Screenwriting : Re-writes by Hura Hill

Thanks Barry, I've deleted scenes and wondered if I should have kept them....

Yes Gary , I'm working on what's already there as well, just second guessing myself.

I just edit what I already have written. All spec screenplays are First Drafts until they are sold or get optioned.

Nick, you don't think you lose the essence of that first draft? Similar to mixing music, that first rough mix can have elements that are duplicate....after several mixes.

On a rewrite you need to get a few actors or just friends reading it out loud so you can see where the problems are.

I agree Anne, I've only done that once when I was just starting out, would like to do that again.

I spend three to four weeks working on the story. then I start the First Draft. After that, I send it to a good reader. From their feedback, I'll decide on a second draft. Usually, the second draft is minor changes. Your first draft should have the heart of your story.

Point well taken Gary....Eric when you say working on the story, I assume you mean outlining, research...before starting your first draft?

Yes, research, outlining, and trying to be sure the story is the one our group wants.

Both, and/or each depending on how I feel that day. You have to learn what works for you.

Yes Doug I'm working towards that....Eric when you say 'the story is the one our group wants'?

I write with my brothers.

Gotcha Eric...

I edit, brutally.

Depends. If there are just specific areas that need a good butchering, then I just edit the draft, but sometimes a story just doesn't mesh as a whole, and that's my cue to reevaluate the whole thing and start afresh.

Nicole, I guess knowing where the weak part are is key, my struggle, after six features I'm still learning.

I'm my own hardest critic, but sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can help. Or, do you read aloud? Sometimes reading it aloud makes it easier to catch certain hiccups in a script.

Hura Hill I will stop learning when I stop breathing.

Craig I like that sir..... Nicole same here, I don't read aloud although Final Draft has that voice feature but it's not the same as a real person reading it. A fresh pair of eyes is always good but not always convenient.

I use the reading feature for everything. Even a crap computer voice can show (for me) that dialogue has a pace issue. Or that less words are needed.

Plus I am dyslexic so I may use a “was” instead of “saw” extreme example.

okay...

I take the first draft, create an outline then work out the kinks in outline form and then add the changes to the script.

I've done both in the past, but it really comes down to what you think the story needs. I usually just edit within what I've already written, but I keep a copy of each draft as it progresses. It's rare for me to start over, but it has happened when I see the story changing in major ways. I once wrote a romantic comedy, but I didn't like how it turned out. I decided to rewrite it, so I started over with the same setup, but I changed the genre to horror. With a big genre change like that, it made sense for me to start from scratch.

I just edit my first draft, though sometimes I'll take a chunk out and work on it separately.

My apologies, the last couple of days my head has been spinning. I've been woking on my family tree, did the DNA test, it came back. I now have a half sister, she's a little older than me , I have a big sister. We have been putting this odyssey together. My sister responds sporadically , my guess is she's having a tough time with this. My father is no longer with us, he passed in 2010. Apparently she joined ancestry in 2010 looking for her father, my father. My siblings and I speculate on the circumstances, my new sister hesitates to share more info than she has to, but DNA doesn't lie. Besides she reached out to me first. I asked if I can call her today, waiting for a respond. I tear up thinking what she must be feeling, hopefully we will get to talk.

Before I start my first draft I usually have pretty hefty character bio's, a good outline of the story and a lot of visuals which I use for references as I'm writing (I currently have some on my wall right now, which I'm using as reference for characters). Therefore my rewrite will usually be just editing the first draft - fine-tuning dialogue, descriptions, continuity etc. After that I'll get someone to read it and then look at the feedback and rework as needed.

Edit. Edit. Scrap. Edit. Scrap. Edit. Rewrite. Edit. Scrap. Done!

Usually editing the first draft. How long do you wait before starting the rewrite? Sometimes if I just walk away from it for a bit, let everything calm down, I'll go back and see things from a new angle. Honestly, I've gone back a few weeks later and found myself wondering just who wrote that? Sometimes I'm really proud of it and sometimes I've been thankful no one else will ever read it.