Rewriting Techniques

[ducky1288]

How do you go about re-writing your script?

Do you start from scratch and just bring in scenes from your script or do you just erase and write within your existing script?

I find that when I start with my script and just start with deleting a scene and re-writing it that I rewrite it then pick up where I left off with reading the next scene and I think "Hey that works" and I move on. When in reality it probably doesn't.

So I find it's easier when I just start with something blank that way when I rewrite a scene there is nothing after it to read and "be okay with". Then I bring in things from my other script that I want to keep.

But I have no idea what the norm is because I'm still fairly new. What does everyone else do?

[Jake Schuster]

With scripts I start from page one every day; with novels I go back twenty pages or so. In that way you've caught all the inconsistencies and the work has a seamless quality when it's finished.

[BattleDolphinZero]

I ask myself this question: "what is this movie about?" Then I write it down. Usually a few sentences that make up one short paragraph.

Then I re-outline from memory. That usually that cuts out several scenes.

For each beat I refer to the paragraph. The remaining scenes need to service that paragraph.

Then I eat many donuts and shame spiral.

[BattleDolphinZero]

Originally Posted by Jake Schuster

With scripts I start from page one every day; with novels I go back twenty pages or so. In that way you've caught all the inconsistencies and the work has a seamless quality when it's finished.

I do this too, but my first drafts still suck. But I agree with your method and your rationale for employing it.

[Biohazard]

I rewrite as I write. Then when I'm finished writing, I go back and find ways to better exploit the concept, tie things together thematically, etc.

Then I usually let it sit there for a little bit, begin outlining something else, get tied up in that story...and then go back to the finished work with fresh eyes.

[Anagram]

I can't rewrite by editing sections of an existing screenplay. Changing something in the beginning requies all sorts of changes later on, which is tough to keep track of.

I have to spread out the notecards on a table. It's only when I can see the story in its entirety that I can make changes. It's the only way to keep track of the consequences and flow.

Only after I've hashed out the rewrite on the notecards do I start to edit the screenplay itself. It saves a ****load of frustration.

[Population17]

Originally Posted by Biohazard

I rewrite as I write. Then when I'm finished writing, I go back and find ways to better exploit the concept, tie things together thematically, etc.

Then I usually let it sit there for a little bit, begin outlining something else, get tied up in that story...and then go back to the finished work with fresh eyes.

That's exactly how I do it as well.

brad

[12916studios]

I rewrite a tiny bit as I go, but I have heard from a lot of sources to not do that very much, as it's so easy to just get caught up doing it and never finish the draft. It's better the just get the damn thing done, than to rewrite every day, as there is only so much you can rewrite in the beginning while there is still no end.

When I finally get to rerwriting, though, I break the script into about 8-10 equal parts, and then spend time working on each until satisfied. If I am cutting, I always have a specific goal number of pages in mind that I will be chopping, and I edit until I get to the predetermined length. As I go through the parts I colorcode. Blue means fully rewrite. Red means potentially cut.

Once I finish all the parts, I put them all together as my brand new Draft 2, then break it apart again into about 4 equal parts. This time I turn on revisions mode, and away we go again...

Once done, I put everything back together as the new Draft 3. Cut that into 2 pieces. Edit. Rewrite. Once done: Draft 4. And I edit that as a single document.

The way I rewrite keeps me from skipping around, which keeps me from getting distracted. By having the parts be longer with each draft, when there are generally less edits than there were in the beginning, I get less bored because there are more pages to look at.

I don't know if you guys have ever used revisions mode, but it is insanely helpful. It shows your changes, and seeing those little asterisks along the side of the page can give you a nice little ego boost, because it provides proof you got something done "today".

I also outline heavily, so I take care of any major inconsistancies well ahead of even starting the thing. Outlines save lives. Remember that.

[Rathmon]

Whether it's the second, third, or fourth draft, I take chunks of the existing work and paste it into a new file- when I'm done with that chunk, I paste it over the old scene.

Some chunks are just tweaks and continuity work, other chunks are complete re-writes and new scenes.

I find by doing this, it's not as intimidating to re-write as it would be if I looked at the whole screenplay.

It's also nice when those chunks are fewer and smaller as I get into the subsequent drafts.

[Jcorona]

Originally Posted by ducky1288

How do you go about re-writing your script?

I on't know.

Corona