How long do you sit to write a sentence/page/130 page script?
How many hours/days?
I find this most interesting.
Maybe you took a break for a month and finished your work later, but just guess.
Me, I’m very fast. But I would gladly trade much of the quantity for more quality.
A lifetime!!! I ain’t finishing shit till its all perfect in my mind, maybe they will find them when I’m dead.
First draft is about 5 to 6 months. I’m a compulsive rewriter so it can take me up to a year to finish something I like.
For me, there is no set, or even average, time frame.
I’ve done work I was proud of in two weeks, or less.
Other times it has taken me months and months to come up with something decent.
I have even worked on some things for up to 2 years before reaching satisfactory results.
Hell, there have even been a few times that I wrote some fair material in just two days.
That’s cool. I wish I could do that. Do you find that during the times it takes you say up to 2 years to write something that the material makes you dizzy after a while? Sometimes I have to put my work aside and then come back to it for a fresh perspective. As I get older I tend to lose confidence in what I create. I’m not as cocky as I used to be!
[quote=“ChrisCasey”]
For me, there is no set, or even average, time frame.
I’ve done work I was proud of in two weeks, or less.
Other times it has taken me months and months to come up with something decent.
I have even worked on some things for up to 2 years before reaching satisfactory results.
Hell, there have even been a few times that I wrote some fair material in just two days.
[/quote]
[quote=“LadySnow”]
That’s cool. I wish I could do that. Do you find that during the times it takes you say up to 2 years to write something that the material makes you dizzy after a while? Sometimes I have to put my work aside and then come back to it for a fresh perspective. As I get older I tend to lose confidence in what I create. I’m not as cocky as I used to be!
[/quote]
Oh yeah! Sometimes when I’ve been working intently on something for a lengthy period… it all just becomes a dizzying blur and I have to walk away from it altogether. That is why it has taken me up to 2 years to complete some stuff.
When the material becomes murky in your own mind, or creates that dizzy feeling, there is really nothing better than to put it aside and come back to it later for, as you say, a fresh perspective. That is the smartest move!
i once wrote a script for a 22 minute Sitcom episode, which was deemed “creatively and intelligently written” by a Sitcom script consultant. There were issues with plotting and characterisation, though. I wrote it in like 8 hours, maybe less.
Recently, I wrote a 90 page movie script in 7 days, which again feels too fast to me.
It’s a road movie, which means more freedom. Plus, the plot is simple and linear.
Now the character’s dialogue, I just wrote it the way it felt natural, and never thought long “what are they gonna say”, and afterwards hardly ever changed a line or added/deleted stuff.
No re-write feels neccesary to me, either. I did add scenes and delete some superflous dialogue, but that’s it.
Strangely enough, I’m satisfied with the final product. But I feel it could be more.
HOW do you trade speed and quantity for more quality? now there’s a tough one.
It took me 2 and half months to write the outline, character bios, and the 187 pages, right now I’m rewriting it/cutting. Although I only wrote two days a week and each day I wrote for two or so hours.
90 pages in 7 days is pretty impressive. For me to do that I’d have to do nothing but write those seven days.
I’m slow as all hell. My main problem is always trying to word things perfectly in the
rough draft. When I get stuck on a line I tend to re-word it in my head over and over
eventually losing my train of thought and not writing anything at all.
[quote=“Crazy_Hattori”]
i once wrote a script for a 22 minute Sitcom episode, which was deemed “creatively and intelligently written” by a Sitcom script consultant. There were issues with plotting and characterisation, though. I wrote it in like 8 hours, maybe less.
Recently, I wrote a 90 page movie script in 7 days, which again feels too fast to me.
It’s a road movie, which means more freedom. Plus, the plot is simple and linear.
Now the character’s dialogue, I just wrote it the way it felt natural, and never thought long “what are they gonna say”, and afterwards hardly ever changed a line or added/deleted stuff.
No re-write feels neccesary to me, either. I did add scenes and delete some superflous dialogue, but that’s it.
Strangely enough, I’m satisfied with the final product. But I feel it could be more.
HOW do you trade speed and quantity for more quality? now there’s a tough one.
[/quote]
I could write a movie in about an hour…but it would be a porno movie script. There wouldn’t be much dialogue. Just a lot of gags and moans. I can’t help it.
A good long while. unless I’m on a roll. Then about 2 months or so to get it out and about a month or so to go over it. I’m still working on perfecting my main script. It’s been about 2yrs. I’m lazy, letting life get in the way of work.
Some people do better writing fast without compensating quality.
Most books on script writing, or almost any writing for that matter, argue you should compose draft after draft. I think that sometimes too much rewriting can make the dialogue sound wooden.
On the other hand, rewriting can really help the author fix continuity gaps or, in script writing, lesson the amount of excessive dialogue.
Just stick with what works for you! Have you ever had anything turned into a show, movie, or book?
[quote=“Crazy_Hattori”]
i once wrote a script for a 22 minute Sitcom episode, which was deemed “creatively and intelligently written” by a Sitcom script consultant. There were issues with plotting and characterisation, though. I wrote it in like 8 hours, maybe less.
Recently, I wrote a 90 page movie script in 7 days, which again feels too fast to me.
It’s a road movie, which means more freedom. Plus, the plot is simple and linear.
Now the character’s dialogue, I just wrote it the way it felt natural, and never thought long “what are they gonna say”, and afterwards hardly ever changed a line or added/deleted stuff.
No re-write feels neccesary to me, either. I did add scenes and delete some superflous dialogue, but that’s it.
Strangely enough, I’m satisfied with the final product. But I feel it could be more.
HOW do you trade speed and quantity for more quality? now there’s a tough one.
[/quote]
[quote=“LadySnow”]
First draft is about 5 to 6 months. I’m a compulsive rewriter so it can take me up to a year to finish something I like.
[/quote]
Can I see some of your work? Please…I won’t show it around
[quote=“LadySnow”]
Some people do better writing fast without compensating quality.
Most books on script writing, or almost any writing for that matter, argue you should compose draft after draft. I think that sometimes too much rewriting can make the dialogue sound wooden.
On the other hand, rewriting can really help the author fix continuity gaps or, in script writing, lesson the amount of excessive dialogue.
Just stick with what works for you! Have you ever had anything turned into a show, movie, or book?
[/quote]
I have never sent any of my stuff anyhwere except some of my Sitcom stuff, that I sent to a script consultant and was read by several friends. The market here for scipts in Austria is terrible to say the least.
Try America. We love Aussies! Except for Mel Gibson…he’s bat shit crazy!
[quote=“Crazy_Hattori”]
I have never sent any of my stuff anyhwere except some of my Sitcom stuff, that I sent to a script consultant and was read by several friends. The market here for scipts in Austria is terrible to say the least.
[/quote]
heh ;D yeah I know you like Aussies, but do you like Austrians? Besides Schwarzenegger? 
It took me seven seconds to write this post
[quote=“Kilgore Trout”]
It took me seven seconds to write this post
[/quote]
That’s not the only thing that takes you 7 seconds is it? ;D
Yasujiro Ozu used to measure script progress by how many bottles of sake his co-writer and him had drunk.
I should write faster. but I let things get in the way. A few months is all it really should take for first draft. I’d say a solid year for final draft. without shit getting in the way.
Right now, I’m mulling around ideas in my head. when it’s worked out, I’ll write. not ready yet.