Time Consuming.
- Thread starter pest22o
- Start date
EJ Pennypacker
Well-known member
That is too long.
I like to get the draft done in good time. It can be two weeks for me.
Why does it take you that long? Is this a first draft? Or have you been revising while you write?
EJ
I like to get the draft done in good time. It can be two weeks for me.
Why does it take you that long? Is this a first draft? Or have you been revising while you write?
EJ
Ted Spencer
Veteran
What type of script? A feature? A short? How many estimated minutes of screen time?
Don't revise while you write, write the first draft and then go back and make it better after you finish. otherwise you can write forever.
i started a trilogy and wrote the first scene of it on 9/30 and finished the first screenplay on 10/21. I've done faster, and sometimes it's taken me a couple of months.
i started a trilogy and wrote the first scene of it on 9/30 and finished the first screenplay on 10/21. I've done faster, and sometimes it's taken me a couple of months.
Deke
Member
I write the draft for a feature (90-130pages) in the same kind of 2 to 3 week firestorm. Sometimes a little quicker, sometimes a month. That would be head-down writing for maybe 4-6 hours each day.
I think you must not be spending much time each day on it, or you are seriously refining every word as you go. Are you adding in stuff that belongs outside the screenplay, like camera blocking, etc,.?
I'd agree with Mr.WrOng about getting a draft down and then re-working it in passes.
Deke
Member
This sounds really stupid, but...your draft is done when it feels done--- could be when you don't want to change anything specifically, and you don't have additional insertions earlier. I don't think screenplays are ever done until the film is released. ;-)
I tend to work backward by creating a list of charcaters, relationships, key scenes, simple outline, then I write the target "major" scenes, and then go back through and insert earlier scenes to buildup characterizations and detail.
EJ Pennypacker
Well-known member
First off, 160 pgs is wayyyy too long.
I normally try and hit between 90-110. 160 is off by 50pgs. and that's a lot of pages.
Secondly, revising while you write can mean you take one step forward, and three backwards. It's best, IMO, to just storm ahead and get it done, then revise as someone mentioned.
Thirdly, unless you fall into that 0.01% of writers that nail excellence the first time round, you NEED to revise and hone your spec many times. Getting feeback will provide you with that essential 'trees thru the forest' persepective that writers need.
Nobody said this sh1t was easy.
EJ
I normally try and hit between 90-110. 160 is off by 50pgs. and that's a lot of pages.
Secondly, revising while you write can mean you take one step forward, and three backwards. It's best, IMO, to just storm ahead and get it done, then revise as someone mentioned.
Thirdly, unless you fall into that 0.01% of writers that nail excellence the first time round, you NEED to revise and hone your spec many times. Getting feeback will provide you with that essential 'trees thru the forest' persepective that writers need.
Nobody said this sh1t was easy.
EJ
I take a long time to outline / flesh-out my screenplay ideas before I start writing the actual script. From first conception of the idea to the finished 1st draft, I probably average around 3-4 months. The script itself does not take very long to write. I've written them in as short a time as a fortnight.
A year is not too long to write a complete screenplay, but you should be on your 3rd or 4th draft by then.
A year is not too long to write a complete screenplay, but you should be on your 3rd or 4th draft by then.
Luis Caffesse
Admin
Out of curiosity - not to hijack the thread - how close to 100% would most of you say your first drafts are? Meaning, when comparing your final and your first...
I've tried writing and rewriting at the same time - like pest seems to be doing - and I've learned through experience that its definitely a good way to either take way too long or never finish a screenplay. So now I'm a big believer in the 'storm ahead and get it done' approach that EJ suggested.
The problem is, often times that first draft seems so far from what I'm hoping to reach that it can definitely be discouraging.
I would say on the average the first drafts I have are around 30-40% of where the final script winds up. Meaning most of my dialogue winds up changing, scenes get added/cut, etc etc. The main skeleton remains, but anything else is up for grabs.
I've tried writing and rewriting at the same time - like pest seems to be doing - and I've learned through experience that its definitely a good way to either take way too long or never finish a screenplay. So now I'm a big believer in the 'storm ahead and get it done' approach that EJ suggested.
The problem is, often times that first draft seems so far from what I'm hoping to reach that it can definitely be discouraging.
I would say on the average the first drafts I have are around 30-40% of where the final script winds up. Meaning most of my dialogue winds up changing, scenes get added/cut, etc etc. The main skeleton remains, but anything else is up for grabs.
Luis Caffesse
Admin
Feature or serial - the principles of writing that are being talked about in this thread would still hold.
I don't care for a series because I tell one story and once it's done, it's done.
Luis, the last feature I finished was an animation script that was about... 95% or so? Well, for me it was 100% of what I wanted to hit (and the first draft, including all the errors you get from first draft), has been placing in the finals in competitions, though I did make some changes later on.
Writing, for me, is a lot like playing an instrument. The more you write, the more you practice, the better you get at saying what you want to say the first time around.
Luis, the last feature I finished was an animation script that was about... 95% or so? Well, for me it was 100% of what I wanted to hit (and the first draft, including all the errors you get from first draft), has been placing in the finals in competitions, though I did make some changes later on.
Writing, for me, is a lot like playing an instrument. The more you write, the more you practice, the better you get at saying what you want to say the first time around.
EJ Pennypacker
Well-known member
What grounds are you basing this on?
Features you write and send to producers or agents/managers for production and purchase.
TV you need to be established to pitch or present a TV series.
So features make more sense as they are often read ten times over what a TV pilot will.
EJ
pest22o
Well-known member
Okay this is why I take so long, I try doing an outline of my script but I just dont end up following it. I sort of just make it up as I go along. One charecter ends up somewhere and then says a line and some how I just discovered a new plot line that I hadnt thought of before that fits in with the whole idea perfectelly. I like to surprise myself and if I try to follow an outline I feel forced to go in that direction or lean towards it.
Normally I have and Idea like about my next script heres what I got :
Isreal, an ms13 gang member who is having homosexual urges but he's hardcore tough guy no sissy lala and he doesnt want to be a "faget" (there words not mine) he cant let his gang find out because they might kill him, but he also starst to develop a crush on one of his best friends Victor; also a gang member. That's my premise now I have some scenes like, one where he trys to kiss Victor, Victor doesnt know how to act because he's hardcore and also his close friend. On top of that Isreal knows that Victor is skimming off the top of some deals in the gang. So Victor cant say sh#t about Isreal, because he's afraid Isreal will say something about him stealing from LA MARA (The gang). Victor leads Isreal on saying they'll run away together. Somehow Rooster (the main gang leader) Finds out and secretly holds a meeting that they have to "smoke" Victor. Isreal is the one chosen to do it. Towards the end when Victor takes the money and is about to leave with Isreal he pulls a gun out on Isreal and says something along the lines of "Sorry man, But I aint no faget" Rooster comes in and shoots Victor in the head and says "That fool almost had you, you lucky I was here" isreal crys (but in a tough way) and picks up the gun and shoots rooster and leaves the gang; gets on the bus and leaves with the money. The end is Isreal riding on a bus while a flamboyenlty gay man checks him out, Isreal turns looks at him and says "what are you looking at faget" and it ends.
Anyway that's what i got somehow I have get a story out of that where it plays more on the inner delema between himself and his friendship with Victor. remember they've both been best friends for a while so its not easy to point a gun at someone you love heterosexually or homosexually. I want ot to be hard and frustrating for Isreal to go through this show he's human but at the same time be one of those cold hearted gang members as he trys to fight his sexual uges.
When i write I dont rush to get to one scene to the other I take my time making sure it will fit with what Ideas I have. I feel that if I rush through it I'll be writing crap.
Normally I have and Idea like about my next script heres what I got :
Isreal, an ms13 gang member who is having homosexual urges but he's hardcore tough guy no sissy lala and he doesnt want to be a "faget" (there words not mine) he cant let his gang find out because they might kill him, but he also starst to develop a crush on one of his best friends Victor; also a gang member. That's my premise now I have some scenes like, one where he trys to kiss Victor, Victor doesnt know how to act because he's hardcore and also his close friend. On top of that Isreal knows that Victor is skimming off the top of some deals in the gang. So Victor cant say sh#t about Isreal, because he's afraid Isreal will say something about him stealing from LA MARA (The gang). Victor leads Isreal on saying they'll run away together. Somehow Rooster (the main gang leader) Finds out and secretly holds a meeting that they have to "smoke" Victor. Isreal is the one chosen to do it. Towards the end when Victor takes the money and is about to leave with Isreal he pulls a gun out on Isreal and says something along the lines of "Sorry man, But I aint no faget" Rooster comes in and shoots Victor in the head and says "That fool almost had you, you lucky I was here" isreal crys (but in a tough way) and picks up the gun and shoots rooster and leaves the gang; gets on the bus and leaves with the money. The end is Isreal riding on a bus while a flamboyenlty gay man checks him out, Isreal turns looks at him and says "what are you looking at faget" and it ends.
Anyway that's what i got somehow I have get a story out of that where it plays more on the inner delema between himself and his friendship with Victor. remember they've both been best friends for a while so its not easy to point a gun at someone you love heterosexually or homosexually. I want ot to be hard and frustrating for Isreal to go through this show he's human but at the same time be one of those cold hearted gang members as he trys to fight his sexual uges.
When i write I dont rush to get to one scene to the other I take my time making sure it will fit with what Ideas I have. I feel that if I rush through it I'll be writing crap.
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pest22o
Well-known member
I also want to add a gang fight in there and a scene where Isreal trys to force himself to have sex with a barrio chick named Shorty ,but he cant get it up and the girl starst to make fun of him saying " what? you a marricone or something Izy?" then he beats her . Big mistake because shorty is actually Roosters sister so she gets pissed and Isreal has to do something about her before she starts spreading rumors that he's gay and goes to tell Rooster.
EJ Pennypacker
Well-known member
They base their votes on quality of writing, not resume'.
The standard for the Sundance is very, very high. By that I mean the writing is often excellent.
EJ