Screenwriting : Rewrites by Anthony McBride

It's hard to say without knowing your flaws. My flaw is too much dialogue so rewriting for me is deleting excessive dialogue and showing more than saying. Figure out your weakness or your story's weakness and begin there.

You're rewriting? Start at page 1.

Dammit, I think I've got good advice and then Pierre follows me with logical intelligence.

Travis, your advice would be more beneficial. I was simply thinking, when I rewrite, I start at page 1 and go right through, considering the entire script as I go.

So we're both geniuses. I like that.

Sounds good to me.

Another option, Anthony, is to get a bunch of notes on it and that will tell you what you need to look at.

Here's a Script Tip on that: http://www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip273.htm

I've rewritten my first (nearly) completed feature script half a dozen times, and my advice is to find something you're not 100% pleased with and start from there. Don't try to make the entire script perfect in one rewrite -- perfection doesn't exist in art. For me, I hated the way my script read, so I read a bunch of scripts and books, then rewrote my script with a different voice. Then I worked on fleshing out my characters further. Then I tweaked the dialogue. Then I went through the script scene by scene and rewrote the ones that seemed too on-the-nose or full of cliches or I found just plain cringe-worthy.

Also, if sitting in front of your computer and rewriting your script becomes a bland job, then try downloading a writing app on your phone and rewrite it from there. It did wonders for me. Almost felt like I was writing a whole new different script.

Ask questions. We're all movie critics so critic it as is. If it were to be made would you pay to see it. Would you get bored in a scene? Would you want more actions, clever saying, thoughtful insights, etc.

Then treat each scene as a standalone short even just a one sentence scene. Should it be more vivid visually, do I need to say he drove across town or have him show just show up ready to dive in the action. Best of luck.

All good comments. I often do rewrites in stages. First I would go through all descriptions, are they vivid and parsimonious? Then look at action sequences and lastly dialogue. What can be cut without changing the story? This is all done after taking a break so I can get another perspective. There are many approaches. Hope you find one that fits you. Good luck.

Good writing is rewriting. And we all hate it. With a script, you might begin with dialogue. Ensure that each character has a unique voice, and that that character's dialogue matches the voice. Go from there.

send it to another for a solid read first. Rewrite can break a script because you know too much about your own characters. Avoid services or groups for help they always seem sticky fingered to me.

Here's my 2cents- worth a penny.

Structure, structure, structure. If you have a treatment, go back and work out story beats. Get feedback. Look for common hits and misses. Make the 1st 5 or 10 pages shine. Set tone/genre. Don't worry about dialogue. Worry about character. It's a story told with moving images. Not a novel. If you can nail the opening page/set-up, the rest of your story should be alright.

@Adam Jeremy Saris I was going to suggest this as well. It also depends what mental state you are in regarding this particular script. If you are still "center of attention" addicted to it then do what Adam suggested above and sprinkle in some produced screenplay reading/film watching in the same genre. If you are "burned out" with that script, put it aside both literally and mentally and tackle a new project complete outside of the genre you are struggling with and then maybe go back every couple of weeks and re-read your original script. You'll be amazed at what pops out and comes to you. It's akin to that laying in bed trying to sleep and POP! an idea or story, etc. pops in your head and you have to write it down. Consider it "getting a set of new eyes/lenses through which to see your script" and sometimes our own vision can create "tunnel vision" with a script that actually stunts our ability to objectively rewrite it. Go expose yourself to other "views/visions" again like Adam said above or with other produced screenplays/films.

All great comments man. You have to just get the right structure that works and makes sense.

Why are you rewriting it? Start there. Does the pace drop off in one part? I put a post up about what I tend to do. Try going through your script focusing on one aspect at a time, review dialogue, review action etc. Go scene by scene and examine what each achieves. Do any two scenes do the same thing. If so remove one or rewrite one to make it do something different.

I agree with Craig. "Why are you rewriting it?" I hope you are not just moved by a tradition to rewrite. If your script is okay, hey, there is no need. ;) Have you gotten feedback from a professional? If yes, begin from there.

have a reading of it. hearing it will show you what tweaks you need to make.

Get someone to read it - who knows what they're on about.

When you're ready to polish or rewrite, use the Final Draft assign voices tool. I always catch more typos hearing the computer voice read it. And one of them has a cool English accent. Lose any superfluous dialogue, trim unneeded narrative and any scene that doesn't move the story forward. Check your that you deliver an engaging first five to ten pages. A boring opening is the kiss of death.

Final Draft has a voices tool?? I didn't know that!!

oh God so much to learn at 81 ....but will try ..err had a wonderful old book here on screenwriting must find it ....is it still rule of thumb 100 pages?

Tony: FD definitely has it. And it's been a tremendous help for me when I edit.

1. Open your file

2. Go to tools

3. Speech control - which will read your script aloud

4. Assign voices to assign male or female voices and change reading speed.

5. Under actors, you can change the voices too.

I do different things. I start reading from the back from the last scene. Do you use any outline templates like Save the cat? There's also the sequence approach and many others. I search for every type of outline/breakdown find or make a template and go over the story that way with each one.

I typically just start from the beginning and take my time. Cheers!

Hi Anthony from time to time Screenwriting U holds a free rewrite teleconference which I've taken and enjoyed. You can check their site at http://www.screenwritingu.com. best, Diane

Always outline your script before you start. You don't build a house without a blueprint. My best advice would be to read Linda Seger's "Making a Good Script Great" and follow the suggestions.

I start macro and then go micro -- meaning start with the overarching stuff like structure, beats, character development, voice, etc. and then go smaller with scene work, dialogue, tightening narrative, stuff like that. When you do it that way it's actually RE-WRITING instead of EDITING.

You have great advice. Try printing, then checking line by line (which I hate bth) and if you have someone you trust hopefully another writer, have them read it for clarity/feedback. Erik's advice to get Dr. Seger's book is a great idea, the woman is a pro. Good luck.

Do I have to put tech stuff into a script ...I know you have to put action .....but lighting uh oh me no understand ....