplay back to its origins, where the idea first began. Find its most solid block. Was it an opening scene, a monologue, or some striking visual that formed in your mind? I try to dig, find where the heart of the story lies, see if this film is something I can't walk away from. Also, I agree with the beat sheet comment, that can be helpful!

Thank you so much Angie, great advice - definitely taking it on board.

I haven't had that problem, Adam, but I can see how that can happen. Arm...my stories normally change as I write, but it never strays from the original plot, you know. I have the end result in my mind that I want to achieve, so even when new ideas pop up and detours from my original outline, it still follows to the same destination, you know. I enjoy the detours rather than beat myself up over them.

I think you already spotted how to counter your issue. Your issue is overthinking...so stop overthinking lol Sounds simple, right? But I know it may not be that easy since it's a routine lately, but just make sure you have the story you want to write outlined in some way, and let it flow. Afterward, you can edit and re-write and fine-tune, to hopefully achieve the elusive, "THE screenplay".

Good luck, Adam!

First - alcohol helps. Now joking aside, when you come up with your story idea, you should have a one sentence purpose of why this story matters to you to write in the first place. Refer back to when needed. Also, research. Watch or read comparable movies to see if it's structure can help. T

he newest script I'm writing, I templated out the movie it resembles and tried to loosely follow the beats. It made my treatment more in-depth for a 1st draft and the script has been naturally flowing out as a result.