I just finished the 5th rewrite of my feature length sci-fi/drama "POTUS". Version 4 won honorable mentions last year but I knew it could be better. This version is so much better, I think it may be the final, final copy. How many times you think you should rewrite the same piece before burying it in cement or setting it aflame?
Screenwriting : The rewrite. How many times is enough? by Anthony Moore
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Until your gut tells you it's right. And even then...Tennessee Williams kept rewriting STREETCAR (and a lot of his other plays) til he died, long after it's success.
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Yeah, there's no way to know. You get it to where you can't improve it and you're happy with it, then you put it into the world. If you haven't sold the thing in 6 months or a year, read it again, and if you can now improve it further, then start the process again.
What Michaelangelo said. I just had a script requested and did a rewrite on it before I sent it.
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I recently had a short produced. It was draft 12. It's over when everyone is happy with it.
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I'll give you my own three steps and techniques (think I'll add this to my profile, as well, as other people have found it useful). - First (and obviously), find other good and experienced screenwriters to provide GENUINE and CRITICAL feedback. You might get different and better feedback if you send just the first act and a week or so later send the whole thing. - Second, figure out what your estimated budget will be. Then watch the lottery for when it reaches around that same amount (plus taxes). Purchase however many tickets you want. But you have to make this promise to yourself - not a fake promise - but a real promise: If you win, you will spend every penny of your winnings on filming your screenplay. That's how ready you believe it is. If it's not ready, you will lose everything because you're not going to make your money back. No one will be urging anyone else to see your movie. Now go back over your script keeping in mind that each page is at least $10,000 to film. Does every single page you wrote hold that high a value to you that you MUST film it? Do any scenes suddenly seem not so valuable, probably are just explanatory (or flat out dull), and don't jump off the page? Remember, when a producer reads your screenplay, that's precisely how s/he is looking at it. - Third, imagine that someone saw your film and then purchased the DVD. Accurately visualize how they would proceed through the DVD. What scenes would they fast forward through because the information is simply explanatory and they already know the info so don't need to review it? How can you rewrite those scenes to make a viewer to want to actually watch the actors act? How can you modify those scenes to make them more interesting in every which way? How can you modify your scenes so that the viewer will want to watch a third time (okay, maybe after a few months or years, but at least they'll remain interested)? This has worked very well for me. In fact, I'm a produced writer more than thrice over, but not with my name on it. In another case, I was asked to remove my name so that someone else could take credit. That's how well it works and I know it will help you. Good luck!
Steven, you're welcome. Thanks for wading through it.
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Wonderful suggestion, Leslie... Hope next time you'll get the recognition, too.
Anthony, _in general_ I'd say 2-3 drafts are the minimum one can expect to have to crank out on a script, but depending upon various factors, subject matter, working alone versus in collaboration, etc., some scripts may need more drafts, others fewer. Get a good, trusted beta reader to be your "First theater-goer" -- more than one, if you can. Keep slugging away on your story, and good luck with it!