Screenwriting : Writing Time for a Feature by David Pym

Yes agree, my re-writes take months.

My first screenplay took me 17 weeks.

The next 12 and the next 6.

After 8 years practice, I could do it in a week.

Don't compare yourself to others as you don't know where they are on their journey compared to yours.

Thanks ... I'll remain incomparable.

Listen, this is the time-worn, "How long is a piece of string?" question. Everyone does things differently and how long depends on so many variables. I have been writing my current screenplay for about 5 months. SInce i first started it back in December, I changed a lot of plot points, replaced a female character for a male love interest, who in turn completely changed the stakes and the direction. How long will it take me to finish it? I've no idea! hahahaha. Don't worry about it unless someone is paying you to write to a deadline, which is a completely different scenario and convo. Good luck and may the force be with you :)

Hey, David Pym. Writers write at different speeds. Don't lose confidence in your ability and think you won't make it as a writer. Write at your pace.

I also used to feel this way. This is what I've learned:

1. Different stories take different amounts of time. I've written a feature film in 10 days, and I also have one I've been struggling to write for 5 years.

2. Quickly written is not the same as well-written and vice versa. Rather focus on writing well.

3. Momentum is everything. Depending on where you are in your life and the circumstances of the writing, you can either develop momentum or its like pushing water uphill. If you have momentum, don't waste it.

I feel you, I wish I wrote a lot faster than I do, but that's just the thing, you can only go at your own pace. Each story has its own speed, too; if you're writing something you do pretty well, chances are you'll speed right through it. If it's something you don't do very often, chances are you'll work a little slower. It's all relative.

Just keep at it, and eventually you'll finish :)

your time is your time dude. it doesn't matter how another does the things they do. Everything about you and another person is different to the DNA. So sit back and relax, create whatever whenever you feel. The destination isn't more important as the journey, because as an artist you should love what you do without comparing. We all live once

Hey David Pym my best advice would be to not let other people's timelines shake your confidence! What you're describing - taking 4 months to "tap into your soul and emotions" rather than just "slam words down on paper" - actually sounds like you're approaching writing with exactly the kind of depth and intentionality that creates memorable, authentic storytelling.

The Reality of Writing Speed

Those "1-2 month" screenplay claims often leave out crucial context, having to do with some form or the other of:

-Extensive outlining and planning that happened months before actual drafting

- Previous drafts or versions of similar stories they've refined over time

- Collaborative development with writing partners or development executives

- Genre differences - some genres just write faster than character-driven work

- Professional experience - seasoned writers develop efficiency through repetition

Quality vs. Quantity

Some of the most celebrated screenwriters are notoriously slow:

- Charlie Kaufman spends years on scripts

- Christopher Nolan develops projects for extended periods

- Greta Gerwig is known for meticulous, time-intensive writing processes

Your Process Sounds Healthy

Taking time to access genuine emotion and authentic character development often produces work that resonates more deeply than rushed material. Speed means nothing if the story lacks heart or distinctive voice.

Different Writers, Different Rhythms

- Some writers are "fast drafters, slow revisers" - I count myself among them. I can knock out a full feature in a few weeks. Beforehand, I outline meticulously for months. Afterwards, I collect notes for more months and revise carefully.

- Others are "slow drafters, fast revisers"

- Some need extensive prep time, others discover through writing

- Genre, experience level, and life circumstances all affect pace

The Industry Reality:

Executives care about quality and marketability, not how long scripts took to write. A emotionally resonant 4-month script will always outperform a rushed 2-week draft.

It's so common for writers crank out that "vomit" draft which is a great thing and very healthy to do - get a draft of the script completed, so you've conquered the main hurdle and can start tinkering and bolstering across the board. But it's also common for those same writers to act impatiently and start sending out their barely worked drafts to execs hoping someone will like the concept and develop it later. This sort of half-in/half-out approach to writing that kicks the can of hard work down the road is by far the most common cause of rejection.

So trust your process. The fact that you're accessing genuine emotion and taking time for depth suggests you're developing exactly the kind of authentic voice the industry needs. Your timeline isn't holding you back - it might be your secret weapon.

Thanks for the comments. Now I won't accept writing gigs with 1/2 month deadlines. I'll keep doing what I do. (I guess vomiting out stories explains why many films today are quite shallow). Thanks again.

You're welcome, David Pym.

For me outlines have made the biggest difference in writing a first draft. With a bad or no outline, I get lost somewhere in act 2. So, this past year, I've been honing my outline process.

But Pat Alexander's post is very good. There is no uniform miracle, a script is unique because an individual wrote it so the process to get it to draft is just as wild and unique.

Experience will hone and speed up your process if you wish to get drafts out faster.

Let the characters talk to you and move for you and don't get in their way. They are alive and want to spend time with you. Just take dictation.

Just love my diverse bunch of characters For me the audience is King/Queen. What will they feel on the drive home or when the off button is pressed. Want to give them a nervous breakdown YES.

You're not alone in feeling this way—trust me, so many of us have been there. But writing isn’t a race, it’s a process. Pouring your soul into a script takes time, and that depth shows in the work. Fast doesn't always mean better—some of the most powerful stories take months (or years) to bloom. Your voice, your pace, and your emotional honesty are your strengths. Keep going—you are a writer, and you will make it.

So agree.

Yikes! I can't imagine writing a screenplay in that short amount of a time. It took me months to write my WW2 script, and I was working off a memoir so the info was all there.

Please don't think like that. Your journey is your journey. Write because you love it and because it fills your cup. I am like yourself where I feel like I can't compete with first place winning writers. I haven't had anything optioned and I'm not repped. But storytelling has healed me so that's the biggest win for me. I hope you get something soon to feed your fire. But don't stop writing and putting yourself out there.

David Pym not much to add to the already great comments here except that there are with certainty as many people (in fact, likely many more) who take more than 4 months - so, even statistically, you're good - you're in a good place. Now time to worry about the other problem we all have: how do I know when the script is really finished? lol Happy writing!

Yes Jon Shallit! You're not writing characters into existence, you're meeting them and describing them! Sounds insane... well it kind of is.

Michael. That's not insane. This is what Isaac Asimov did. He said the characters spoke and acted for him and he wasn't involved in the process. That is how he wrote so fast.

Mozart also said he just took dictation. The music appeared in his head and he wrote it down. Didn't need to revise. That is savant-level creation. Look up Derek Amato for an understanding of this.

A very organic process, as each action or word arrives from the previous, without revision or second guessing.

Savants know what they never learned.

Just MHO.

Jon Shallit I just meant that in a tongue in cheek way, talkng to voices in your own head but yeah I agree that it shows deep involvement on one's own work. But I've gotten odd stares in cafes as I mumble in 3 different voices while writing a scene.

Beethoven mumbled and sang in public. You are in good company.

I like your style, David Pym

David Pym, just because people produce work faster than you does mean it's vomited out and shallow. They're just often more practiced and sometimes more passionate about something. The fastest screenplay I ever wrote (1 week) had two Oscar nominees fighting over it.

Wow ... every screenwriters dream.

CJ Walley Thats really impressive.