First-time screenwriters fear rewriting their scripts
11 posts across 2 communities in the last 90 days; 91% from r/Screenwriting.
“I just started the third draft of my half-hour comedy pilot, and what concerns me is I already feel this draft could be my final. The industry standard is 6, 7, 8+ drafts before it's ready. I suppose if I wanted to force it, I could always "make the action tighter" or "make…”
“A month ago I finally finished my first draft of my first screenplay, and while there's a lot I love about it, I think the story deserves a better script. I've also read that attempting a page one rewrite is an essential step in developing as a writer. So how do I approach it?…”
“Hey all, I am brand new to screenwriting. I just entered college and am looking to minor in film. Before I would join a film class, I thought I was make a script or two before I enter. I do have an outline for a teenage coming of age movie, however I need to know HOW to properly…”
New screenwriters feel overwhelmed by the prospect of revising and editing their first feature film drafts. They express anxiety about losing what they like in the initial draft and lack clarity on how to approach structural changes, dialogue refinement, and overall script improvement.
SOURCES (11)
“Hey all, I am brand new to screenwriting. I just entered college and am looking to minor in film. Before I would join a film class, I thought I was make a script or two before I enter. I do have an outline for a…”
“I had a script place in Austin and PAGE which was optioned to a prodco in LA who want to adapt and shoot it for the Asian market. Super cool with that. But the notes essentially require a total rewrite. They want to start the story from Act II, add multiple new characters, and change the age of the characters. I'm cool with all that and am working on the rewrite now. But it feels like a different movie which made my wonder why they optioned it in the first place if they want to change so muc”
“Recently I've been thinking about what type of editing I should do. I haven't finished my 1st draft but I'm curious. Some people have edited on the page while others relax, re-read and redraft. I'm just curious (as a new writer) which one is better? Edit: I mean if you guys type your story all over again or fix it in the same document submitted by /u/Otisilly [link] [comments]”
“The first script idea that you actually put to paper as your first rough draft? How proud of yourself were you and do you still cherish that script? What became of it? If you never sent it off, do you revisit it still? submitted by /u/Sure-Initiative6001 [link] [comments]”
“Hello, screenwriters! Fairly new to this group. Been lurking for a bit now. Love seeing all the support from everyone. Much different than what I’ve seen in other “film” groups on other platforms. *Edit- My title should say "My first feature length attempt ." Not trying to make it sound like it's been produced. Back in 2018, while unemployed, I started doing research and writing my first feature based on a true story. I’ve written a few shorts, and even made one into a short film,”
“Hello all, I’m sure this has been asked many a time, but curious what everyone’s opinion is. I hear some screenwriters talking about how the first several drafts of anything is bad, they did x number of drafts before they found it, etc. So let’s say you’ve got your first draft. Let’s say you read through it and find a bunch of spelling errors, some formatting stuff, and some better ways to write certain passages or lines of dialogue, so you do all that and export a new cleaner PDF. Is that consi”
“I recently completed the first draft of my first screenplay ever! I just got back some constructive feedback via StoryPeer, but while I waited for feedback I already started to write a new screenplay which I am exited about. I was wondering how I should proceed: A - Keep revising the first screenplay until it's "done" and then move on Or B - Finish the second screenplay, then revise the first one with fresh eyes. What is your method? submitted by /u/Hawkensson [link] &#”
“I'm new to this - very new - and I've been learning as I go. I came up with a story concept and have been refining it for the last year. A few months ago, I started creating the screenplay. It looked like Act I was going to end up around 75 pages if not more. I took a long step back and didn't write anything else (on that) for a few months. Eventually, I realized that a lot of my Act I was involved with things that were completely superfluous to the story. A character was removed. Ac”
“I just started the third draft of my half-hour comedy pilot, and what concerns me is I already feel this draft could be my final. The industry standard is 6, 7, 8+ drafts before it's ready. I suppose if I wanted to force it, I could always "make the action tighter" or "make dialogue sharper" or "punch up the funny" in further drafts, but at least from my perspective right now, I can't see improving it much after this draft. I'm worried I'm not seeing”
“Today I finished the first draft of my first ever feature film And im soo happy with it. It’s a mess I’ll tell you that. but having what I’ve been dreaming about on paper is a pretty good feeling. I’ve been writing screenplays since I was 12 and this is my first ever feature so this is kinda a big deal for me so excuse that. the editing and the rewriting process is kinda scary, cuz I’m not really sure how to do it. so when it comes to writing the second and third draft what are the things I shou”
“A month ago I finally finished my first draft of my first screenplay, and while there's a lot I love about it, I think the story deserves a better script. I've also read that attempting a page one rewrite is an essential step in developing as a writer. So how do I approach it? My structure needs a few tweaks, but things like my dialogue have been fairly well received. Do I write completely new lines? What happens to everything that is actually working in this first draft? submitted”