How I Write A Script, Part 8: First Draft

Here's another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts:

Part 1: Story Concept

Part 2: Brainstorming

Part 3: Research

Part 4: Character Development

Part 5: Plotting

Part 6: Outline

Part 7: Script Diary

PART 8: FIRST DRAFT

Finally, we get to the actual page-writing part of the process. And now that I’ve done all this prep-writing work, the rest of the process is actually quite simple, at least to describe. My goal in the 1st draft is to get the story stuff out, put it down onto paper.

In the 'old' days, I was wholly committed to pressing on to FADE OUT. So if I hit a scene or scenes which didn’t work, I would do the best I could, then move on. I would use the second draft to fix the script. And normally, I found that in charging ahead, I would discover key narrative elements which would inform what I needed to do with the previous problem scenes.

The last several screenplays I’ve written, I taken to stopping and working on the problem scene until I felt satisfied I had solved the issue, more or less.

I confess that with mixed feelings because I would never want to give any pretext to aspiring screenwriters to slow their progress in the first draft process. So let me just say this: When your write your first draft, keep this writing mantra in mind:

“Just get the damn thing done”

In fact, why not print it out and stick it well within sight of your work space. Once you’ve written several scripts and you have the confidence to know that no matter what, you will finish the draft, then you can stop your writing to fix problems. But until you’ve reached that point, be forewarned: Those who stop the first draft process are in danger of losing momentum and never finishing their script.

Another question I get is this: how many pages a day should a writer expect to write? Of course, that all depends upon the writer, so there is no universally 'right' answer. An average scene is one-and-a-half to two-pages in length, so it would seem that at minimum you would try to write one scene / two pages in a day's writing session. I aim for 5 pages per day, which means it's possible to complete a first draft in a month, assuming you write everyday.

But what if you have a 'real' job and you can only write in your off-hours? Well, even if you can only manage 1 page per day, that means you'll finish your first draft in 4 months.

When I first took up screenwriting, I was doing a stand-up comedy act, traveling back-and-forth from northern to southern California. Being self-employed, I managed my work schedule so that I'd work for 2 or 3 weeks, then take off a week - and during that week, I'd jam out as much of a draft as I could. I must say I really liked and still do the pure intensity of that type of writing -- and you can really knock out the pages. In fact, once I moved to LA, whenever I'd be working on a spec script on the side, I'd go up to this little lodge in Lake Arrowhead, always reserving the same room -- creature of habit! -- getting there Friday at noon and departing Sunday noon. On one spec script, I completed over 60 pages of a first draft in 48 hours. Armed with a comprehensive outline and facing no distractions, no excuses, you really can knock out the pages.

One last piece of advice: once you type FADE IN, finishing your first draft, I suggest you set aside the script for at least 1 week and better yet 2 weeks. Part of the reason is you've exerted a lot of energy, it's time to recharge your creative batteries, But the more important part is to get some distance from what you've written. If I start re-writing immediately, I find I am much more prone to approach the material with a less critical eye. With some time and distance, I can be less attached to the experience of writing the pages and more dispassionate -- because the re-write is where you want to fix the script's problems and you can't do that if you're not willing to admit the script has problems.

More on that next time as we discuss the second draft.