I have a lot of ideas for films, and in my younger days, I used to take my ideas and just throw then down in a 100 page screenplay.
I’d outline very little and just dive right in. There’s something very refreshing about just putting something down on the page, but there are also lots of pitfalls.
I’d often get to page 50 or 60, and have no idea of where to go next, which obviously wasn’t great. Then I’d rewrite over and over again, for it to have some semblance of what I envisioned. Part of this is just the process of writing, but I’d sometimes realize that the story just wasn’t working, and after rewriting too many times, I’d just feel defeated and give up.
There were a few scripts that I would keep working on, though, and often these were things I cared about a lot, and would just work on a little bit, over time, and they would finally take shape. I will say that by writing many things, I refined my own process, and learned that it’s definitely not a sprint, but a marathon, and that it takes many, many drafts to get something right.
One of the biggest mistakes I made over and over again in my earlier days was sending out something that wasn’t quite ready, or that I hadn’t completely vetted. Whether it was to an agent or a producer, I was always eager to send something over just to send it. But I have learned the hard way that sending something out that’s not polished or complete is a very bad idea.
In reflecting, one thing I know about myself is that my process is chaotic. That’s just a fact, and my first few drafts are a mess. So instead of showing those to, say, my manager, I instead put together what I call a “concept doc,” with a structure outline and some character bios. Then I get notes and feedback off that. Often at that stage, my manager will tell me what she thinks of the idea and whether it’s worth spending time on. Very helpful.
Once I have an idea I like, and think I can write, I develop and an outline. I don’t like really strict outlines formats like Save the Cat, but I like to have some benchmark points, so I used the old school Syd Field paradigm to come up with a structure, and a list of scenes to hit. This takes me time, but I have found that it is best for me to have something really clear here, so I don’t get stuck later. I do change things quite a lot, as I write, though.
Anyway, from there, I write a first draft, which I call my vomit draft. This is mostly a “plot” draft, meaning I am writing it mostly for the plot, and just trying to thrown down all the “what happens next” sort of elements. Now this plot draft takes me into the first few drafts. Like I write and re-write this thing, until the plot makes some sense.
This can take a long time. A really long time. And I will often workshop pages with other writers.
But I think it’s really important to play around with this draft and keep playing with it, so what’s on the page starts to take shape as a film. My dialog is often crap, but that’s ok, because I go back and address that in a different pass.
Everyone has their process, but something I have found that really works for me is “writing in passes.” This means that with each draft, I am addressing something different, especially once I feel like the plot is strong. This also helps my fatigue, because by the time I am get to the end of writing a script, I feel like I just want to be done, even though I am not.
From there, I dive into a character pass. I do a lot of this while also writing the plot draft, but I try to go in deep, and really make sure that the character work is strong. Again, it takes a lot of thinking here, but I know I need to do this, before it is something that reads well.
Here are the other “passes” in my process, and how I think about them:
1. Plot/Story.
Develop a clear story progression, logic and scene to scene flow. Also for surprises and bigger things could happen.
2. Characters and Motivation.
Create each character so they have a specific want, need and motivation, and a consistent, unique character voice. These should be aligned with the plot, as well.
3. Dialog.
Write every piece of dialog so that it is is interesting, and that it conveys each character's unique POV. Also, go back and re-write dialog that feels, "on the nose."
4. Images and Visual Storytelling.
Cutt scenes or pieces of dialog where there can instead be descriptive language. Use images to serve theme, and build a visual motif.
5. Reading with Actors.
I’ve done this a few times, but definitely want to do it more. Even if it’s just a small room of actors and you, it’s extremely helpful, and helps inprove the writing.
I will say that it takes a lot of time and patience to write a good script, and one thing that helps is peer feedback. I often will get stuck, especially on plot, and I do get help from my fellow writers on this. But I think it’s important to know that it’s a process, and a long one, and that is perfectly ok.
True words.