Rewrite as you go or write and then rewrite?

[Tex Chic]

Newbie screenwriter seeking sage advice from experienced wordsmiths.

This is my dilemma: I am writing my first screenplay and I'm about 70 pages into it right now and I know the story is moving too slowly--at this rate, it'll end up being at least 3 or 4 hours long. I'm at an impasse. Do I go back and rewrite and cut what I already have or do I just let the story take its course to its end and THEN go back and rewrite/cut/edit?

I understand that everyone may have a different answer depending on what works for you, but I would really like to hear those answers. It may be that what works for one of you will also work for me.

I fear that if I keep going back and rewriting before I get to the end, I will never finish. I also fear is that if I keep on to the end, it will be so long it will be more difficult to handle.

Speak, O Teachers and I will listen,

Grasshoppah :eek :

Bill Marquardt--If you're reading this, looks like they let me in (only2him).

[dude]

three ways to go---rewrite as you go. rewrite when finched. rewrite whenever the hell you are moved to.

then.. as far as script length--

sounds like you may have pacing issues. i STRONGLY suggest you read WORDPLAY. the whole 40 columns. im sure ted & terry will clear up the pacing issues and a helluvalot more. (its linked on this site)

somewhere in those 40 columns youll find something to the effect of -- tell your story in 35 pages instead of 120 ..... that will give you some concentrated scenes and leave room more story.(thats what i got from it)

also.. check your story. see if it begins too early. for instance-- could you make the foundation (backstory) expose itself bit by bit through some really active scenes? maybe have your characters refference the previous events instead of showing the events in longform. even better if the exposition of backstory is delivered in moments of conflict. and dont forget, EVERY scene needs conflict. you may find that exposition under conflict not only helps pacing but has an enthrawling effect on readers/audience.

dude

[Paula413]

Resources that I read have said that it's best to just write the story and then when you are finished to go back and rewrite. I follow this advice. I've found that when I go back and try to rewrite in the middle (assuming that you're not changing the basic story) I get lost in the rewrite and it takes me longer to finish than if I had just written it and gone back and cut. IMHO it's easier to cut than to add.


MULLETHEAD
This is not the not the place for you. Sober up and Go away.

[dance]

tex,

how much time did you spend on your outline? i suspect the cure may be found there.

[dude]

i forgeted-- (i were a lil tipsy when i posted)

go back and look at every scene in a broad sense.

find the bottom line of each scene. what the characters are really saying after all.

then take out all the dialogue that isnt the bottom line.

you may find your dialoge shrinks to two or three lines or turns into a powerful monologue. you may also find your page count shrinking.

and if all this doesnt give you a shorter, more potent script- CHEAT! (which is a whole nother subject)

dude

[Bill Marquardt]

Tex Chic,

Glad you got in. Mix ups do happen.

I think most people would feel that writing out the whole script, and then doing a re-write is the way to go. Everybody does things a little differently. You'll find ways to tighten up the story. Too many characters? Scenes that don't progress the character arc? Keep hackin'.

[Tex Chic]

Thanks to all who have answered so far.

Dance--simple, lean, succinct reply. Thanks! It's what my screenplay is supposed to be. I went back to my outline and you were definitely right. Even my outline was too long, too detailed. I rewrote it, shortened it up and now feel empowered to go back to the story and keep it on track.

I got lost in some characters who don't really move the story along, they're just interesting. It'll be hard to say goodbye, but hey, it's not their story.

Wordplay is a great resource and I've read just about everything there--I'll visit again for some fresh inspiration. I've done lots of research for months now, read many good books, visited great websites and I have a wealth of knowledge to draw from in my producer. Putting all I've learned into practice is the challenge that I face now.

This board is definitely a source of inspiration for me. Just to know there are others who have certainly dealt with the same struggles I am going through now is comforting. And, even though I wouldn't know any of you if I saw you, because of the respect I have gained for you through reading your posts, I feel a certain accountability. I live in a very isolated area--south of everywhere, so y'all are my link to the outside world.

Time to roll up my sleeves, flex my imagination and finish the story.

[DesireeB]

This is also something I like to ask other writers about, too. I personally have to rewrite as I go along. If one word of dialogue sounds wrong to me I have to go back and take care of it. But - I don't have a problem finishing a script. I met one woman who had 10 unfinished screenplays - you don't want that to happen to you. So, many writers feel it's best to forge ahead and then go back. You will find what is best for you. But, I have to reiterate, if you feel you might have a problem completing the script - finish first then go back and start trimming like crazy.
Best of luck to you.
Desi

[wcmartell]

Tex,

I use a weird outlining method - I break up the script into 5 page sections and figure out what scenes happen in each section. It's a modified "beat sheet" designed so that I can get a handle on pacing. Things seldom get out of hand because I've thought through the length of the scenes in the outline stage. A scene may be short or long... but it's never insanely short or long. It's somewhere in the ballpark. If the script comes out at 124 pages, THEN I trim it down.

On the Articles page on my website I put up a couple of "timelines" for existing films, you might take a look at them. I plan on putting up some more when I find the time.

- Bill

PS: Article Of The Week for this week is already up, as is Tip Of The Day for tomorrow.

[Aubrey Brown]

I do both. I print out what I've written each night, or day. I go over it to see how it sounds, if I put everything in the scenes I intended to, if there's grammatical errors, and if I like the dialogue.

Then after I complete the script, I read it all at once making corrections until I can't find anything to change. After each read and corrections, I print the whole thing out and start over.

I always print out what I'm reviewing because I just don't catch everything onscreen.

[Steve]

Do whatever keeps you writing.

The goal is to finish, even if it's 250 pages. Then you can go back and re-write. But if you find you are stuck and can't seem to move forward, then you may find inspiration by going back over what you have already written. And when you get to the point of trimming, Aristotle had great advice: begin at the end of the beginning and end and the beginning of the end. That should apply not just to the overall story but to every scene and every speech.