Screenwriting: Rewrites, Rewrites, Rewrites

It always help to have a specific plan, no matter what phase or stage of filmmaking you’re in.



Pre-Write The writing before the writing. There are workbooks that specialize in helping you through this process, but for me, it simply means I write detailed character descriptions and a lengthy synopsis, which is something more akin to a treatment. This process, not to be all spooky and arty, is very spiritual for me. I try to let the characters come into their own, with as little intervention from me as possible. The story naturally takes shape after that.  You should note that I do not write an outline here. That comes later...

First Draft This part is the most fun for me. I lock myself away for a few days and just write. And write and write and write. I churn out ninety pages or so, but at the very least, I make sure I have three complete acts. I don’t worry that much about formatting (though I do use screenwriting software, so a lot of the formatting is done for me), grammar, spelling, or anything else. I just let the story flow.



Break I step away from the script. Leave it and let it simmer for a while in my mind. I might read a book, or maybe write something else. Basically, I do anything to move the script at hand from my conscious mind to my subconscious mind so I can start working things out on autopilot.

Second Draft This phase starts with writing the outline. Yes, I outline the script after I've done the first draft. What this does for me is help me to analyze the story and identify plot holes and weaknesses. It helps me add structure, where I was freeform in the first write.  Then, I go back through the script and add or subtract as needed. I do a dialogue “rinse,” just catching the obvious stuff like radio dialogue and forced exposition. I also may rephrase some of my action to make it a little more interesting.

Break I take another one. You may not need it, but it helps me to frequently step away from writing on a particular project.



Rewrite Yep. The whole thing. I basically revisit the story and make sure that I still love the characters and the various story arcs they go through. I change character names, do a dialogue wash, work on my references, and just make sure the script is...readable. If I'm writing it for someone else, I make sure that it's what they're looking for, or if I'm writing it to sell it, I make sure it's sellable. Thankfully on my current project, I'm only writing for me and my producers, so this step is fairly easy.

Break Okay, so this one serves a specific purpose. I let people read the script. People I trust. People who will be honest with me. They'll tell me if it held their interest or if it didn't, and if the characters are appealing or not. The notes I get back on this break are invaluable to the writing process.



Final Draft And here it is. The end. This is the step that I just finished on my current script. I use the notes that I got on my last break to make the script better, stronger, faster. The main purpose of this writing is trimming the fat. I make the script as lean as possible. If you're an indie director writing your own movie, this step is incredibly valuable, as the leaner your script is, the less you have to shoot.

It's better to leave pages in the trash than film negative on the cutting room floor. And even if you’re shooting digital, the notion that you can just turn the camera on and let it go forever is a sloppy way to shoot. You should always have discipline when you shoot.



So there you have it:  the insanity of my writing process. In the meantime, the fundraising is going so-so. We've been using social media to raise micro-gifts for the initial fundraising phase, and we've had many generous people participate, but we're nowhere near our goal yet.

And this is okay. Part of indie art is learning as we go. And you know what? So is this series. So I'm going to share the bad with the good. We'll figure it out, we will raise the money needed, and we will shoot our project.



Danial James is a media & marketing professional who is in early stages of development on his first feature-film. Contact him at   dan@redhouseprod.com