• The Test

  Filed under Screenwriting
  Feb 4

  Now comes the true test of “be wrong as fast as you can,” the Pixar approach to first drafts.

  I’ve been working on a new screenplay, trying to incorporate this principle because it’s one of my writing goals for 2010. It’s gone well so far – I wrote 22 pages in two days. Actually, a bit more, because I initially experimented with the “haiku” style of action text used by Walter Hill and in WALL*E, but ultimately decided to go back to the more common style, which entailed some rewrites.

  For the first time, I’ve hit some scenes this morning that just feel really unsound. I’m sure those earlier 22 pages have plenty of problems in execution, too, but these scenes just feel exceptionally weak.

  Normally, this would be the point where I stop and try to figure out what’s wrong – a process that could take days or even a couple of weeks. But the point of “be wrong as fast as you can” is to silence that inner critic and just keep pushing forward – writing the best you can, but not agonizing over the scenes or going back to rewrite Act I four times. Just get a complete draft, and then see what needs fixing.

  So, here’s the test. Knowing what needs to happen in these scenes, and what comes next in the story, can I just plow ahead and get the best version I can at the moment down on paper, and keep writing?

  Let’s find out.

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  Tagged as: my projects, screenwriting 101
  
  1 Comment

One Response to “The Test”

1. 

   Patrick Sweeney said on February 4th, 2010 at 11:59 am

   And … over the hump. Not the best scenes I’ve ever written, but possibly not as stinkeroo as I feared. Onward.

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