Having some issues getting started with your rewrite? Don't worry. Here are a few tips - questions to ask - that should help you get going in the right direction.
1) Do you like your main character (hero/ine)? Is he/she original? Do they have a personality flaw that gets them in trouble over and over again?
2) Does your script have a solid baddie, situation or force that your hero/ine must go up against and conquer in order to fulfill his/her destiny?
3) How's your screenplay premise? Is your hero/ine's major problem big enough to hold a reader's attention for 110 pages?
4) Do you know what genre you're writing for? This is a good time to think about your brand and how you want to present yourself to the world. Make sure you pick the genre you love most and write a script that shows folks you understand that genre.
5) Does your screenplay story have a workable film structure? The main thing you want to have is a clear beginning, middle and end.**
**5.5) Now is the time to read the scripts to your favorite movies. Study the structure. Ask yourself, how did the writer make me care about his characters? At what pages in the script did something change for the hero/ine?
6) Do you know your screenplay's ending yet? In your first draft it doesn't matter if you know your ending. Now, though, I recommend you know exactly what will happen to your hero/ine at the end of the film. This will give you much more control over how you tell your story.
7) Is your hero/ine facing deeper and deeper conflict every ten to fifteen pages? Are you "raising the stakes?" The audience wants to SEE and FEEL your hero/ine suffer no matter what genre you're writing for. Trust me. You want to be downright cruel to your hero/ine so the audience (readers) will be hooked on your story.
8) Does your main subplot (some folks call this the "B-story") have a beginning, middle and an end?**
** 8.5) Subplots usually kick-in around the page 33 mark, but this is a very loose rule. Also, make sure your subplot intersects with your main storyline without taking over.
9) Supporting characters. They should help your hero/ine or baddie with their goals, and probably reinforce your story's theme in some way. Btw, too many supporting characters will make your screenplay confusing. Less is always more.
10) Theme. Your secret agenda. Do you know why you're writing your story? What lesson you hope the reader (the world) will learn and take away from your movie?
11) Dialogue. Is it good? Does it move the story forward? Does each character sound different? Is there subtext? Less is more, always!
12) Are you using your creative intuition? Do you trust your thoughts yet, even when some of the answers you come up with scare the crap out of you?**
**12.5) While rewriting, you have nothing to lose. Go for it! Don't be afraid of your own imagination. There's no such thing as too funny, too sexy, too violent, too gross, too anything.
Well, almost anything. You don't want to be too boring.
Cheers to a good rewrite!
-TB
1) Do you like your main character (hero/ine)? Is he/she original? Do they have a personality flaw that gets them in trouble over and over again?
2) Does your script have a solid baddie, situation or force that your hero/ine must go up against and conquer in order to fulfill his/her destiny?
3) How's your screenplay premise? Is your hero/ine's major problem big enough to hold a reader's attention for 110 pages?
4) Do you know what genre you're writing for? This is a good time to think about your brand and how you want to present yourself to the world. Make sure you pick the genre you love most and write a script that shows folks you understand that genre.
5) Does your screenplay story have a workable film structure? The main thing you want to have is a clear beginning, middle and end.**
**5.5) Now is the time to read the scripts to your favorite movies. Study the structure. Ask yourself, how did the writer make me care about his characters? At what pages in the script did something change for the hero/ine?
6) Do you know your screenplay's ending yet? In your first draft it doesn't matter if you know your ending. Now, though, I recommend you know exactly what will happen to your hero/ine at the end of the film. This will give you much more control over how you tell your story.
7) Is your hero/ine facing deeper and deeper conflict every ten to fifteen pages? Are you "raising the stakes?" The audience wants to SEE and FEEL your hero/ine suffer no matter what genre you're writing for. Trust me. You want to be downright cruel to your hero/ine so the audience (readers) will be hooked on your story.
8) Does your main subplot (some folks call this the "B-story") have a beginning, middle and an end?**
** 8.5) Subplots usually kick-in around the page 33 mark, but this is a very loose rule. Also, make sure your subplot intersects with your main storyline without taking over.
9) Supporting characters. They should help your hero/ine or baddie with their goals, and probably reinforce your story's theme in some way. Btw, too many supporting characters will make your screenplay confusing. Less is always more.
10) Theme. Your secret agenda. Do you know why you're writing your story? What lesson you hope the reader (the world) will learn and take away from your movie?
11) Dialogue. Is it good? Does it move the story forward? Does each character sound different? Is there subtext? Less is more, always!
12) Are you using your creative intuition? Do you trust your thoughts yet, even when some of the answers you come up with scare the crap out of you?**
**12.5) While rewriting, you have nothing to lose. Go for it! Don't be afraid of your own imagination. There's no such thing as too funny, too sexy, too violent, too gross, too anything.
Well, almost anything. You don't want to be too boring.
Cheers to a good rewrite!
-TB
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