10 Steps to be the BEST Redrafter in the World
So, you’ve written a script. Well done, but you’re not done. With any luck, the only time you’ll ever truly be ‘done’ is when someone prises the script from your hands and puts in front of an audience. But you’re not there yet. No, you’ve just put that final full stop on your draft and you’re glad the whole thing is over. You’re proud. You can’t believe you’ve written something so perfect on your first go!
Give it a couple of days. Read it again. Yeah, not the magnum opus you were expecting, is it?
Not to worry, though, it’s all part of the process. If it’s your first draft, it’s meant to be rubbish. If it’s your second draft, it’s meant to be clunky. If it’s your third or more, then you probably shouldn’t be reading this article, you should be getting on with your n’th redraft.
This article is based on the way I was taught to redraft a screenplay, and it’s one I’ve implemented on every script I’ve written. That said, redrafting is a process that’s as personal as the writing itself. Some of these steps will be more important to you than others, and some may be completely irrelevant. Still, it’s better to know them and not need them than to not know them and struggle.
Redrafting is essentially the practice of completely tearing your work apart, doing a big dump on it, throwing it in the bin, and trying to remember what the hell made you pick up that pen in the first place. Nothing is safe. This ten-step guide will take you from a terrified newbie with imposter syndrome into a confident and inspired writer ready to take on their next challenge.
STEP 01 – Read What You’ve Written
Those who do not read cannot write, and those who do not read what they have written will never write anything worthy of note. It may seem a little harsh, but it’s true. Exposure is a form of education, and the only way you’ll improve your script is by exposing yourself to what it really is.
At this point, there should have been a few days between finishing the script and picking it up to read. If that doesn’t feel like long enough, then take a longer break. The main thing is not to read it immediately. If you don’t put distance between yourself and the script you’ll never see what’s wrong with it. You’ll be too wrapped up in patting yourself on the back for that well-observed bit of dialogue to see that it’s in a scene that undermines the theme you’re trying to portray.
When you do read the script, do it in as close to one sitting as you can. I’m not going to patronise you by proclaiming the importance of doing it in one sitting. Just do it in as few as you can so you can really appreciate what’s there. The other thing to do is to take no distractions with you. No pen. No paper. No keyboard. Just you and the text. Maybe light a candle? Really make a moment of it. Once you’re done, go have a little cry. Yes, it probably is as bad as you think. Take time with that, then move on to step 02.
STEP 02 – Read What You’ve Written (The Sequel)
Those who do not read cannot write, and those who do not read what they have written will never write anything worthy of note. Sound familiar? Well, it should. Now you’ve sat with your script for a while, it’s time to go over it again.
This time, you need to bring a notepad, a laptop, highlighters, or whatever you need to make notes. Graffiti the thing, scribble all over it. What works? What doesn’t? Remember, THIS IS NOT A LINE EDIT. Yes, the thing is probably littered with typos, but you’re about to completely rebuild this story from the ground up so avoid correcting the little things if you can. What you’re looking out for here is character inconsistencies, pacing issues, and major story issues. It’s okay to make some positive notes about dialogue you like and beats you enjoy, but don’t act as if you’re enshrining them in the eternity of your final draft.
When you’re done with this step, the despair you felt after your first read should have subsided somewhat. Yes, the task ahead of you probably feels daunting, but at least you now have a task. Here’s what’s wrong with the script, now for the job of fixing it.
That said, don’t give in to temptation and jump straight into your next draft. The next step is one of the most important.
STEP 03 – Bin the Draft
That’s right, get rid of it. Those notes you made? Get rid. The doodled draft? Burn it in a fire. Don’t actually destroy it if you don’t want to, though. The point is to put it out of your mind completely. You know what the issues are, it’s best not to use the reminder of your failings as the foundation of your next draft.
Instead, you should translate those issues into something more productive and build your next draft on that.
STEP 04 – Getting Back to Basics
One of the most difficult parts of the writing process for me is going back to the beginning when I'm already halfway through the job. Every time I haven’t, though, I’ve failed.
Most scripts (not all) will have something called a ‘story bible’. It could be as short as a few pages or 100x the size of the final script. It contains everything. Premise, outlines, storylines, character biographies, research and lore, it’s all stored in the Bible. Since your first draft, it’s also now probably wrong. So, using the notes you’ve made, go back and change the ‘bible’.
Take your time here. Seriously consider the changes you need to make to character biographies, storylines, the medium itself.
This is also the time to play. What if your script was actually for radio? Theatre? The big screen? A finished bible is a document that enshrines everything your script is or will be. An unfinished Bible is a playground. Making major changes here can be done on a random afternoon over a coffee with no consequences if it goes wrong. Doing the same thing while writing the script is a bit harder to correct.
Once you’re done playing, move on to step 05
STEP 05 – Polishing the Turd
Like a nursery after closing time, your once perfect bible is probably an absolute mess. Evidence of time well-spent. Now it’s time to get your affairs back in order. Organise your bible into a lovely neat document that any prospective producer could pick up and understand what it is you’re pitching.
There are plenty of handy guides out there on how to consolidate a bible, pitch-deck, or story treatment, and I’d recommend watching all of them. I’d then seriously advise ignoring them. When pitching ‘I Have Sinned’, my one-person show, my only pitch material is a Catholic High School order of service with hymns that have been replaced with slutty queer anthems. You’ll know how to make your bible, but its best to know what one is before you decide not to make one.
The point of step 05 is to make sure your house is in order before undertaking any actual writing work.
STEP 06 – Chart the Course
Nope, sorry, you’re only just over half way there. Most scriptwriters know what the next step is: outlining.
Your treatment document probably has every step of your story laid out, but it’s probably divided into A, B, and C storylines, character beats, and potential lines of dialogue. Now is the time to put everything into the order you want it to be seen / heard. This should be mostly prosaic. Bullet points aren’t illegal, but they’re visually interesting and you’re trying to make sure the material is engaging enough without pizazz right now.
Once you’ve written your outline(s), read it over. Does it flow well? Are the characters well-realised? Take this time to iron out any kinks here because the next step is going to be the point of no return.
STEP 07 – Scene It
David Lynch, John August, and let’s be fair most prolific screenwriters swear by the index card method of writing a scene-by-scene synopsis. If you want to see how prolific writers undertake this step, I’d recommend the Academy’s YouTube series, Creative Sparks.
This is the first time you’ll start to get a real picture of how your script will look. A predominantly screen-based activity, there’s a lot that writers of other mediums can take away from the practice.
I personally prefer to use Final Drafts inbuilt beat sheet tool, as I can scale a scene to the page length I’d prefer, but you can easily scribble that same information on an index card.
To write a scene index card, you simply write a scene heading on a card, and chart the physical action of the scene below. It’s important not to include any dialogue on these cards if you’re writing for screen. Screen is a visual medium. Great dialogue is wonderful for an actor, but a cinematographer, editor, composer, and a whole film crew will be working on this one day. Make their job as exciting as the actors, and remember that audiences hear louder with their eyes than with their ears.
STEP 08 – Ignore Step 07
Okay, fine. You can write some dialogue. Yes, Aaron Sorkin is one of the best writers out there, but you’re not him. If you are, then you’ll fail. Aaron Sorkin already exists, and you should be more focused on being yourself.
If you are going to add dialogue to your scene-by-scene, just make sure it’s absolutely essential. Some good examples would be things like the ‘hello’ in Heartstopper, where a simple word becomes a recurring motif. If, however, you’re finding you can’t get through a single scene without charting it out with dialogue, you may want to consider whether you’re actually writing for screen, or whether your script would be better placed on stage or radio. If you’re writing a play and using this technique, however, then crack on!
STEP 09 – Read What You’ve Written (A Trilogy)
Those who do not read cannot write, and those who do not read what they have written will never write anything worthy of note. Last time, I promise.
You’ve done a lot of work to get this far, and if you’ve followed each step properly, these final steps should be an absolute walk in the park.
Now you have a full scene-by-scene outline, you can read your script. Can you see it? You should be able to. Does each scene excite you? Do the turning points surprise you? Does that final act climax make you cry like you’re watching a Pixar film? It does? Good!
At last, you can do what you hoped I’d tell you to do six steps ago.
STEP 10 – Go Write the Damn Thing
Don’t just sit there, ride this high! Put fingers to keyboard. Get Final Draft open, or whatever writing software you use. You’ve done most of the heavy lifting already, you’re mostly just writing dialogue at this point.
Wow, you’ve done it! You’ve rewritten a script! Well done! Give yourself a pat on the back. Go tell the internet. You’ve done it. Achieved the unachievable. You’ve reached the final step 10 on this 11 step program!
Wait, 11 steps?
SECRET STEP 11 – Please Refer to Step 01
So, you’ve written a script. Well done, but you’re not done. With any luck, the only time you’ll ever truly be ‘done’ is when someone prises the script from your hands and puts in front of an audience. But you’re not there yet. No, you’ve just put that final full stop on your draft and you’re glad the whole thing is over. You’re proud. You can’t believe you’ve written something so perfect on your first go!
Give it a couple of days. Read it again. Yeah, not the magnum opus you were expecting, is it?
If only there was a process you could follow to help you through this dark time!
See you back at step 01!
