Screenwriting : Actually Completing A Script by Micah Essien

Finishing is the hardest part! You're not alone.

Take a little break from trying. Treat yourself to a fun distraction, and you'll be amazed at how the pieces fill in! (Unless there's a legit plot hole - if so, backtrack and patch it, using your outline.) Congrats and good luck!

Don’t force an ending, even if you see it clearly. Let the protagonist find their way to the conclusion, because an ending has to belong to the protagonist in order to have meaning.

I write the final scene first - it becomes a beacon to head for. During the process, it will morph into something else - but generally similar.

I absolutely agree with Doug. It's really hard to know how tow travel if you don't have a destination. I'd also recommend that the end remind us how much your main character and his/her world has changed since the beginning.

you should actually go to a mountain top !! sometimes what comes to mind should be done literally as long as it's not hurting you or others !! just listen to your mind. all the best

Just write it. This early on if that is your problem just write it down to have the full script. Then you can go back and start the rewrite, make any changes you feel and rework the ending to something you're happy with. The trick is to just keep writing and working on it. No one is going to be looking at this right now but you so don't worry if it sucks. You'll have plenty of time to make it better.

I'm with Kay Luke and Doug Nelson on this one. For me, I normally start with an ending in mind. I know what I'm aiming to achieve. Yea, I may take a few detours along the way, but ultimately I arrive at that end.

Some people write the end first! It might help you, giving you direction where you're going!

Like Alex Geran said. Write the ending first. Then go back to the beginning. If you can make them meet in the middle, you're done.

Chris Todd I’m glad I’m not alone in this.

Derek Reid Anthony Moore Axel Geran Kay Luke Doug Nelson I absolutely see reason with having the end already written or drafted out. I will definitely do that now Thank You

Matt Sachdeva Very good advice

Bill Albert #neverstopwriting regardless!!

Got it!!!!

I agree that having the ending outlined at the start is important and wise, but there's actually a kickass Ted Talk about the science of creativity that demonstrates how "starting early but finishing late" is bar none the most creativity/originality-inducing approach there is. You'll have to watch to understand, and it's short, but it is a game-changer.

If you're interested, here's the link:

Funny! :)

I'm not actually advocating for TT itself, what I am suggesting though, is that creatives can and should learn from everyone. That particular Ted Talk is extremely insightful and potentially paradigm-shifting. Personally, I'm a sponge, always have been. And I've learned just as much from studio readers' very valuable insider insights as I have from writing "gods" and screenwriting "gurus". A truly top-shelf source, in my mind, is Corey Mandell on "Creative Integration." - Considering that the guy was tapped to write a screenplay for Ridley Scott, while still in film school, and that he brings a uniquely informed perspective from having taught so many students at UCLA.

BTW - Cumberlain Rattlesnake, Congrats on your Austin FF placement. VERY cool!

What's the goal of the protagonist? Do you have a log line? Maybe write one, which actually should have been done prior to writing the script, but if not, then write one. That should help : )

Outlining more might help. Even if I feel I have a great idea and some good scenes, images, and characters come into my head I may jot down some basic notes but I don't really start with a script or truly feel I have something unless some sort of solid ending that makes sense comes to mind. It might change some down the line but I never write a script without some sort of ending already in my head.

Even if some scenes or your ending feels generic or it's not coming out right just write that out as bad or generic as it may seem. Just get something down in the first draft. No one has to read it yet if you don't want. You can go through it again on rewrites to fine-tune it.

Yeah like others have said I generally have all of my major plot points, twists and significant moments plotted before i ever begin writing dialogue. (though i do not do certain lines of the come to me early) Better to know where your story is going before the story gets away from you.

I often start with an ending in mind. If not it is one of the first things I create.

Stephen Knight one of my favour creators (not only does he write and direct, he also created “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”) say “If you know your ending it is easy to get there. It is like driving home. The closer you get the more familiar everything is”.

Since you've already started, you can probably ignore all the Captain Hindsights on here telling you to write the ending first. :^P

One thing you can do is go back to Act 1 and identify your hero's fatal flaw, which should lead to some dire consequence in Act 2 because your hero chose to ignore the flaw. In Act 3, your hero must confront and overcome their flaw in order to defeat the dire consequences. Hope this is helpful :^}

sometimes the best thing is to step away and take a break. The first pilot I wrote, I couldn't figure it out. Finally I took a nice long break and eventually it all clicked.

Steve Cleary “CAPTAIN HINDSIGHTS” hahahaha

@Julia Petrisor Absolutely well said. This is exactly how I feel. I believe writing out an ending first works for some writers, but definitely not all. And I also think while some scripts already have an ending in the writers head based on the overall theme or the sheer excitement of the entire story, some scripts just need the “go with the flow” moment. Thank You!!!!

Nick Assunto Thank You for that.

The brain as far as a creation tool has a major fault. It fills in blank spaces that trick the creator into thinking it's a complete program. It's not! It has major data voids. You can't write from your head. Your writing from a beta program at best.

By that I mean, If you can't end your screenplay the data is corrupted. This usually is in the first act. The very reason the first act exists is to set the final act. If the first act fails to do this then the final act fails too. You have to know where your going before you get there. It's like a Marathon, You have to know the starting point and the finish point to plot the route, so you don't fall over half way, through exhaustion.

From the first words you write, the story is hurtling towards the ending.

If you don't at least know the ending before you begin writing, you are lost before your first step. You may not know that you are lost, but you are writing without direction.

Have you considered outlining? A screenplay is different than any other kind of writing in that it is a part of a larger creation - the movie - and as a part, it must fit. It requires precision craftsmanship.