Screenwriting : How many? by Bill Lonero

I may jump if I have another script idea that's reasonably developed. This way the concept doesn't get lost.

Bill, until I got "Pixie Dust" finished and uploaded onto Stage 32, I'd been working on four scripts at a time...and they're all comedies.

I usually have 3 going at a time. One sci fi, one true story and maybe one fantasy or a couple of shorts depending on comps. I have written short films that I liked and then turned into full features. Have done this twice thus far.

I've written two at a time before. One was a drama and the other, a horror. Now, I tend to focus on one, but admittedly I will be editing others that have been finished on the side.

Great going Jim Boston. Good luck with "Pixie Dust".

I have a hard time just writing even one at a time.

For me, it's one writing project of my own and one collaboration with my wife at a time. Once I've finished a draft, however, I typically move onto another project unless I'm already too frustrated with what I wrote to leave it alone.

I write multiple scripts at the same time but then when I see I'm close to completing one I leave the other ones alone for a while and work on the one I'm close to finishing. Then when I'm done back to standard practice.

Thanks, Robert! All the VERY BEST to you, too!

I have an ideas file(s). I’ll start working on a script to see if it is a movie or not, 10 to 20 random pages is enough. Then I’ll go back and work on the main project.

This also is a placeholder for future characters. I have a story and try different characters in it.

I have a story about a mum that comes home from work in the minutes after a mega storm to find a man in her house and her daughter missing.

I just need to find the right character to play mum. I have written the rough story, I need real people to fill it.

I work on two to three scripts a year. They're not of the same genre, and I get what I want from both by making them stick to their outlines.

I finish a first draft of one script before starting another. I have gone back and worked on a script while working on a first draft of another. It's too tough working on two first drafts.

I only write one at a time.

I generally only write one at a time, but I do sometimes flip between drafts on different projects after I get feedback or a request to read. Depends what the priority is. For example, if one is optioned, work on it would take precedence over any other work. If I am working with a producer on a spec script, that script gets priority but, while the script is back with the producer being looked over, I might go back to another script.

Similar to above.. I can only focus on one first draft, which takes up ALL my space.. but once that draft is complete I can bounce around projects.

I should have made a similar distinction to Ramsey in that if it's a first draft, I cannot as easily jump between it and others.

I'm always working on several projects at one time, depending on deadlines, desire, and momentum, I'll focus on one or another.