The idea has been formed, the formatting has been learned and the details of the story have been fleshed out. Now it’s time to write! First drafts can be intimidating, but it’s important to remember that a first draft isn’t supposed to be a perfect draft.
Rewrites and revisions will happen, so Writers should give themselves space to make peace with wonky dialogue or ineloquent action lines. They can always come back to those areas and edit. What’s most important is just finishing the initial screenplay writing process.
Writing a vomit draft may sound like a rather crude process, but the sentiment behind the term is simply to get out the story onto paper or the computer screen.5
Too much hesitation or second-guessing the first time around can cripple the goal of completing the screenplay, so just let it all out! Says Shatto on what she does to get out that first draft, “I set a time limit. Then I sit down and pound the whole thing out in a few hours. It helps me keep moving forward without getting caught up in the details.”
Screenwriter Jenn Monteagudo agrees: “Writing is easier when you’re against the clock because it’s a reminder that this (mostly) painful process will soon end. So I just write.
Without judgment, without editing, not worrying if my characters sound like grunting Neanderthals and act like squirrels with brain damage. If a scene bogs me down, I skip it. That tough scene becomes easier when the other scenes around it are built up.”
Can you write your own screenplay?
Anna Keizer (CareersInFilm)
Yes, you can. But more importantly, yes, you should!
If you have aspirations to be a Screenwriter, there’s no getting around writing your own screenplays. That’s the job. But even if screenplay writing isn’t your primary objective in the entertainment industry, it can still prove extremely valuable to understand this craft.
Directors need samples of their work. Cinematographers need samples of their work. Editors need samples of their work. You get the point. If you can write a script and get that short or indie film made as both the Screenwriter and Director (or Cinematographer or Editor) on it, it can go a long way towards showing others your talent and skillsets.