scriptshadow

If triple digits is how many it takes…

Maximum Z Academy Awards, determination, draft, encouragement, experience, Oscars, perseverance, persistence, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, westerns, writing , , , , , , , , , , , ,
math lesson
“So you see, Billy, if you edited out 5 pages from the previous draft, that would put your new midpoint around page 54.”

I recently read in an interview with screenwriter Eric Heisserer that included him being asked how many drafts he wrote for ARRIVAL.

“Over one hundred.”

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Keep in mind that this was also spread out over time, not all concentrated in one specific period. And that a new draft doesn’t necessarily mean a complete rewrite. It could be anything from that to a few words changed on pages 33, 52, and 88 through 89.

And ARRIVAL was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards, so looks like all those drafts Eric went through were worth it.

About two years ago, I had lunch with a writer friend. He was familiar with my western, and liked it very much. When I mentioned I was considering returning to it to work on it some more, he said “I think it’s fine how it is. If you keep messing with it, you run the risk of making it worse.”

At the time, I really took that to heart. I didn’t want to mess up the script, but deep down I also knew it could still be better.

As you probably already guessed, I eventually ignored his advice and dove back in. I got a few more rounds of feedback from trusted colleagues and professional consultants, always tweaking and fine-tuning with every draft.

There’s no way I could say exactly how many drafts I went through to get to where it is now, but it’s probably safe to say it’s at least over one hundred. That is definitely a lot, but reading the script now, the results of all that work are evident on the page.

Plus, all the notes and all the rewriting have combined to make a really positive impact on my writing. While the overall challenge of putting a script together is still pretty daunting, the whole process seems to move forward in a much smoother manner. And, to be honest, maybe a little faster too.

Even though someone may tell you your script is “good enough as it is”, the final product is all on you. Keep working on it as long as you think you need to, with as many drafts as it takes.

You might not get an Oscar nomination, but getting your script to where you want it to be will definitely make you feel like a winner. Yes, that’s a sappy and corny thing to say, but it’s still true.

Quite the quandary

Maximum Z blog, career, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptshadow, writing , , , , , ,
coin flip
I prefer to decide using logic & common sense rather than this

I’d like to discuss something that’s been weighing heavily on my mind for the past couple of weeks, and I sincerely hope you’d be willing to chime in with your thoughts.

But first, a little backstory…

A few years ago, I did some interviews with writers who’d had their scripts featured/reviewed on the script-oriented website Scriptshadow. Those can be read here and here. Based on the correspondence I had with each writer at the time, the result of their script being on the site yielded some positive results. Representation, options, almost the whole shebang – save for an actual completed film, which is probably an important thing to keep in mind.

In the years since, I’ve connected with a few more writers who experienced similar results from having their scripts spotlighted on the site, including one that saw their script purchased. Not too shabby.

Here’s how it works. Readers are invited to submit the basic details about their script – title, genre, logline, and a brief write-up (Why You Should Read). The site’s host selects five from the myriad submitted and posts those details. The one that gets the most votes from the reading public is then reviewed by him, aka Amateur Friday.

So here’s the thing:

Is it worth it to send in a script?

There’s no guarantee my material would be picked in the first place, but I’ve tried many other avenues with little to no success. It’s almost an “I’ve got nothing to lose” approach. And this is no last resort; just something I’ve been contemplating.

While part of my interest in this is the potential for exposure to folks in the industry, there’s also the opposite side of the coin in that my script would be out there in plain sight, losing the chance for first impressions. If it got a negative review, it seems more than likely it would then be seen as damaged goods.

Some of the writers said they were really glad they did it. Others were more or less indifferent about it. Nobody said they regretted it.

To add to that, I’ve read a vareity of mixed reviews about the site and the host. In fact, way back when I would read the site on a daily basis, (which is now more like once or twice a month), I often found myself disagreeing with him regarding his thoughts of why he liked or didn’t like a script.

So the floor is open. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts. Go for it? What have you got to lose? What the hell are you thinking? Turn around and don’t look back?

And no one-word answers please. A little elaboration and the reasoning behind your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

*Chances are the link you took to get here were listed as “Quite the quandry”, which is a total spelling goof on my part, and as you can see, has since been corrected. Thanks, Phil!