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Writers Doubts??

supercarz

supercarz

Hey Guys!

I (hopefully) musn't be the only one that gets this, but do some of you get to say 3/4 of writing a feature script, and you have planned out most of it, found where your three acts start and end etc etc.......BUT then you start to get that intsy feeling where you think to yourself, "Is this actually any good?" I am about 70 pages into this current script I am working on and can't get the notion out of my head that I am writing an awful script, cos some days I read it from the start and think, "pretty good." Then other days I think, "this is terrible"

Does anyone else get that?

The story I am writing at the moment is set over one week where the non-linear story line cuts back and forth over these 7 days. It is mainly about a 22 yr old wayward dude who's parents die in a carcrash and we cut back and forth to before it happened and after it happened.

What I was thinking is if anyone was interested I could send them the first 30pages, thats when Act 2 sorta kicks in. And then they could tell me if the script is worth continuing with or not. That would be very cool if someone could get me out of this predicament!

Sweet!
Matt
 
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Seriously, if I had a dollar for every time I've said my writing is rubbish, I would be typing this on a solid gold keyboard. Every one gets insecure, some more than others, but that doesn't mean what you're feeling is accurate. One thing I've found is my thought patterns are very negative. I need to keep telling myself that being proud of something I've done, or being proud of myself at all, isn't a wankey thing to be. You need to be realistic, that's all. And sometimes that's incredibly hard.
I dunno if that makes any sense, but hopefully you get what I'm trying to say.

I'll send you a pm with my email & you can send your 30 pages to me if you want :) I probably won't be much help, but I promise I'll tell you if it's shit house :P
 
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This is why they have rewrites. Writing is rewriting. Finish it, put it aside and write something else, then come back and rewrite it. Fix the problems you find this time around, set it aside (etc) and eventually you get to the rewrites that are changing a word or two - and you are done.

Self-doubt is normal, and it is *good*. If you think your script is brilliant, there's a chance that you are just blind to its faults (and will never fix them). If you think the first draft is just that - a first draft - and there will be lots of work to do after that, you'll do that work and make the script better.

Get it finished, then worry about fixing it.

- Bill
 
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I mainly write short scripts, but I have the same feeling. I have a few unfinished, a few finished but then I think that they are crap... only a few are worth spending enough time to make them into a film.

Sometimes it's worth leaving the project aside for a few days, try something else, and then revisit the script.
Maybe you can re-write the whole script, even if that means 70 pages again, but you might find out that you had some brilliant idea that you never used before.

What helps me a lot is reading it with other actors/friends. For me that's the point when I see, yes this works, sounds good. Even if it's not well read, you hear the words on your ears, not an image from your mind. It allows me to see the script from a complete different angle.
 
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Everyone writes crap. The difference is you are starting to develop enough wisdom to recognize that it's crap. Brilliant! Now finish it as-is (don't stall at page 70 with self doubts). Like Bill said, finish it and stick it on a shelf for awhile and work on something else.

I went through an entire script once only to realize after several drafts and rewrites (and multiple agency submissions/rejections) that the story was crap. Stuck it on a shelf and haven't touched it in twenty years. But oddly enough, I had an epiphany about it recently, and now I'm anxious to drag it back off the shelf and rewrite it. But I'm not touching it until I get to first draft of this current project.

Even my current project got stalled. But now I'm knowledgeable enough where it didn't take me 70-120 pages of script to figure out there were problems. I wrote my first script with a basic idea. This one got fully outlined with detailed character biographies. As I was getting to Act III in the outline phase, I caught myself wondering, "Would I pay to see this?" The answer was no. So I took it back to formula. Now, I believe I have something that I'd want to see, so the script is starting to come together. Opening sequence and character introductions are complete.

Moral of the story: Preparation is key.

Good luck and keep at it. :cheers:
 
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Sounds to me like you need a little Courage Wolf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZoPN0pnONg

Stop reading it from the start. Just finish the damn thing. THEN read it from start to finish, and work on that rewrite. Nobody ever gets it right the first time -- that's what rewrites are for. Perfectly normal. Perfectly healthy.
 
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I wrote an 80,000 word novel, set down my pen and thought 'well, that was terrible.'

And I haven't picked it up since. Not even to rewrite or anything. Part of the process of writing is getting to the end of things, so it's no good giving up 3/4 of the way through even if you think it's complete crap. Get it finished and then you can be dissatisfied.

Every time I write a play now, I think it's terrible. Even when it's performed I still don't like the way the words were written. Some people are naturally dissapointed with their own work, but don't let that stop you from finishing or getting other people's opinions on the piece.
 
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Hey Guys

Thanks for all the support, yea I guess the thing to do right now is finish it, then I can decide to do rewrites or just move on. This may be a dumb question but do you think writer directors like, Nolan, Cameron, Tarantino etc need to show their scripts to people for feedback or since they have been doing it a while they can just decide for themselves what works and what doesnt?

It intruiges me thou, do a lot of people here need the proof of others to confirm that what you have written is good or can you just decide for yourself after a few rewrites?

insert_cliche_here - i'll email you, thanks heaps for taking the time to read it.

Thanks guys

Matt
 
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Make getting it done number one. A terrible something is a million times better than the greatest nothing. After that, don’t let good or bad rule the perception, great can always be better and bad can always be worse. When you finish the 1st draft you will know if you’ve created what you envisioned, if not then consider why, if so then consider how you can make it even better.

-Thanks-
 
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supercarz said:
Hey Guys!

I (hopefully) musn't be the only one that gets this, but do some of you get to say 3/4 of writing a feature script, and you have planned out most of it, found where your three acts start and end etc etc.......BUT then you start to get that intsy feeling where you think to yourself, "Is this actually any good?" I am about 70 pages into this current script I am working on and can't get the notion out of my head that I am writing an awful script, cos some days I read it from the start and think, "pretty good." Then other days I think, "this is terrible"

Does anyone else get that?

The story I am writing at the moment is set over one week where the non-linear story line cuts back and forth over these 7 days. It is mainly about a 22 yr old wayward dude who's parents die in a carcrash and we cut back and forth to before it happened and after it happened.

What I was thinking is if anyone was interested I could send them the first 30pages, thats when Act 2 sorta kicks in. And then they could tell me if the script is worth continuing with or not. That would be very cool if someone could get me out of this predicament!

!
Matt
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I personally feel that if yu have doubts you will not be able to write anything .For writing self confidence is very important ,but at the same time you should also accept that your baby has flaws and try to improve it.
padma

]
 
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You may have heard this a bunch already but remember that often times... you are your own worst critic.

I'm teeter-tottering back and forth on my short script at the moment. One day I feel like it's got a great hook, compelling characters, and a rewarding conclusion. ...then later I think "People will just not get it at all. Only I will like it. Wait... maybe I don't even like it."

If it wasn't for my wonderful wife's steadfast encouragement, I probably would've never finished the first draft.

So yeah... for what it's worth, you're definitely not the only one who deals with those doubts.
 
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In my experience, the only people that don't second guess themselves are people too dumb to know that they aren't any good.

Talented people always second guess themselves because they are striving for perfection and know that they don't have it. The good news is that no one has ever writen a perfect script. Push through and get it done. If you don't like the final product, fix it.
 
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If you came as far as writing 70 pages, you might as well finish the script now. Resist the temptation of reading it -- it's counterproductive. You will be better off finishing the screenplay first. Even if you don't like what you've created, at least you will end up wiser, and the process will be worthwhile.
 
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Had plenty of doubts myself. Just stopped worrying about being good enough to make money. That's many years away. Replace your doubt with a knowing patience that you need time to grow.

Also, Get your first few scripts written and out of the way. You'll write much better stuff down the road, so it's best not to obsess too long on one thing.
 
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Everyone gets that. There are whole books about the subject. Just trudge through, then put it away for a week or 2. re-read and if you still don't like some of it, fix it in the re-write.
 
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Hi Matt,
I would say that your self doubt is actually a good thing. It shows you are being critical about your work. I'm going to quote one of my favorite screenwriting legends - Billy Wilder http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000697/bio
"If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act."
I always notice if the first act doesn't set up the entire movie, the last act will fall flat.
Just an idea, you may want to outline the story in a "linear" strait forward - beginning middle and end fashion then go back and create the non-linear story line. I hope that helps. Best of luck!
 
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