I have three incomplete scripts:
A horror anthology that I add stories to when they hit me. An alien invasion meets superpowered human sci-fi epic, of which I've written 10 pages. And a supernatural slasher, which is one page + notes & doodles at this point.
Should I pick one to complete or work on all as the inspiration hits? How do y'all experienced screenwriters handle this? What is your process in general when writing?
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Finish one draft of something. Whatever holds your interest the most. Ten years ago I would have said to not focus on the big epic alien script because it would be too expensive, but I see a lot of alien invasion movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime being done with modest budgets and small action stars. So, just work on whatever you think you have the passion to finish.
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You'll always have a pecking order - the one you love / the one you're being paid to do / the one you're not sure even works etc.
If you're starting out? Pick one, write it. Put it aside, write the second, go back to the first and, having been away from it for a while, re-edit.
When you're working full time, you don't have the luxury of picking one project and staying with it. I find, like writing books, than writing chunks of screenplay work. So maybe 5 pages of screenplay 1, then a break, then five of screenplay 2 etc. If you're in different genres, this can also work as a palette cleanser. Sometimes one will flow and one won't - it's up to you to decide what you do there.
I currently have fifteen projects on the go. Five are in scripting stage, two of those are comics, the rest are stages of research / pitching / treatments. I find I like this kind of plate spinning as I can always jump to something new.
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Don't wait for inspiration. Just pick one and get to work.
Screenwriting is a job with deadlines. You can't wait for inspiration, you have to get the writing done on time.
Practice making deadlines.
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Dan MaxXx I've got a similar one I pulled from one of their Twitter threads - basically, yes, have lots of ideas and LOTS of patience! At the end of the post I pulled it says "23 years and counting..."
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I like what WM stated..expanding.. that I think you have to pick a bullet and aim for the part of the beast with strongest impact..the project with most import to you, and hopefully the audience, predicated on careful parsing of the market with your sensibility-voice.. .something you're burning to express..that's the 'assignment'..figuring that overlap..otherwise, just filling the pipeline..
J. J. Abrams was asked, the best advice he ever got..'You have to live enuf years of your life to know 'what' films should be made'..not just..'how to make a movie'..hopefully your head is tangled with inspiration like an overgrown garden..and I defer to the 'beast' metaphor..as you can often tell when something was just written to deadline, without the 'burn'..that said, if you're on the right mission...naturally as WM astutely asserts..a deadline is certainly good discipline...assignment or spec..( remember, the Beatles were never happy with much as released, and they worked damn hard..pressed by their label..)
..some quality films have been spawned from scripts written rather quickly, where the writer thought about them for 10 years...or more!!...to then exude the 'wow' factor..Just 'cause you're not typing, doesn't mean you're not working..then Aaron Sorkin might disagree:-) End rant.
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I constantly work on multiple projects. To remain organized and be sure i complete them all, i create a simple schedule with deadlines for each weeks depending on what stages are my script. If for example one of my script is more advanced story wise than the others, i work on the others to catch up with that one.
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Definitely pick one and finish it DC Harrison. Then do not go back and make any revisions right away. Move onto the second one and finish that. Then don't go back and make any revisions. Then finish the third. THEN go back to the first draft of your first script and make revisions. By the time you go back to that first draft of that first script you will naturally be a better writer as a result of having continuously written. Then make sure you are getting notes on those early drafts to make sure that what you are getting an outside perspective on your work from someone who knows how to read and analyze scripts. I hope that is helpful!
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Warning: I'm probably not going to say anything that wasn't already touched on above, but I'm on Team Finish One. A few years ago, I found myself with several incomplete projects which annoyed me. Since I like lists, I made a list of the order to finish the projects and did just that. It felt good and helped to build my portfolio (because they were all different types of projects).
Now I attempt to work on one thing at a time, but usually ideas or inspiration or whatevs will hit and I'll have to flesh out a storyline/synopsis while I'm pitching another one also while I'm in the midst of another feature, but like everyone above already said...you'll find what works for you. There's no wrong way to reign in the madness. Good luck!
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I say do whatever works best creatively. I've been slowing working on a new script while polishing another six scripts.
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What Jason Mirch said. The key is getting to the end.
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I finish a draft, and then spend the rest of that day relaxing/celebrating the fact that I got the draft done. The next day, I will start a new project. Once I finish outlining that new project (depending on how long it takes) I will either write that second script or we write the first one.