Screenwriting : Setting aside a screenplay after its initial completion/in-between drafts by Tuvan Uner

I have, Tuvan Uner. I'll set the script aside and work on another project or do something else. Sometimes I'll figure out the problem(s) with the script while I'm working on another project/doing something else. And sometimes I just need a break to rest. It's a day, a few days, week, etc.

Tuvan Uner It's a great point. Usually when I'm done with a script, I feel I'm done with it, but after it's optioned and I'm forced to look at it again (months later) I find a scene that makes me feel uncomfortable that needs fixing.

Michael David thanks for your comment.

Maurice Vaughan thanks again.

You're welcome, Tuvan Uner.

I tend to try and write as tight a first draft as possible, so that means there's an extra layer of intensity that goes into it. Planning, outlining and so forth. Because of that, I always take at least 2 weeks before even beginning the rewrite. I need some distance and perspective before diving in again.

Richard "RB" Botto thanks.

But of course, my friend.

Natalie Diorio thanks for your detailed comment. I appreciate the time you took to write it.

Great topic. Myself, I've experimented with sticking to one project and trying to see the entire revision process through, continually sending out drafts and receiving notes. There's a stronger sense of continuity, character voices stay fresher, but I've also found myself less willing to experiment the longer I hold onto a particular revision process. The more I change, the easier it is to lose sight of that all-important vision. I've found I like to finish a draft and come back to it, letting new ideas percolate as I work on different projects. Speaking of acting and the actor's process, I'd be interested to know how more improvisational writer-directors approach this when they know working with actors can change things profoundly.

It's very helpful to give yourself some distance from your script before re-writing it. Taika Waititi has said he'll sometimes leave a script as long as a year before going back to it, re-reading, throwing it away and re-writing it from the perspective of keeping the good stuff in. You don't have to leave it a year but this gives you some perspective on your own work.

Stepping away has often been essential for me — distance changes what you can hear. When I come back, it’s usually clearer what’s structural and what was just attachment. The length matters less than returning with fresh curiosity. Thanks for raising this, T.A..

I don't. My process is super intense with a lot of that thinking upfront, before I've committed to a first draft. I don't care what other writers do. I go with what works best for me.

The way I see it, if I need to step away and clear my head for an extended time just to see significant issues, something has gone very wrong with development. I don't have that privilege when working on an assignment, so making it the norm in a professional sense wouldn't wash with me.

The big danger is doubt and other voices, too. Naval gazing is a great way to convince yourself you should take the edge off things.

A key part of being a strong artist is having conviction. Something has really gone awry in many screenwriting communities, where it's seen as a bad thing.

Andrés Yang thanks for your comment.

CJ Walley conviction is great, but if something isn't working, being fluidic in approach has helped me. That's just my opinion though. Feel free to disagree.