Reader Question: What are some key things to look for when rewriting a first draft?

Question from Sean:

Hi Scott!

I’ve recently finished a first draft of a script I’m working on (which came in at 118 pages — all hail pre-planning!) and I’m about to post it up on both GITS Club and OTT Films for critique.

While that’s going on, I was wondering if you had, say, five quick tips for a second draft.

Are there specific things to look for? I remember you saying that a first draft was a getting-it-down-on-paper and discovering-what-the-story-was-about exercise, so I wondered if there were similar points to follow for the second draft.

I did look at the reader question list, but couldn’t see anything about re-writes (although it’s quite possible I missed something).

Also, is it bad to read your first draft (after leaving it for a month) and really like it? I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I do really like it. To be honest, this worries me!

Great question, especially because the mantra “writing is rewriting” is generally accepted as a universal truth.

First, you already did one smart thing: You gave yourself a break between finishing your first draft and reading it again (2–4 weeks is a good time frame). You need that time to allow yourself to develop a fresh set of eyes by getting some distance from the material.

When you’re ready, give it a read like any script reader would. Go straight through it to get an overall sense of the story’s pace, tone, feel, and flow.

Then go back through the script again, only this time making notes in the margin — small items, big items, jot them all down.

The goal is to come up with a rewriting agenda with detailed goals. Much of that comes from asking some of the macro questions you asked when you were prepping the story. Did you hit the mark on each of them? The primary areas of focus: fixes, polish, and amplification.

Then put together a revised beat sheet or outline. That can include new scenes, plot and character alterations.

Spend a lot of time on the first ten pages: introducing characters, setting the tone, creating a pact with the reader.

Go through each scene to see if they work. Then each sequence. Then each act.

Do a dialogue review. I like to print out all the dialogue for each character, then read them through aloud to see if their voice is coming through.

Finally focus on the third act to make sure it provides a satisfying resolution to the story.

These are many of the steps we use in the Screenwriting Master Class course “Pages II: Revising Your Script.” Tom Benedek is currently teaching a 10-week session of that course. I’ll be teaching the next session (March 21-May 29, 2011). What’s great about that course is it provides a structured process to help the writer through their rewrite with weekly feedback from the instructor and other writers in the class.

Rewriting is hard work, but an absolutely essential skill-set for anyone hoping to be a professional screenwriter. Not only to rework your own scripts, but if you go up for writing assignments, you need to be able to use these analytical abilities to identify problems in screenplays and pitch how you would fix those problems in order to land the writing gig.

Any other rewriting advice you may have, please post in comments.

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