Rewriting is the difference between your dreams and where you sit today. Over the years, I have employed different approaches to successfully rewriting my script.
Here are 13 tips to get your project into the shape you need to receive financing to produce, attract professional representation and blow people away.
Read it
When’s the last time you read your own script? Read the whole thing from page one and give yourself notes. You’ll find you’ll have a lot of notes! Even better, print it out and mark it up with a pen.
I know this seems obvious, but when’s the last time you read your script? Try reading the last 10 pages you wrote. See what happens.
Read it out loud
I’m always surprised at how many writers have never had a table reading of their script. No, you don’t need professional actors to have a table reading. You don’t even need actors or a table. Just grab people and have them over and read it. You’ll learn things about your writing and your script that never occurred to you and it will instantly motivate you to rewrite.
100 Dollar BillsÂ
Writers have problems cutting their scripts down. What if someone said they would pay you $100 for each word you removed from your script without changing the story? How many words can you cut now?
Non-Negotiable
Make a list of all your characters. What characters do you need in your script? What characters are non-negotiable? If there are any characters that you’re not sure if they have ABSOLUTELY need to be in the script, consider cutting them for 3 seconds, grieve the loss, go pro and CUT them now.
The Beginning, Middle and End
Now you have your characters that are definitely in your script. Do they each have a beginning, middle and end? Isolate each character and check. Make a chart. A spreadsheet.
When you realize what you’re missing, it’s easier to organize a rewrite.
Stretch All Journeys
Give your characters long arcs. The longer the path they have in your story, the more cathartic the resolution will be for your audience. See if you can start your characters with greater obstacles and more distance to overcome. This consideration is a great opportunity to improve your story.
Make Trouble
Identify the sources of conflict for each of your characters. What problems do they face? What questions do they have? Once you’ve isolated them, consider how you can make the conflicts BIGGER.
Like Godzilla bigger.
Write by hand
Have some problematic sections of your script? Maybe the whole script is a problem. Pick up a pen and start rewriting by hand. It’s amazing what happens. Try it.
Write shorter daily
Write daily in shorter bursts, maybe only a few minutes. Don’t build up the rewrite by carving out six-hour blocks. Sure, you can do this, but by writing several times a day for very short times, you keep your mind and heart locked on the challenges of your story.
Rewrite your script
Retype your entire draft in a new file. This means opening up a brand new document and rewriting the entire screenplay. Do this every time you make a new draft. Your whole script changes in ways you didn’t plan after you run the entire work through your writing instrument. Many people never do this!
Don’t respond to every note
Don’t feel like you have to take on every note in the next draft. You can always work on some larger issues and set aside other notes, as they might not even be relevant next time. Pick your battles, attack the changes and rewrite a new draft.
Respond to every note
Professional writers consider all feedback and ask why they received every note. At the bottom of every piece of feedback lays the keys to the classic. Do not pick and choose feedback. Turn every note into a great note.
Patience
This is the most important key to a successful rewrite. Be patient. Don’t give up on a boring, broken story. Hang in there. Think of your audience, waiting for a great movie. Wait it out. Don’t start a new script. Don’t blink.
The writers who can stomach a rewrite change their lives—–it’s that simple. Please commit to sticking with the script you’ve loved from the start and do everything you can to make it the best script people have read all year.
Let us know your favorite rewriting tips below!
By: Gordy Hoffman
Screenplay Competition
Submit your feature, pilot or short script now to receive written analysis.
I use A3 sheet of paper – in landscape – and start in the middle with a 3″ dia circle containing the films opening scene. Everything to the right is as the story develops; everything to the left of the circle is back story. So each event has a circle, place and link as required. For me it`s a great way to get the stores flow and various arc`s to weave within the narrative. Great fun if you feel like starting at the end and working backwards; like Memento for example. Or screwing with the viewers perspective; like Usual Suspects.
This is amazing!
What work of yours should I look out for?
I’ll write a scene I’m feeling sure about from any Act. Jump ahead or jump backwards it gets the juices flowing. Sometimes I leave two or three blank pages when not sure of best path to take and jump ahead. Anything to keep the pistons burning. So many times I was confused about the tone/speed of my scene lay outs in “Getting Grace” that just chilling out and writing what I was sure of opened the door to what I needed. Very proud of the finished movie and director Mr. Daniel Roebuck seemed very pleased with the speed, tone of laying out the story. It happened by rewriting.
Congrats and thanks for sharing. 🙂
Where can I catch your work?
14. Put it away. You’ve written your rough draft and now put it away for a little bit – think about something else. Start writing another. See a couple of movies. Make up lost time with family. Then go back and read your script.
This is excellent advice.
just the article i needed!
Thank you.
Thank you! I’m looking for ways to break through my mental obstacles!
There are probably hundreds of ways to approach a rewrite. As we all recognize, or should, the notes and comments we sweep in as we move forward are given to us as gifts from others who, doubtless, have better things to do with their time than investing hours reading our masterpieces, so we need to pay attention to the offered comments . Maybe some of them totally miss the mark of what we’re intending ti convey, but then, maybe that is the key to the process. If the reader is lost, then wevhave to ask why? The article’s advice is right on target, at least for me. Thanks for posting it.
Thanks, Allen!
Remeber, when a reader wants to know why an element is missing in your story… think about re-enforcing WHY the element is missing. If you realize that element is not part of the story, go back and ad something that causes the reader to answer the question for themselves.
EG: Your protagonist is a loner, but they’re very personable. They get into a bad situation, and there is nobody around to help them. The reader might say: “Surely they have friends? I would like to see some interaction from them.” But, if you really understand your protgonist, and the core message of your story, you mqy have deliberately left “past friends” out of the story. So, early on if you build in a quick visual establising why this person is friendless, the reader may be satisifed and your story more focussed.
So basically it’s not always about appeasing the reader by adding or subtracting, it’s about understanding why the suggestion was made and how to adjust your story to focus on its point. : )
Great comment! Thank, SC.
(Re)write the logline 😉
This was just what I needed! I finished another pass from notes I’ve received. Now I read it through and need a little space before diving in again. These ideas have inspired me already!.Thanks!
I find, 5 pages set aside daily is fairly adequate, but sometimes — twenty will hit the mark of spontaneity, so do not fight it. You might also be accustomed to finding more is better. Even after the draft is finished, or … you rethink, it might have concluded. All are admirable traits for the craft of electronic writing, with hand written notes that cause your premise.
Excellent. Concise and really helpful advice.
This summer I re-typed a full length play, because for some reason the formating was just impossibly messed up. I really didn’t want to do it, but the result made me see missing parts of the play, how the characters could be stronger – in other words, your suggestion of rewriting in a new document is a wonderful idea.
Think lean, that’s the industry machine.
Merry Christmas, Gordy!
I’m re-writing as I write and fumbling forward towards the goal line.
“Is the character necessary?”
As a novelist attempting to do screenplays, merging and omitting characters is a challenge — and whenever accomplished the results is always a major improvement. Thank you for that and the other tips.
Table reads #1. You’re forced to print it out. See it broken up into pages – not just one scrolling screen.
During the read, you can sense where it gets boring. Feel the energy or lack of energy in the room. How fast is the group turning the pages? Where are they laughing? If they’re crying, you’re in the money!
You can also sense if the dialogue is good by having amateurs read it. If they stumble, actors will stumble too (sounds like BS but try it; actors are readers speaking with the right emotion.
Ask questions after. Start with uncomfortable negatives. What was boring? Did the characters actually make sense? If you’re framing in the negative, you’ll get more honest answers. You’ll force people to defend parts they actually like.
Another #1. Tell someone “I’m writing a screenplay.” People will ask what it’s about? If you can’t describe it (doesn’t have to be a succinct logline), you may be flying off course. Or “Well in the opening scene, yadda yadda yadda” If the person asks “What happen next?” you’re gold.
Another note – you may want to beware of writer groups with people who are aspiring writers. Feel like people are gonna be jealous or insecure. They’re gonna want to knock your script. They’re also only gonna want to focus on their own work and leave you without much feedback.