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For many years, I counted several pharmaceutical companies among my corporate clients. They used to talk about "drugs in the pipeline." These were new compounds in various stages of research or clinical trials. They recognized many would not make it to the marketplace-but that their future was tied to those few that did.
On a smaller scale, it's that way for scriptwriters. The more projects you have in the pipeline in various stages of completion, the more productive you'll be.
Finished scripts can be marketed, entered in contests or sent out for coverage. Another work may be in the revision or polishing stage-which calls on different writing "muscles" than when you're developing a story, characters or beat outline. And writing a first draft carries its own challenges. During a day of writing, fatigue may set in. Sometimes it's more productive to move from one writing mode to another, staying fresh and engaged.
There's another benefit to having several scripts in the pipeline. When you're blocked on some aspect of a script-it's good to have something else to focus on. Often, writer's block is a sign there's a problem with the script. You may know what the problem is but don't have a solution. Other times-you may not even know the problem's source.
Putting a script on "gestate" for awhile gives your subconscious mind an opportunity to work it over. After a period of time-the solution to your writer's block may come spontaneously. It's one of the mysteries of the creative process.
Likewise, it's useful to set a draft script aside before beginning revisions. The time away provides the objectivity necessary for rewriting. While that script's in the desk drawer, you should be working on the next.
Successful writers rarely sell the first script they pen. Often, it's the sixth, seventh or tenth script that meets with success. It's easier to deal with the inevitable rejection when you have enthusiasm for the next script. So fill your pipeline and keep it working for you.
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