Screenwriting : Re-Write Practices by Robert F. Peterson

Thanks, Steven! Appreciate the response!

I think I needed a kick in the pants so I appreciate all the feedback everyone! It means a lot. Peter - my method is, and I'm laughing at the stupidity now that I think of it, I get an idea for a show/movie and then write down ideas off of that...almost picture it like a family tree, there's "the idea" and then where it can go branching off of that. Then I begin writing. I go with a flow that works and try to keep it consistent. It's like a stream of consciousness, or that's what it's like to me.

Hi Robert. I think everyone here has nailed it. I would add that it's sometimes helpful to take a step back from the script before redrafting. When it's hot of the press, it reads one way. It will read quite differently after you've filed it away for a couple of weeks.

The rewrite should go by steps. 1. Fix the structure, make sure the "bones" are all laid out (index cards and a list of the plot points helps) 2. Next, make sure the action flows. All paragraphs of action needs to be concise, to the point, not too wordy. And the paragraphs should be broken up (about 2 sentences each paragraph) so that it isn't too bulky. 3. Then, focus on the characters. I like to write a one page for each character so they have substance. (their likes, dislikes, flaws, astrological signs, where they were before the story started etc.) Then I do another one page for each relationship (protag and antag, protag and love interest, etc.) 4. Making sure your characters are on point, helps the next part; dialogue. Every character should have a unique voice. To make this happen you should go through AS EACH CHARACTER by itself and make it tight. It should reflect who they are, IN EVERY SCENE. 5. Lastly, is the polish. Fix all slugs here, make sure character names are spelled correctly. Make sure that everything flows. 6. Do a read through, OUT LOUD, to hear how it sounds. 7. Spell check. 8. Repeat. Usually I do about 7 rewrites per feature. Sometimes you submit it to be read by your peers and they mention something, or you, yourself see a problem that needs fixing. It is a process, the real writing is in the rewrite. It's not as fun as the first draft, but it's amazing when you see it really turn into something special. Good luck!

Ehrick, thanks so much! Patience is my worst enemy and sometimes I hit the proverbial "send" button too soon. Brandi, thanks for a thorough run through. I pride myself too much on spontaneity and it's clearly not helping me. This is a great guide to follow moving forward. Everyone, again thank you so much for this information. It's helps so much! And thanks for the affirmation that I NEED TO REWRITE MY STUFF!!!!!

Pay attention to the notes you get that particularly resonate with you. I just rewrote a script that, counting three productions as a stage play, I've been working on off and on for fifteen years. I'd gotten notes from an Oscar-winning actress, so I couldn't really say no. The result? It's now a finalist for Scriptapalooza. An earlier rewrite of the same script (at about the seven-year mark), based on notes from another great reader, went to the Top 50 of the Nicholl. If I'd stuck with the first draft, none of that would have happened. That same great reader gave me notes on another script that then also went to the Nicholl Top 50 and was a semifinalist in Austin. The first draft of that one never went much of anywhere. I'm always reluctant to hear that my precious masterpiece still needs work, but I've learned to listen and to find it fun. The challenge is not to lose the heart and soul of your original spontaneous urge. I think it comes with practice. Henry James, by the way, used to rewrite his novels after they'd been published.

Hey Robert and Steven, glad it helped! Keep me updated on the progress.

Yes i struggle with rewriting more than the original creative writing. I don't know how I'm doing.

Thanks once again everybody! This is all amazing work and Peter, fear is definitely part of it. It's almost that mantra of "you can't fail at what you don't try." Richard, thanks for that insight into your craft. I will certainly turn my process around and take a step back from time to time to make sure that I'm writing my best material in a story-like format. Peter, I think you hit the nail on the head, I need to do a little more studying of story crafting to ensure the best work. THANK YOU ALL SO SO SO MUCH!

Cherie, that's my issue too. I'm sure you read through all of the comments but Peter really hit the nail on the head for me in how I personally address a project. Couple all of this with the great advice and you have a perfect guide to help you re-write.

I do it in stages so that I don't end up rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. First I do a rewrite for structure and overall story... sometimes big chunks of a script will hit the virtual trash can here. Then I'll do a scene by scene rewrite... improving each scene as a unit. Then I'll do a rewrite for each individual character... to make sure they are consistent. Then I'll do a pass for each character's dialogue, to make sure each has a unique voice and vocabulary. Then I may do one final pass.... Which lasts until someone wants to read it, then I do a pass before sending it. I like doing a series of rewrites like this because you can focus on one thing at a time. http://www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip273.htm

Really amazing stuff, everyone! Thanks so much!!!!

Good advice above. ALSO - you will find Scene Reports, Character Reports etc (e.g. On FinalDraft Software) very useful and they only take seconds to create.

Brandi, did ALL of us a huge favor. Thanks, Brandi. One thing I always do, it's put it away for a month or two, start a new project, then come back with fresh eyes. But even so, I still have a typo here and there, which is the most frustrating!!

I re-write, of course, but before I write at all, I spend a great deal of time thinking, forming the characters in my head, plotting the ebb and flow of the script in my head, figuring out those major points, the rising action, that sort of thing. And then I write all of that down, lengthy character descriptions, scene lists and breakdowns, much more than an outline. From the scene list, the entire script spelled out in about 10 pages, I can usually see the big issues, and can adjust them at that point. When I've done all that, when I can see the movie in my head, then I write it down, as the first draft. And along the way, I change things. Characters live, and are different than I imagined they might be. They talk, not the writer, and I let them lead me, not the other way around. When I finish that first draft, some issues have been worked out along the way, but when the script is fully formed, I can normally see where it fails. I don't always have a solution, and then, I think again, "what if?" "How could?" "Maybe this?" And the all important "what does the audience want to see next?" Then I re-write. I've never done a page one compete change of everything re-write, perhaps because of all the prep. I've decided characters live instead of die, killed others that used to live, but the theme, and plot, and character fairly stays the same. Some scripts are easier than others. Some take three months from start to polished draft, others a year. It takes as long as it takes. I'm very disciplined, I know my process, and I work it everyday, which is not to say I put words to paper everyday;thinking is writing as well. I'm not sure that answers your question, but that's pretty much how I write, and re-write. A huge amount of prep. Re-writing along the way, fixing the previous day's work. My first drafts aren't majorly far off my polished ones. Prep, that's the key, for me.

Jan, I appreciate that! All of this helps and answers my questions!

Thanks so much for starting this thread, Robert. I have 8 screenplays now, and all of them need re-writes (and no, I'm not talking basic edits). It's taken me a long time to recognize those re-write needs. Just prepping for two stage32 pitch session afforded me the objectivity I needed to 'see' them. Also, I think it's just the stage I'm at as a writer. I WANT to just focus on most-awesome-story-#9, but I MUST get these re-writes in, or I'm not proving my worth as a writer. Like you, I'm calling myself out. No more laziness. How did I get here and how do I keep from going crazy? Baby steps. Pick a story you know has an element that needs fixing (like, okay, Story X is way too slow in the first ten pages). Muse, muse, muse the possible new scenes around in your head, and when the best replacement scene comes in, roll with it. Write it that day, even if it means staying up way too late. Save it as 'TITLE, TODAY's DATE' (because you may want to go back to the original). Let it simmer (your gut will tell you if it fits the story well). The HUGE problem I'm encountering, other than kind of worrying that I might be going crazy with so many people vying for attention in my head, is that I don't know which version is better, and I'm losing track because I'm jumping between stories, and I don't really have anyone knowledgeable about screenplays who can give me feed-back (save a few awesome script swaps I've had here on stage32...thanks Marcella and Devon!) and I can't afford pro coverage. Yikes! I know that's, like, zero help to you, Robert, but hopefully it helps to know you're not alone in the purgatory of re-write solitude.

Thank you all again. This thread has become an amazing resource for me and anyone else who may be in the same situation as me. What I'm learning here is that I need more patience. A lot of the time I'll run up to a deadline - let's say a pilot competition - pound something out and then BAM I'm done. It seems that I need to push myself a little more and let things set into place, then look at it objectively. I think I'll also print out my work and then read it out loud in the voice and/or character I want them to be. Also, need to do deeper dives into my characters and make them more complex. Again, thank you all for everything, it means a lot to me.

From my experiences I've found that the projects I have a hard time rewriting are the ones I wasn't to excited to write a draft of in the first place. Maybe you're not lazy, just not inspired by the story. I've been this way. On the flip side of things, a pilot I'm working on currently, I've now finished my sixth draft, without any problems. That's just my two sense. Good topic.