On Writing : It doesn't have to be perfect.... by Lauren Hackney

Lauren Hackney

It doesn't have to be perfect....

Hey Authors and Playwrights,

Want to hear something optimistic? Screenplays don't have to be perfect to get over the line. Unlike novels etc, the writing side of the film industry is very different.

Feel like learning more? Check out RB blog:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/coffee-content-the-genius-of-weapons-and-ho...

Always great to learn more about the industry and these blogs are the perfect ways to start!

Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Lauren Hackney. You're right. The writing side of the film industry is very different. I've written short stories and screenplays, and the formatting and submitting material are really different.

Stefano Pavone

Perfect is the enemy of good.

Thiago Carvalho

I agree. Perfection is a standard for very few...maybe at the end of their careers. We are in a process of continuous improvement.

Lauren Hackney

I like that @stefano that is the best way to say that!

Karen "Kay" Ross

GIRL, yes! This is by far the practice we PREACH on Monday's Coverage Report in the Writers' Room. We forget that the "audience" for screenplays is not the "butts in seats", but the actors, directors, cinematographers, production designers, etc. So, write for production, not perfection. We'll defer to novelists for the perfection! LOL

Lauren Hackney

Karen "Kay" Ross My aim is to create characters actors want to play, design want to dress etc. And if they audience falls in love then that's an added bonus!

Charmane Wedderburn

Lauren — this is such an important reminder. In screenwriting, momentum, clarity, and emotional truth often matter more than polish at the early stages. A script can still open doors if the core works — the refining happens through collaboration. Letting go of ‘perfect’ is often what allows the work to actually move forward.

Lauren Hackney

Beautiful response Charmane Wedderburn this kind of thinking makes me want to quit publishing haha it's so freeing to hear!

Charmane Wedderburn

I’m so glad it landed, Lauren — and please don’t quit publishing. That freedom is exactly what keeps the work alive. Perfection can wait; momentum is what opens doors.

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