Redrafting!

[ASHREY]

I would just like to point out, not only the importance, but the benefits of re drafting scripts.

I know it is said ALL the time by everyone on here, but i never really did it.
I thought i was happy with the stuff i'd written and they were good enough as they were.

How wrong i was! yesterday, i re read a short script i'd hadn't touched in about 8 months. and as i was reading i noticed small errors in spelling and grammar, which i fixed as i went along. But i also noticed things like hard to read action explanations, lame dialogue and some bad script formatting. but more importantly, by the end of it i also realized things were missing, like lack of character depth, motivations and story pace. my point is, it was not everything i thought it was when i first wrote it. A bit of retrospect on an old piece of work can open your eyes to dozens of things that need tightening.

As i went through, re typing some of these scenes, i found i had new inspiration. I wrote in extra stuff, i even wrote a couple of whole new scenes. I solidified my characters and made sure their actions and dialogue throughout the whole script matched the character.

I am so very happy with my new draft, and am now once again in love with something i wrote ages ago but forgotten about.

Can't wait to go back and re read through this draft again in a couple of weeks and see what happens. and to start re reading some of my other work.

Cheers,
Ashrey
xoxo

 

[Murdock]

you're correct

 

[ASHREY]

Thankyou

 

[Cracker Funk]

Herro, Ashrey!

I'm grad you finarry rearized the importance of a rewrite.

I'll bet you'd find things to rewrite again, if you came back to the same work in a few more weeks. Here's where you'll really find reasons to rewrite -- let other writers read and critique your work.

 

[ASHREY]

well cracker funk!

Would you be so kind as to read my work?
i'd love some feedback by fellow writers and filmmakers

 

[Cracker Funk]

Oh, shit, what have I done?

I'm currently reading a feature, and I'm a slow reader. I think I need to go to Zoolander's School for Kids Who Can't Read Good, and Want to Learn Other Stuff, Too.

How long is yours? If it's short, I can read it, but not until I finish the feature I'm reading.

I recommend posting it in the screenwriting forum. You'll have to sift through the nonsense (cuz there are some people that just enjoy tearing stuff apart), but you'll very likely get some very wise advice from some very creative writers.

 

[Murdock]

(cuz there are some people that just enjoy tearing stuff apart)

You talkin 'bout me?? jk I don't think I've ever been to the screen writing forum. But seriously, do you think I needlessly tear into people's stuff?

I would read it, but I'm total newb. But I would be hapy to read it and give you a newb opinion.

 

[Cracker Funk]

You talkin 'bout me?? jk I don't think I've ever been to the screen writing forum. But seriously, do you think I needlessly tear into people's stuff?

I would read it, but I'm total newb. But I would be hapy to read it and give you a newb opinion.

What?! No, I'm not talking about you. I'm referencing my experience with the screenwriting forum. I got some REALLY good advice from the people you'd expect to get good advice from, and then there were one or two others that seemed to only be looking for reasons to put my shit down. Whatever, it's part of being online. I only mention this as advice to someone who might openly post their work -- listen to advice, but don't get down when some meany is just being mean.

 

[Murdock]

What?! No, I'm not talking about you. I'm referencing my experience with the screenwriting forum. I got some REALLY good advice from the people you'd expect to get good advice from, and then there were one or two others that seemed to only be looking for reasons to put my shit down. Whatever, it's part of being online. I only mention this as advice to someone who might openly post their work -- listen to advice, but don't get down when some meany is just being mean.

Cool. I was half-assed kidding. I know I'm critical in critiques of some of the films posted. Just didn't know if I was over the top. But it does suck when people are nit-picking just to nit-pick.

 

[Rodney Petrie]

I think that it helps a lot to take a break away from your script and then come back to it later. It allows you to get out of the headspace of the script for a while. When you return to it you may find things that need to be added or subtracted to make it better.

I guess gaining someone elses opinion on your script can help a lot as well.

 

[gibbo]

G'Day Ashrey, I'm a newbie also but I would like to read it...

Throw it up for us to look at!

 

[VPTurner]

What?! No, I'm not talking about you. I'm referencing my experience with the screenwriting forum. I got some REALLY good advice from the people you'd expect to get good advice from, and then there were one or two others that seemed to only be looking for reasons to put my shit down. Whatever, it's part of being online. I only mention this as advice to someone who might openly post their work -- listen to advice, but don't get down when some meany is just being mean.

I'm not known to sugar coat things. You don't get any better that way. Better to fix it at the writing stage and not get slammed in the film reviews. You should be thankful for honest, unbiased feedback. I've found it's easy to get too close the my own material where I lose sight of what works and what doesn't. The best thing I did was take the script to a writer's group where people didn't care about hurting my feelings unlike friends and family.

I hope I'm not among your one or two.

 

[Cracker Funk]

I'm not known to sugar coat things. You don't get any better that way. Better to fix it at the writing stage and not get slammed in the film reviews. You should be thankful for honest, unbiased feedback. I've found it's easy to get too close the my own material where I lose sight of what works and what doesn't. The best thing I did was take the script to a writer's group where people didn't care about hurting my feelings unlike friends and family.

I hope I'm not among your one or two.

No, you were very helpful. I don't feel like reading through that very long thread, but if memory serves me correctly, you gave me a lot to think about, particularly in the department of believeability, and I did listen.

I don't want to say the dude's name, but some people might be able to geuss. There's a guy on here with whom I've often had an adversarial relationship, and it's been that way since our very first interaction. In critiquing my screenplay, he put on the appearance of giving honest feedback, but it really just felt like he wanted to tear it apart, and would do whatever he could to basically say it was worthless.

You gave honest insightful feedback, and I appreciated that.

 

[NathanH]

Today i had a meeting with some fellow students and lecturers to go over my script first draft, it was a brilliant insight into the script and opened up so many opportunities within the story that i had missed. I am now in the situation where i have a tonne of notes and am eagerly awaiting to chance to work on my second draft.

I highly recommend this.