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Happy screenwriting! Well, if you're like most writers you aren't really happy until you've finished your script and it's ready to send out to an agent or producer who will like it.
Which leads me to today's column. Simply, don't send it out unless you've done a few drafts. How many? As many as it needs? How many does it need? Hard to say. That's why you need feedback. If you're in a class or in a writers group or if you have a couple of people who know how to read a screenplay and aren't afraid to be honest you might need to do three-to-five drafts. But don't panic. These aren't necessarily complete rewrites. Maybe just tweaking here and there or fixing a sub plot or making the third Act more exciting.
That's what frightens many new screenwriters. Rewriting.
Maybe it should frighten you. Because no matter how many drafts you do before it's sent to an agent or producer, if you're lucky enough to get a deal--even without being paid any money up front--you'll do more rewrites.
And when you get a paying deal, especially if it's six figures, you'll be spending a lot of time rewriting. They bought it. They own it. They have the right to turn it into the movie they want to make. And since you've just cashed a $350,000 check you'd better be prepared to do those revisions.
If you don't, they'll replace you and hire someone who will.
So don't be threatened by rewriting. Learn to like it.
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