Rewriting Your Script, Part 8: Revision Outline
Since dozens of writers used Go On Your Own Quest to pound out a first draft of their original screenplay, I decided to start off the New Year with a week-long series on rewriting, to honor their commitment and effort, and to encourage them [and everyone else] on their creative journey.
We’ve all heard the adage, “Writing is rewriting,” right? Perhaps nowhere is that more true than screenwriting. Aspiring screenwriters know this because of the number of drafts they go through to whip their script into readable shape. Professional screenwriters understand this because of the multiple drafts they do on any project, whether on spec or assignment.
Rewriting is just the nature of the screenwriting beast.
But that begs the question: How? What are some keys to the rewriting process? Instead of wandering around in the dark not knowing if you’re improving the story or not, is there a coherent approach to rewriting your scripts?
First off, the same thing applies to rewriting as to writing: There is no right way to write. There is no right way to rewrite. Every writer is different. Every story is different. And every rewrite is different.
That said, this week I will lay out some keys to the process. If they help you, great. Use them with my blessing. If they don’t help you, feel free to chuck them.
Part 8: Revision Outline
Thus far in the rewrite process, you have done the following:
- A Clean Read: You have gone through your script page by page, line by line, highlighting areas you think work and those that need work.
- Character and Theme: You aggregated a list of all your story’s characters and themes, then analyzed each of them in relation to the overall story.
- Structure and Pace: You created a Scene-By-Scene Breakdown to give you a visual perspective on your script’s structure [Plotline & Themeline] and its pace [scene to scene, transitions].
Now you are ready for the final step in preparation for your rewrite: Revision Outline.
I’m not going to wade into any suggestions in terms of structural paradigms. Whatever screenwriting guru or personal approach to which you subscribe, great. Use that as a way of wrangling your outline into shape.
One area I will emphasize is this: Subplots.
The key to subplots is to track the relationships between Primary characters and Secondary characters, especially those who intersect with the Protagonist.
Here are some examples of subplots in movies:
The Wizard of Oz
Plotline: Dorothy travels to Oz and seeks to return home to Kansas.
Subplots:
- Dorothy’s relationship with Hunk (Scarecrow), Hickory (Tin Man), and Zeke (Cowardly Lion)
- Dorothy’s relationship with Auntie Em
- Dorothy’s relationship with Miss Gulch (Wicked Witch of the West)
- Dorothy’s relationship with Professor Marvel (Wizard of Oz)
The Apartment
Plotline: Baxter pursues career advancement by allowing co-workers to use his apartment for their romantic trysts.
Subplots:
- Baxter’s relationship with Dobisch, Kirkeby, Eichelberger, and Vanderhoff
- Baxter’s relationship with Fran Kubelik
- Baxter’s relationship with Dr. Dreyfus
- Fran’s relationship with Sheldrake
- Sheldrake’s relationship with his wife
- Miss Olsen’s story
- Fran’s brother-in-law Karl Matuschka’s story
The Dark Knight
Plotline: Batman versus Joker for the soul and safety of Gotham City.
Subplots:
- Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Rachel
- Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Harvey Dent
- Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Alfred
- Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Lucius
- Joker’s relationship with Harvey Dent
- Rachel’s relationship with Harvey Dent
- Batman’s relationship with Gordon
- Joker’s relationship with the local mob
- Lau’s story
- Coleman Reese’s story
Identify each of your story’s subplots. Make sure each has a Beginning, Middle and Ending arc. This does not mean the subplot only has three scenes — a subplot can have as many as 10 or even more scenes. Rather Beginning, Middle and Ending means there is a natural flow of the scenes in the subplot that advance its particular narrative.
Once you have figured out the B-M-E of each subplot, then you can work on cross-cutting between them in your Revision Outline.
Using your scene-by-scene breakdown as your starting point, you work and rework and rework some more your story. Me? I start from the beginning and ‘tell’ the story over and over until it flows one scene to the next. If something isn’t clicking, I work on that section of the story until it does work.
Bottom line: The Revision Outline should feel like a movie.
When it does, you are ready to start rewriting your script pages from FADE IN.
Bring the same energy and drive you did to pounding out your first draft because you know what? Your second draft is going to need rewriting as well. But if you’ve done your homework, you will be getting closer and closer to where your script needs to be.
This entire process from Clean Read to Revision Outline? You can do that for a third, fourth, whatever number of drafts.
Finally you are getting there, your script feels like it’s on its way. Time for the next step: The Polish. That is the subject of tomorrow’s post.
Part 7: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
FYI: Tom Benedek will be teaching the next session of Pages II: Rewriting Your Script through Screenwriting Master Class beginning February 18.
Be sure to check out the free Go On Your Own Quest Forum, an online writing community and extension of this blog.