This is great advice. I've repeatedly spent so much time outlining, thinking that it will save me time on rewrites. In the end, I've spent just as much time or MORE and written just as many words trying to figure out my outline. You can do all of that by just writing the first draft. They shouldn't even really call it a draft. It's an exploration that then gets rewritten into a draft.
Haven written 2 feature screenplays in 2020 that was comprised of two drafts of 1 and a first draft of another which in turn, I wrote it 4 days. This is 100% correct information. Like Ernest Hemingway said, "The first draft of anything is shit" so why take time writing shit over a year(s) when you could write that in less time and work that shit into something that's a gem. Practice makes perfect.
One huge thing that writers have a hard time proving is that they are writers, at all. A person who pumps out 20 scripts has 20 opportunities to sell a script, but more than that, they could get a JOB. You have proven that you are a writer-not just a person with their one dream idea. A person who writes A script, might have a better script than the average script in the pile of 20, but if the person who happens to read that one isn’t looking for that genre or doesn’t like it, will stop immediately and ask what else you have. No buy. Certainly no job.
Also, finishing first drafts is a very difficult and very important skill. I would almost recommend finishing 20 first drafts-THEN go back to the first script and write its second draft, etc, etc. You will have learned SO much across all those single drafts.
Great ep! This advice also applies to a lot of things in life. I see myself waiting to do something only when I'm perfect at it, then I never practice and I'm never even good at it, bc I'm terrified of starting something I already don't master.
This video restates what I have learned from a variety of sources - Leadership, Novel-writing, Sports, Time Management - the list goes on. Consistency and Repetition - those most UN-glamorous attributes - are the keys to success in any endeavor. GRAND SLAM HOME RUN, TYLER.
we all have writer's block and that is normal. Hope you guys push through and finish your scripts! I can't wait to hear new Podcasters during my commute to school.
just got off my first draft and got to searching this youtube video lmao... but I do see how true all of this is. In my case, my biggest problem I thought was how bad I was with English but if anyone's first draft is crap then it's not a language problem. I just learned something.
This should be very obvious. I knew this is what you were thinking when you did the whole 48 hr first draft challenge. I was a professional artist/painter for 11 years. I studied privately with a "famous" portrait artist who got paid hundreds of thousands per portrait. These were highly skilled realistic paintings too, btw. Tons of art and craft. His paintings had a very high degree of finish to them. You know how he taught painting? Tons and tons and tons of starts. Just the first 20-60 minutes, see if everything is laid in correctly with the correct relationships. Finishing just became a matter of refining those relationships more and more. But if the initial lay-in wasn't there, no amount of tinkering would fix it. And in his mind, you couldn't get to that level without first doing thousands of starts. I do know other great painters who would spend more time on the lay-in, who weren't as focused with pumping out tons of starts. But they still weren't focused on this "one" painting being their magnum opus. And they still had students do a lot of starts, even if they weren't as nuts about it as the famous portrait artist I knew. To contrast, I knew a guy who had some natural level of talent but no real training. He locked himself in his apartment for a few years and worked on this one painting all the time. He barely did anything else. He had his parent's financial support. He wanted to make the greatest painting in the world. He emerged from his apartment two years later with a very large mediocre painting.
Get Practical Tools to Write Your Great Screenplay: www.practicalscreenwriting.com
This is great advice.
I've repeatedly spent so much time outlining, thinking that it will save me time on rewrites. In the end, I've spent just as much time or MORE and written just as many words trying to figure out my outline.
You can do all of that by just writing the first draft. They shouldn't even really call it a draft. It's an exploration that then gets rewritten into a draft.
Haven written 2 feature screenplays in 2020 that was comprised of two drafts of 1 and a first draft of another which in turn, I wrote it 4 days. This is 100% correct information. Like Ernest Hemingway said, "The first draft of anything is shit" so why take time writing shit over a year(s) when you could write that in less time and work that shit into something that's a gem. Practice makes perfect.
I second this.
One huge thing that writers have a hard time proving is that they are writers, at all.
A person who pumps out 20 scripts has 20 opportunities to sell a script, but more than that, they could get a JOB. You have proven that you are a writer-not just a person with their one dream idea.
A person who writes A script, might have a better script than the average script in the pile of 20, but if the person who happens to read that one isn’t looking for that genre or doesn’t like it, will stop immediately and ask what else you have. No buy. Certainly no job.
Also, finishing first drafts is a very difficult and very important skill. I would almost recommend finishing 20 first drafts-THEN go back to the first script and write its second draft, etc, etc. You will have learned SO much across all those single drafts.
Great ep! This advice also applies to a lot of things in life. I see myself waiting to do something only when I'm perfect at it, then I never practice and I'm never even good at it, bc I'm terrified of starting something I already don't master.
Tyler you have read my mind man I can’t finish my script I’m writing right now I thank you
This video restates what I have learned from a variety of sources - Leadership, Novel-writing, Sports, Time Management - the list goes on. Consistency and Repetition - those most UN-glamorous attributes - are the keys to success in any endeavor. GRAND SLAM HOME RUN, TYLER.
we all have writer's block and that is normal. Hope you guys push through and finish your scripts! I can't wait to hear new Podcasters during my commute to school.
Preach
Truer words have never been spoken! Thank you ... needed that kick in the butt 🙂
Great advice!
This is a live coach of writing :)
Thanks Tyler!! I'm always grateful for a swift kick in the tenacity!!! 💯
You very expertly argued your case for volume writing as a newbie. Well done.
just got off my first draft and got to searching this youtube video lmao... but I do see how true all of this is. In my case, my biggest problem I thought was how bad I was with English but if anyone's first draft is crap then it's not a language problem. I just learned something.
Fully support and appreciate all you said here.
Also, I want that bookshelf
LMAO the impression he did killed me
This should be very obvious. I knew this is what you were thinking when you did the whole 48 hr first draft challenge.
I was a professional artist/painter for 11 years. I studied privately with a "famous" portrait artist who got paid hundreds of thousands per portrait. These were highly skilled realistic paintings too, btw. Tons of art and craft. His paintings had a very high degree of finish to them.
You know how he taught painting? Tons and tons and tons of starts. Just the first 20-60 minutes, see if everything is laid in correctly with the correct relationships. Finishing just became a matter of refining those relationships more and more. But if the initial lay-in wasn't there, no amount of tinkering would fix it. And in his mind, you couldn't get to that level without first doing thousands of starts.
I do know other great painters who would spend more time on the lay-in, who weren't as focused with pumping out tons of starts. But they still weren't focused on this "one" painting being their magnum opus. And they still had students do a lot of starts, even if they weren't as nuts about it as the famous portrait artist I knew.
To contrast, I knew a guy who had some natural level of talent but no real training. He locked himself in his apartment for a few years and worked on this one painting all the time. He barely did anything else. He had his parent's financial support. He wanted to make the greatest painting in the world.
He emerged from his apartment two years later with a very large mediocre painting.
Man... I have something to say...