Screenwriting : How much revising is enough? by Steven M. Cross

Read your 5 favorite screenplays, then read yours - if it's like the others, you have done enough revising. if it's not like the others?

Hi, Steven M. Cross. It's possible to do too much rewriting. Too much rewriting can harm a script rather than help it. If you feel happy with the script and it gets good coverage (yes to your second question), consider ending rewrites.

Hi Steven,

After some good coverage and rewriting, why don’t you try submitting to film festivals’ competitions? Try some not so popular ones. For example, Barnstorm Fest (in Coverfly); they give me scoring in each key category and more importantly the reader printed out the script and wrote note in places and clearly he read every word. I didn’t need to pay for coverage but just the fees to enter in the competition. I love it! His comments are very useful. Then I got a code for 50% off for future submission.

Rhod Island International Film Festival (BAFTA and Academy award and Canada Screen Award Qualifying) is a great one too. They have an eye for novel stories. I got in as a semi finalist and I got a free badge to the festival. Screen all movies and network at the festival.

The reason that you ought to get into competition because it’ll also tell you — if your story has enough revision and doesn’t need any major cut, you can win something at the festival. And I think the people at festivals may have less agenda, (they sometimes volunteer in reading for free, they will vote for a true feeling). Like I got an email from Austin Film Festival if I wanted to volunteer reading. They have very great rules, tight guidelines and tough tests even before anyone can be a real reader.. For instance, to be a volunteer reader, you can’t be a contender at the festival. Perhaps coverage people aren’t like that. They work for bucks, remember that. I sometimes feel they try too hard to make the point when they didn’t really know the heart of the story!

Pattana Thaivanich Ironically enough, Barnstorm is one place where I did send it. My scorecard was pretty good. Two marked "Just Okay" and one marked in the "Really good" column and the rest were just good. I was pleased with the comments, and I am using them for revision.

Steven M. Cross it takes time; I think it's good to sit on a revision for a month or two, then come back to it after working on other projects, every script that's fully developed in terms of story material has a lean version nested within it to which it can be reduced, deconstructed and rebuilt in other parallel directions should you have the inkling to continue shaping it, or it could be solid and then by yes dropping it in for some coverage or competitions see what happens next?

Steven,

But I think we should not stop revising. Take time off like Daniel said. Maybe just changing some wording in dialogues or scene descriptions take it to another level.

The coverage feedback or winning contests also depends on the particular taste how the reader liked the genre. In the beginning I cut a lot of scenes based on coverages but later another coverage said good things about those scenes.

It’s depending a lot on taste or in other word: chances!

Good luck for your script. :)

Pt

I'd say at this point maybe set it aside for like a month or so, try not to think about it, work on something else if possible and then take it back out with a clear mind.

When you sell your script; you've done enough revision - that's how I tell.

You will most likely need to do several drafts and get a round of feedback on each. Be sure to get at least three people to read it each time, so you're not relying on just one person's opinion. Look for the commonalities amongst those three and tackle those issues. Avoid using the same people for feedback on multiple drafts unless you have a devoted mentor or pay for one. Remember - you will one day (hopefully) get your script into the hands of a 'gatekeeper' who has never read it before.

The feedback on even an advanced draft will never be universally good because everyone has different tastes. Still, when a clear majority of people LOVE it, then you might be ready to pitch it to the gatekeepers. You could test it with a handful of contests to see how it does, first, if you need a boost of confidence going into pitch meetings.

Best of luck!

My core belief is that we as writers must become our own coverage service. It is like quitting smoking. At some point in time, you must consider yourself a non-smoker. The sooner you can see your own work and not even consider the opinion of others, is when you are a writer. You know when it feels right. You know when the words are the right words. It is like going on a great date. You don’t wait for your friend to tell you, you had a great time. You know.

Craig, you are absolutely right.

Art is never finished, only abandoned, Leonardo Da Vinci or when you determine it's Oscar noteworthy & you finally want to get to all those things, that you should have gotten done 3 years ago !