Screenwriting : Editing your script for the hundredth time... by Andrew Lindauer

That's about how I do it. I haven't tried the whole rewrite route yet. I suppose some screenplays may benefit from a different structure during the rewrite. Depends.

Andrew Lindauer you can develop a system, but I think every script and every story is different and requires different and varying kinds of creative energy and focus from the writer.

Generally Act I comes out pretty strong and maybe you have your ending in mind and everything in between can be a lot of work because there's so many possible pathways from start to finish.

Early this year I punched up a script incessantly for about two months, and by adding new and better scenes and improving many of the existing scenes, it sort of raised the bar to where other scenes then stood out as also needing punch-ups, so in a sense (perhaps terrifying and frustrating but also informative and liberating) the more work you put in on a script, the more additional work it can require,

because you've continued to dig deeper and ultimately raise the bar for the entire thing.

If and when there comes a time when you think it is complete and solid and cinematic, then it's a good time to send it out for coverage and get the opinion of a professional industry reader and go from there. Just my opinion.

Andrew Lindauer and yes I think a hundred times is a good number.

I rewrite as I go (as I write the first draft), then I focus on a particular thing each draft (one draft for dialogue, one draft for action lines, one draft for character arc, etc.).

RE: So my question is, do you edit individual chunks, or do you just rewrite the script from scratch?

There is no right answer. Mostly boils down to a writer's comfort zone. Only thing I follow and ask fellow writers is that, every scene should stand by itself. IOW, if an audience tunes in at a half-time mark, he or she should feel riveted enough to watch the story 'til it concludes. Every scene, in addition to moving a story forward, should have intensity of basic story telling elements - choice of words, depth, tension, conflict, empathy, yada yada.

my .02 cents,

-- pritesh

All depends...I usually don't make big changes unless asked for by the concerned side. This is because I do a lot drafts on my outlines before even writing the script. However, I'm now into countless new draft of one of my older ones (first written in 2008) as it's more complex thriller story with major twists and turns along the way....that always requires a second look...

Andrew, I'm a bit like Maurice in that I rewrite as I go in the script. As I'm writing, I try to catch errors...and try to get rid of the errors before I move on.

Then, once I type "FADE OUT," I go through the script again to not only weed out errors I missed earlier, but also to tighten action lines. (And with my more recent scripts, I've been trying to tighten dialog, too.)

Glad you're on Stage 32, Andrew...all the VERY BEST to you!

I mull the idea/concept around awhile, make a few notes setting out the basic beats and character arc(s) - and then start writing, editing, massaging and rewriting as I go. When that draft is complete, I let it lay - for days, weeks, even years. There is no particular method - it's whatever works for you.

What Doug said. And I'll add that your "method" might change from one piece to another. Storytellers should be growing and evolving all of the time & really in all elements of their craft, and I 100% think that the rewrite process is included in that. What worked for you last story/last year won't necessarily work for anymore. You'll feel it out and know what to do :)