Last week, I wrote about how the first draft is an important foundation to refine and sculpt during rewrites. As I finished the first draft of my short Nick Murphy’s Last Broadcast this week, the notion that writing is rewriting echoed constantly in my mind. Even as I typed ‘THE END’, I was thinking about the script’s flaws; dodgy structure, overuse of dialogue, an ending I’m not entirely satisfied with. Sometimes, it’s hard to feel satisfied with a script because you can only think of what needs to be improved.
Still, that feeling of anxiousness can lead to the best work. I’m not suggesting you become a Kubrick-style perfectionist, writing hundreds of drafts and torturing yourself and others in order to create great art. However, writers who put real thought and consideration into every line of their script will end up with no wasted dialogue, a solid-as-oak structure, and a story that grips and surprises. It’s painful and frustrating, but when you end up with a script that you can be proud of, it’s (just about) worth it.
-Harry Ford
Harry Ford - Comedian 