Rewriting Your Script Like a Pro: The 3 Step Guide

by Angela Bourassa (@angelabourassa1)

Rewriting your script is always a daunting process. Getting to the end of the first draft is hard enough. Now you’re supposed to go back through it and pick apart all of the beautiful work you just did? The very idea of starting a rewrite can be heartbreaking.

And then there’s the challenge of how to actually go about your rewrite. What’s the best approach? Most people simply start reading on Page One and make changes as they go. This invariably leads to small changes that don’t do much of anything to improve your structure or characters.

The key to an effective script rewrite is to be able to visualize your script as a whole and see it’s overall strengths and weaknesses. Once you’ve identified those, you can start getting into the more nitty-gritty changes. But starting with a broad perspective is key.

Here’s how you do it:

STEP 1: Go through your current draft and write a one-sentence description of each story beat.

A “beat” is a story event. Every scene should have at least one beat, and some will have multiple beats. All together, your script could have anywhere from forty to sixty story beats.

The simple way to do this is to open up a Word document and write a sentence for each beat in order. Or, if you’re an index card person, write out each beat on a separate card. If you want to get fancy (or feel productive while avoiding your actual rewrite), use one color index card for your main plot and another for each subplot. You can also include a slugline at the top of each card.

Whatever you do, keep the sentences short and to the point. Put the ACTION of the beat in capital letters so it stands out. Here are a few sample beats from one of my scripts:

• Connie BREAKS IN to Rick’s apartment.
• Connie SHOOTS Rick with a tranquilizer gun.
• Rick WAKES UP in Central Park next to Connie.
• Connie EXPLAINS who she is.

If you write your beats in a Word doc, you may want to print them out and cut them into strips when you’re done. Then you can play with them like index cards. Or, if you have a nice big monitor, just view the doc in a way that lets you see all of your beats at once. That’s the first goal of this step — helping you see your whole story.

JUST REMEMBER: Use your current draft to write out your story beats. Don’t rely on your original outline or your memory of your script. Actually read through what you have and write out every single beat. Then you can move onto…

STEP 2: Ask yourself these ten questions.

With your beats as your guide, NOT your actual script, go through these ten questions in order. As you ask yourself each question, start taking notes, shuffling your beats around, and otherwise rewriting your outline. Once you’re done, you should have a clear plan for executing your rewrite on the actual page.

1. Can you identify the CATALYST, FIRST ACT BREAK, MIDPOINT, SECOND ACT BREAK, and CLIMAX?

If you can’t, you probably have a basic structure problem. Or if your midpoint comes on page 30, that indicates a problem, too.

2. Does the main character have a clear ARC?

Looking through your beats, can you see when he or she starts to change? How long does it take? Is the change gradual and consistent, or does it happen all at once?

3. Do the STAKES escalate throughout the script?

In particular, the stakes should probably be raised at the midpoint and again around the end of the second act or the beginning of the third. A ticking time bomb effectively inserted throughout the script can also keep the stakes on the rise.

4. Does almost every beat have CONFLICT?

Are your characters either butting heads with each other or with the obstacles keeping them from their goals? If they have smooth sailing for a big portion of the script, you have to ask how interesting that would be to watch. (The answer is “Not very.”)

5. Are the beats almost all ACTIVE?

Looking back at my sample beats, one is a character explaining something to another character. You’re bound to have a few beats like that, but they should be the exception. Most of your beats should revolve around a photographable action — something we can see happen on screen.

6. Do any beats REPEAT each other?

If you’re making the same point twice, figure out which beat does it better and cut the other one.

7. Are any beats MISSING?

Are you making story leaps that your audience can’t follow? Watch out for holes in your story logic that might need filling in.

8. Can you say BUT or THEREFORE between each beat (rather than AND THEN)?

Literally go beat-by-beat asking yourself this question. If you can’t say “but” or “therefore” between two scenes, they aren’t building on each other.

9. Can any CHARACTERS or PLOTS be cut out or combined?

Be brutally honest. Is that third friend really adding anything to the group? Is that series of scenes at the beach really advancing the story? Efficiency is key to great storytelling.

10. Do the SUBPLOTS connect to the main plot? Is a THEME emerging?

You probably had a general sense of what you wanted your story to be about when you started writing. Now that you’ve finished a draft, the theme should be getting clearer. It may take a few more drafts before you figure out what it’s REALLY about, but in the mean time, you should ask yourself whether your subplots support your big idea, contradict it (either option is valid), and if they are adding weight to your main story.

STEP 3: Lather, rinse, repeat.

This process should get your creative juices flowing and leave you with a solid new beat sheet to guide your next draft. Once you’re done with that draft, write out your beats again and repeat the process. Do this as many times as necessary to get to a point where you really can’t think of any more improvements. Then it’s time to hand your script to a trusted reader. Get feedback from a fellow screenwriter, a mentor, or an affordable consultant like the nice folks at WeScreenplay. If you’ve been honest and thorough in your screenplay rewrite process, you should be well on your way toward a professional script.

How to Rewrite Your Screenplay to Save Time

Creatives usually don’t like being limited or bound by time. Expressing your creative thoughts through words, imagining worlds, coming up with plots and twists, and giving life to characters isn’t something you should rush. But what happens when you face the challenge of rewriting the screenplay?

This task usually comes with a deadline that you need to respect. You can be the most talented screenwriter but if you don’t act respectfully towards the people who are willing to bring your play to life, you won’t get far.

In the chaotic world of an artist, organizing your time and setting work habits can seem like an impossible mission. However, all you need is some guidance on how to approach rewriting your screenplay and save time all at once. So, here it goes.

1) SLEEP ON IT

First, and foremost you should let your screenplay rest. If you just got the news that you need to rewrite it or if you’ve been dwelling and thinking about this for days, it is time to relax your imaginative mind.

Hit the pause button on this task and completely forget about it for the next 24 hours. Do whatever you please just don’t think, look, or touch the screenplay.

This is important because letting your mind rest will help you recharge your brain energy. Also, when you stop thinking about for some time, once you get back to it you’ll have a different view on things.

We have all experienced that terrible feeling when you overthink the screenplay so much that you completely lose the feeling of what’s good, what’s bad, what needs changing, and what doesn’t. That is why this resting time will actually help you deal with rewriting much faster.

2) READ YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE ADAPTED STORY

Stimulate your brain to think differently by reading material for some of the most successful films. Inspiration is always welcome in moments such as this and your favorite story can be the source.

Change your current mode by spicing it up with some fiction. You'll see a variety of character interactions, plots, descriptions, and how can the story develop into a well-rounded experience.

Taking over the role of the reader will give you some fresh perspective on writing. Moreover, you’ll see your screenplay in a different light after to read a story or novella that has won the hearts of many.

Michelle Wallerstein made a good point about why you must read books and scripts, “As writers, you need to be able to see the differences in types of writing as well as comparative findings in the literature. You can be the judge of the novels you read. You will be able to define the variables that attend each story and character to see if they ring true.”

3) STAY AWAY FROM DISTRACTIONS 

No television. No messages. No phone calls. No social media. It’s as simple as that.

If you want to speed up the rewriting, you need to eliminate all distractions. Of course, this only applies to the time when you are immersed in writing. During your rest time, you can get back to all your guilty pleasures.

Make sure that you shut down the phone and put it in a different room. Why is that? Well, even just looking at the phone can be tempting and get you to turn it on. “I just need to check my email” excuse isn’t welcome. While you are working you don’t need to do anything else.

“You can't imagine how much of a difference turning all your devices off make. Being completely in the story you are rewriting is what you need if you want to rewrite it more efficiently. Phone alerts, notifications, and television noises in the background will bring you back to reality and slow you down," says Monica Rivera, a writer and editor at Alltopreviews.

4) DO A FAST READ

Want to make your screenplay more readable? Read through it quickly and let your brain instinctively spot confusing sections.

Reading the screenplay critically will make you overthink and you won’t be able to have a more objective look at what needs to be changed. That is why you should give fast reading a chance.

Imagine that somebody gave you this screenplay on a train and you want to read it until you get to the last station. Let your eyes quickly absorb every word without rereading sentences and going back and forward to understand some parts.

You’ll see how you’ll be able to spot redundancy and wording that needs condensing. Try not to make notes since that will slow you down. Just put a symbol next to the parts that you need to look over.

5) WORK ON THIS DAILY

Even if a gloomy day comes when you just want to spend the day in bed contemplating all your life decisions, there is no time for that. You need to make rewriting your daily habits.

It should be something that will set roots in your everyday routine. Like brushing your teeth or having a cup of morning coffee. By delegating a certain amount of time each day to this task you’ll actually be saving time. You’ll make this your habit which will help you get into it much faster and finish rewriting in no time.

The essential step is to make yourself do it. No matter how difficult it is and how your body and mind refuse to do it, just take the screenplay and start. You don’t even have to do some serious rewriting. If you don’t have the inspiration don’t change anything at all but just read it, feel it, and live it.

Take at least 15 to 20 minutes each day and invest this time in your screenplay. You'll see how this routine will make you more dedicate and more motivated to finish it as fast as you can.

AND…ACTION!

Do you know what is completely necessary for this pursuit of saving time? Actively working. You can think about all the ways you will rock this screenwriting and read these tips five times but it won't mean a thing if you don't get to work.

Now that you know a few ways of making this process less painfull you need to put them in practice. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Start today. Start within the next hour. Start right now!