Rewriting Your Script
Rewriting Your Script, Part 10: Final Edit
Since dozens of writers used Go On Your Own Quest to pound out a first draft of their original screenplay, I decided to start off the New Year with a week-long series on rewriting, to honor their commitment and effort, and to encourage them [and everyone else] on their creative journey.
We’ve all heard the adage, “Writing is rewriting,” right? Perhaps nowhere is that more true than screenwriting. Aspiring screenwriters know this because of the number of drafts they go through to whip their script into readable shape. Professional screenwriters understand this because of the multiple drafts they do on any project, whether on spec or assignment.
Rewriting is just the nature of the screenwriting beast.
But that begs the question: How? What are some keys to the rewriting process? Instead of wandering around in the dark not knowing if you’re improving the story or not, is there a coherent approach to rewriting your scripts?
First off, the same thing applies to rewriting as to writing: There is no right way to write. There is no right way to rewrite. Every writer is different. Every story is different. And every rewrite is different.
That said, this week I will lay out some keys to the process. If they help you, great. Use them with my blessing. If they don’t help you, feel free to chuck them.
Part 10: Final Edit
For many writers, myself included, editing can be one of the most enjoyable experiences in the script-writing process. You know your story is basically done and that all the major elements work. Now all you are doing is putting on the finishing touches, a worthy way of topping off all your hard work.
Here are some tips on how to do a final edit of your screenplay:
Character dialogue check: Print out all the dialogue of each character so you can read every side of an individual character back to back (Final Draft and Movie Magic should allow you to do this). This way you can: (1) Check to see if you have any redundant sides. (2) Get a sense of that character’s verbal rhythm and idioms. Screenwriters often say you should be able to white out all the character names in a script and be able to identify who is saying what based solely on the specific tone and style of each side, reflecting that individual character’s personality and voice. If after reading all of your dialogue you don’t sense much difference, dig a bit deeper into your characters, paying attention to how their individual persona might affect the way they speak.
Character introduction check: Read through the introductions of all your characters, especially your primary ones. Remember: Whenever you introduce a character into a story, you have the right to editorialize about them, describing some key aspect of their persona. For example “Shrempf is a guy who has never gotten up on the right side of the bed” gives the reader some sense of the character’s personality right from the get-go. This helps a reader distinguish individuals from one another and provides a lens through which they can interpret the characters.
Highlight verbs: One of the best ways you can make scene description come alive is by using active verbs. Therefore go through your draft with a highlighter and mark every single verb, then see if you can come up with better, stronger verbs.
Trimming Tricks of the Trade: You may very well discover that your script is too long [at least that happens to me all the time]. There are some trimming tricks I have learned over the years that enable a writer to cut pages without cutting substance. I have posted about this on my blog and here are those links: Lose the orphans; Minimize parentheticals; Drop transitions; Pseudo-sluglines. An added benefit: Less black ink, more white space which makes pages read more cleanly.
Spellcheck and beyond: Obviously you should do a spellcheck, but there are word uses that a computerized program will not catch. For example: Their / They’re / There, and It’s / Its. This is fundamentally about proofreading. If you have become so familiar with the content of your script that your eyes simply don’t catch these type of mistakes, here is where you can enlist a friend or loved one to help you out.
Read your script aloud: The very final step is to go through the entire script where you read it aloud. Any line of scene description or dialogue that causes you to stumble, consider: Is there a better, more readable way of writing it? Screenplays put a premium on lean, tight writing. A final read-through can help to achieve that end.
Now you are ready to send your precious screenplay out into the world.
If you have spent the time coming up with a great story concept…
If you have immersed yourself in the life of your characters…
If you have brainstormed your story and really dug into its narrative possibilities…
If you have devoted sufficient focus on prep-writing…
If you have cracked your story’s structure…
If you have tapped into your story’s soul…
If you have pounded out a first draft that caught up the story’s energy…
If you have rewritten the script paying attention to characters, theme, structure, pace…
If you have rewritten the script multiple times, making it better and better…
If you have done a final revision so that it all clicks…
If you have edited the script so it’s a clean, professional read…
Then you have put yourself in the best possible position to succeed as a screenwriter.
And now after you celebrate completing this script…
It’s time to write another screenplay!
The more you write, the better you get.
The more you write, the better your chances of selling a script.
Good luck!
Editing Your Script
Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Editor and Online Community Manager of Script Magazine talks of the importance of script length.
Slashing 25 words is one thing, but cutting 25 pages takes an entirely different approach. When it’s done, your story will be free of everything that’s dragging it down.
Often people interchange the words “editing” and “rewriting.” Rewriting requires major story analysis, challenging your character development, plot, conflicts and subplots. Editing is the process after the rewrites.
STORY STRUCTURE
Have you hit all the turning points of the story? Have you pushed your protagonist to the point of torture? Is there too much fat and not enough action? Is your theme clear?
SCENES
Each scene has to be meaningful, and hopefully, serve more than one purpose. If all it does is provide exposition of a character or a single plot point, it’s not developed enough.
Take each scene one at a time and ask:
- Does it advance the story?
- Does it add exposition?
- Does it create a new conflict?
If the answer isn’t “yes” to two out of the three questions, sharpen that blade and kill the darling. But if there’s an important piece of exposition, find a way to add it to a different scene. Another trick for cutting scenes is to examine the flow of the story. Put each scene on an index card: Plot A on blue, Plot B on yellow, Plot C on green, etc. Lay them on a table and switch up the order. Some scenes fall away naturally.
Put your dead scenes in a folder. You might need to revive them in later revisions or in another story.
START LATE AND LEAVE EARLY
Now you have the scenes you want, make them late for the party. Once you think you’ve entered the room late enough, enter even later. Challenge each scene to serve its purpose in fewer words. Above all, choose the final line of the scene carefully. Does it leave the audience hanging, needing to know more?
ACTION SHOULD MEAN ACTION
Scripts are entirely different than novels. Less is more. No flowery, self-indulgent prose. Get to the point. Fast. Cut those adverbs, gerunds and adjectives. Only write what the audience can see on screen or the reader needs to visualize your story.
TALK AIN’T CHEAP
Read every piece of dialogue out loud. Most people write rambling dialogue in early drafts. Make it sound natural in as few words as possible. If you can convey in ACTION what the character is spewing from their mouth, do it. Savor those moments of silence.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Read every line of action and dialogue as a standalone to determine if it is imperative to either the subplot or the main plot. With a 120-page limit (some say 110 is the sweet spot), there’s no room for filler.
READ BACKWARDS
Read your script backwards, one line at a time. This way, you don’t get distracted and pulled into the story. You simply are an editor of words. Ask yourself, “Can this story be told without this line?” The fat will rise to the top.
MAKE IT A SILENT MOVIE
Remove all the dialogue… every single word. Then read the action as if it were a silent movie. This will force you to avoid the “talking heads” problem of exposition via dialogue. See what you can remove from speech and replace with action.
Once the script makes sense as a silent film, add back any dialogue that is needed. You’ll be shocked how much isn’t. Force yourself to be picky. Allow each character only one treat, e.g. a joke or throwaway line, but only one. Trust your audience to get it.
WORDSMITHING
Give more meaning with fewer words.
This is the stage to pull out the thesaurus and change “runs quickly” to “dashes”. Or if you have a whole paragraph describing the setting, change it to a small descriptor, such as, “it’s red-neck heaven”.
BE QUOTABLE
Your script will pop if you create one or two lines an audience will be quoting for years. We’ve all heard Rhett Butler’s line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” more times than Scarlett got married. You need to create that type of line in your own film.
YOU HAVE ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
The opening lines of your screenplay introduce you as a professional. That first page should show your voice, talent and ability to grab a reader. By “voice” I’m referring to the style of writing that sets you apart from others. What makes your voice different? Don’t imitate other styles, find one that flows from you naturally… and trust it.
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