FJ and G
I read somewhere that a very famous screenwriter always pitched the first draft of his screenplay in the trash. :eek
I personally could never pitch a script into the trash.
The first point the author was trying to make is to "kill your darlings" unless they are crucial to the story you are trying to tell.
The second point was to finish your first draft, with all of the flaws in it. Don't stop until you are done. Plenty of time later to clean it up.
Why?
Speaking from personal experience, I have been trying to collaborate with another aspiring screenwriter on a bodybuilding type script, sort of a mixture of Pi and Fight Club.
Well, he had grandiose ideas and went deep into research. We both attended bodybuilding meets. In fact, he became so overly engrossed in research that he eventually gave up on the script.
Of course I dumped him as a collaborator and the script idea is in storage for now.
3 step lesson learned:
1. Write the script and pitch your collaborator if you must.
2. Pitch your babies
3. Pitch your script to the agent, producer, or whomever you must.
Hmmmm. Would you say that "pitch" might be one of them thar oxymorons?
I personally could never pitch a script into the trash.
The first point the author was trying to make is to "kill your darlings" unless they are crucial to the story you are trying to tell.
The second point was to finish your first draft, with all of the flaws in it. Don't stop until you are done. Plenty of time later to clean it up.
Why?
Speaking from personal experience, I have been trying to collaborate with another aspiring screenwriter on a bodybuilding type script, sort of a mixture of Pi and Fight Club.
Well, he had grandiose ideas and went deep into research. We both attended bodybuilding meets. In fact, he became so overly engrossed in research that he eventually gave up on the script.
Of course I dumped him as a collaborator and the script idea is in storage for now.
3 step lesson learned:
1. Write the script and pitch your collaborator if you must.
2. Pitch your babies
3. Pitch your script to the agent, producer, or whomever you must.
Hmmmm. Would you say that "pitch" might be one of them thar oxymorons?