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Rewriting vs. Editing

Many newbie screenwriters slave away at that first draft for months, maybe longer, then run through with a red marker looking for spelling errors and misplaced scenes and call it a rewrite. I know I did. There is however a big difference between editing a screenplay and rewriting a screenplay. Both are necessary to screenwriting success but what's the difference?

Rewrite vs. Edit

Screenplay rewriting is taking a really hard look at the key components of your script and making sure every part tells the story you want to tell in the best possible way. Often this means "killing your babies." 
Screenplay editing is going through with that red pen and checking for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.

Screenplay Rewrite 

“Throw up into your typewriter every morning. Clean up every noon.” — Raymond Chandler

                                                    “The first draft of anything is shit.” ― Ernest Hemingway                                     "I'm all for the scissors. I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil." - Truman Capote 

There are three main components of a screenplay that need to be examined ruthlessly during a rewrite; Story, Dialogue, and Action. The bad news is that rewriting is often more difficult and time consuming than the original draft; the good news is that, if you really take an unbiased look into these 3 components, then you will have a finished product that is far better than the one you started with.

DIALOGUE
If you want to be a successful screenwriter and actually sell your script, then you must have dialogue that actors are climbing over each other for a shot at being the one to say it.  Not to say that every line should be an epic monologue (please, god no) but every line of dialogue must either move the story forward, reveal something about your characters, or both. No script reader wants to read mundane small talk and no producer wants to pay an actor to sat things like "hello, how are you? I am fine." Learn to write great dialogue and you will be well on your way to screenplay success!

STORY
This is the meat of your screenplay and probably the most difficult to rewrite but also the most important. If you don't have the strongest possible story with great set-ups and pay-offs, with layers for the audience to get tangled in, with great characters that the audience loves and loves to hate, then no matter how brilliant your dialogue and visual your action, you won't have screenplay success. Movieoutline.com has a great list of questions to ask yourself as you read through your script.
A true rewrite at the story level will be labor intensive, you may add a scene at page 62 that elevates the whole story which will force you to rewrite 10 other scenes to tie it in. But hey, if it were easy then everyone would be a screenwriter!

ACTION
And by ACTION I mean the lines of text between dialogue that tells us what the characters are doing; sometimes called DESCRIPTION. Don't confuse action with action. We're not just talking about chase scenes and fast-paced fight scenes; anything that happens in your scenes that shows us what's going on is action. When you're rewriting at the action/description level, you really get to shine! This is where you take a look at the tone and pacing of your words and where you get to make a reader fall in love with you because every word you use matters. Be succinct; say as much as possible in as few as possible words. Scriptmag.com has some helpful tips on how to write the best possible action lines.


sorry if this image gives you nightmares...

What is this infanticide you speak of?  

In a first draft, there are always certain lines of dialogue that we think are brilliantly clever; sections of description that we feel are sheer poetry; and sequences of action that we know in our hearts will play out wonderfully on screen. These are our babies and, if we want to be successful screenwriters, we must be willing to kill them off if they do not serve the story to the utmost. When you are looking at the three components of your screenplay, be ready with that delete button, shed a tear, if you must, and know you are doing the right thing.

Screenplay Editing

While the screenplay rewrite is vital to screenplay success, editing your screenplay is also important. The best screenplay edit advise I can give you is this: get someone else to wield the red pen! You have looked at these same words so many times that there is no way your brain can pick out the spelling, grammar, and format errors that will glare in a reader's eyes like a lighthouse bacon. Get a friend to put fresh eyes on the script for you or hire proofreader to do a thorough job because nothing shouts AMATEUR then  than a writer who doesn't take the time to edit his screenplay.


Writers write and writing is rewriting, so WRITE! 




5 Steps to Screenwriting Success

So, you've decided to become a screenwriter. Now what? Maybe you have a completed screenplay and are ready for the next part of the adventure or maybe you have just finished typing your first FADE IN; either way if you want to give yourself your best chance for screenwriter success, there are some steps you’ll need to take. Print them out and tape them to your monitor, memorize them, make them your mantra because you will want to make these five steps a part of your screenwriting life.

1. Become the best writer you can be

Just like you weren't born running, you weren't born a screenwriter. You may have been born with oodles of talent, a gift for storytelling, a unique way of seeing the world that you can translate well to others but (and please take this to heart) there is always more to learn about the art of screenwriting. The better you accept this and put it into practice, the better your chances of having screenwriting success. I hear you shining now, "But I'm a starving writer, I can't afford film school!" okay, then here are some great places to learn more about your chosen craft:

Books 

There are nearly as many books on screenwriting as there are screenwriters but if you haven’t read these yet, be sure to add them to your reading list:

The Screenwriter's Bible by Dave Trottier - Considered by many to be the, well Bible of screenwriting. From formatting to structure and everything in between, this is a great place to start and a good book to keep handy moving forward. Dave also has lots of tips and offers screenwriting classes on his website.

Your Screenplay Sucks!: 100 Ways to Make It Great by William M. Akers - simple, straight forward tips on how to turn your script into something someone would actually want to read.

Ten Simple F*ckingRules for Writing a Great F*cking Screenplay by Dwayne Alexander Smith - OK, don't get this book if you are offended by blunt talk and foul language but this book, written by an actual working screenwriter tells it like it is.

Screenplay by Syd Field - Mr. Field is considered to be the godfather of screenwriting and, while this book has been around a long time (it was first published in 1979), it is still required reading in many film schools.



Workshops 

You don’t have to live in Hollywood to have access to some amazing workshops that will help elevate your writing, no matter what level you're at. Take a look at these online screenwriting workshops:

ScreenwritingU – Hal Croasmun offers free webinars as well as advanced online screenwriting classes.

The Writer’s Store – A collection of free and paid screenwriting workshops on many different aspects of the art and business.

Gotham Writers' Workshop - Offering both online and live classes, GWW has workshops for both beginner and advanced screenwriters.

Get a coach

A script coach can work with you in a more intimate one on one way to elevate not only your script but your writing skills as well. There are several different types of script coaches so it's important that you find one with a method that works for you. 

Network  

Surround yourself, both in the real world or the virtual world, with other screenwriters. Facebook has some really worthwhile screenwriting groups where people from all over the world come together to bounce ideas off of each other, learn from each other, and support each other through the dark times.

Read a lot of screenplays! 

Immerse yourself in the world of screenwriting by reading every script you can get your hand on. Check out IMSDb.com and Scriptorama.com for free downloadable screenplays. *Note: many of these scripts will be shooting scripts, which will be formatted differently than your spec script. Read them anyway to learn what makes a great script great.

2.Make your script the best it can be.

Being a great storyteller is essential to being a successful screenwriter, but in an industry that is nearly impossible to break into and "stories" cost millions of dollars to make, being a great storyteller will only get you so far.

Learn correct screenwriting format! 

No matter how great your story is, if you don’t know formatting, you will be fighting an uphill battle to ever get your script taken seriously if you don’t follow the golden rules of formatting. Some screenwriting conspiracy theorists will tell you that the formatting rules are changed often and without notice as a way to weed out the amateurs. Whether that's true or not, the rules do change so make sure whatever formatting guide you are following is current!

Use screenwriting software.

Seriously, just do it. You will make yourself miserable, and distract yourself from the story you are working to tell, if you try to beat Microsoft Word into submission. Screenwriting Software makes formatting a dream and lets you focus on your story.

Final Draft - Used by the pros, considered to be the industry standard.

Movie Magic Screenwriter - Slightly more affordable the Final Draft with pretty much the same features.

Celtx - "But I'm a starving writer, I can't afford screenwriting software." Your whining again. This one is FREE.

Develop compelling, bankable characters.  

Your screenplay should be full of characters that actors will fight each other for the chance to play. This means they are multidimensional and it shows in every action and every line of dialogue.

Write kicka$$ dialogue! 

Learn the art of subtext and make every line count. Listen to your favorite movies with your eyes closed. Does the dialogue make you want to fall asleep or can you see the story play out in your mind?

3. Get feedback 

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a screenwriter is to send your script out into the world before it is ready and one of the best ways you can be sure it is ready is to get feedback. Note: Your mom and your best friend are not reliable sources of feedback! You need experienced, unbiased eyes on your script that can point out what’s good and what could be even better.

Peer feedback 

This is where your network of screenwriters comes in handy. Find a few fellow screenwriters that you trust and offer to exchange feedback and be open to their suggestions. That doesn’t mean you have to heed every note, but don’t use this as a way to get your ego stroked either. We all love hearing how great our work is, but the more open you are to improving your screenplay, the more your screenplay will improve.

Professional feedback 

There are a lot of professional screenwriters and studio readers who supplement their income by offering script consultations. Make sure that whichever consultant you hire has decent resume and a good reputation by asking around for recommendations and checking their resume. Here are a couple to check out:

Another way to get feedback and notes on your script is by entering screenplay contests that offer feedback. Actually, it's one of the best reasons to enter competitions in the first place.

4. Get Good in a Room

OK, so you've done your homework, written a great screenplay with bankable characters and dialogue that rocks using correct format and gotten feedback before writing that final draft. Now what?
No matter how amazing your story, how perfect your script, if you can’t pitch it you’ll never get it read. Knowing how to pitch a screenplay is an art in and of its self and is a huge challenge for many writers who prefer the company of their keyboard to that of other humans. The good news is that you can get good at selling yourself and your screenplay, in fact you can get so dang good at it that people are begging you to read your script, but it takes practice.

Know your story so well that you can tell it in a single intriguing sentence.

This is known as your Logline: one sentence that so encompasses the biggest hook of your story that the listener can't help but be drawn in. What is your story about, without all the distracting details. This is no easy feat, by the way. How do you take 120 page screenplay with all the juicy dialogue and exciting action and boil it down to a single sentence? Practice.  From here you can develop your 30 second "elevator pitch" and your one minute meeting pitch. Writer, know thy story!

Pitch to anyone, anywhere. 

The more you talk about your story, the better you will get to know it. You will be able to read your audience and know when you've got them hooked and when they're starting to think about their grocery list. Besides, the person you pitch to might not be able to get you a meeting with a producer, but you never know! More importantly, the more you pitch, the easier it’ll get.

Write a great query letter. 

This is basically your pitch via email or snail-mail (but seriously, who reads snail-mail anymore?) and is a vital tool to have in your screenwriter’s toolbox. Your query letter should be more than a synopsis, but is another way to show that you are a good writer. It should have the same tone as your script and have the reader begging to read your screenplay because. This is another one of those things that takes practice and don't be afraid to ask your fellow writers for feedback. Check out this article for some great query letter do's and dont's.

5. Keep writing 

Now that you have a script that you can be proud of, pat yourself on the back, do a little happy dance, pour yourself a glass of champagne to celebrate and then… write another screenplay. Once you do get that meeting with a producer, you’ll want to have more than one script in your stable to wow him with.

Writers write, so write!