As I am currently moving into the next stages of post-production on my short film, I'd like to look back on some of the things I've learned from writing my fourth full fledged script. As many of you have probably attested to, script writing is sometimes the most exciting process and other times the most stressful time during a film process. Not merely because you are finishing the story and fleshing it out, but also going through other parts such as financing and finding cast and crew. This leads to many sleepless nights, plenty of phone calls and other things that eat your time and energy up.
It doesn't have to be that depressing! After all, we do have the most "entertaining" job. So here's a few things I've learned to do in the past year to help alleviate the stress:
1. DON'T WRITE ALL DAY LONG
Take a break, sit down, watch a show, go play some Xbox, something!! Anything that'll happily fry a few neurons and get your mind to rest. Forced writing sucks to read, and if you force your script, your locking in more hours of rewriting for yourself.
It doesn't have to be that depressing! After all, we do have the most "entertaining" job. So here's a few things I've learned to do in the past year to help alleviate the stress:
1. DON'T WRITE ALL DAY LONG
Take a break, sit down, watch a show, go play some Xbox, something!! Anything that'll happily fry a few neurons and get your mind to rest. Forced writing sucks to read, and if you force your script, your locking in more hours of rewriting for yourself.
2. Don't Edit!!
Don't do it. Stop. Don't stare at the misspelled or unpunctuated word that the software's bugging you about. Stopping to edit or change something for purely mechanical reasons is often a buzz-kill and can immediately run you out of energy or interest to continue writing. I have literally forgotten things I wanted to write about in the midst of going back to fix a "typo". Let autocorrect or some other editor fix the mess ups, you focus on getting your thoughts on paper.
3. When It's Finished, Leave It Alone for a While
Look at that, you finished your magnum opus of a script! Your master piece is there, nicely labeled on the front (As if you really took it to congress to copyright). Now, put it down and go back to GTA V or that book you probably stole the idea from. Leave the script to rest for at least a week, then come back and read it. See what sticks out as a problem, because if you thought it was gold while you were writing and now it sounds like crap, chances are there's something you can glean from that that was truly good.
4. Don't Hide From Criticism
When it's truly done, you know you have to have other people read it, so don't expect thumbs up. And don't take your script to your best buddy, they'll always sugarcoat. Take your script to the people who's opinions you don't always like or agree with, maybe not directly but indirectly. They'll give you an honest answer and closest to possible the least influenced response. Worst response I ever got from someone on a script I wrote was "It's pretty good, dude." That is NOT what you wanna hear after four months of bleeding over a word editor. Get real, honest answers.
And finally, expect rewrites!! There will be at least four to ten rewrites before you have a script someone will actually be compelled by. Good first draft scripts are few and far between. Sylvester Stallone hid in the corner of a gym and wrote Rocky in twenty-three hours, but he was homeless and in an abandoned building. Chances are, you have a job, a busy life, annoying friends who want to hang out at ridiculous hours of the day or night, and an avid disinterest in being left alone for an entire day in
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