Big Edit Energy
You know when you get notes that require your script to be cracked wide open? How in the world does one even begin?
This is Going to get Messy
You’ve been given notes, and they make some great suggestions, but also will require some major rewrites. You are excited about them, but how are you going to accomplish this all, while ensuring all threads are intact in the end?
You know your draft is about to be blown wide open.
This is a problem all writers have to deal with. It’s very uncomfortable, especially if your draft was in a decent place before the notes showed up. You know once you open the hood, you’re taking apart the engine!
But this is also exciting. You’re going to have a beautiful new draft by the time we’re done. Let’s start with the notes themselves.
I work in bullet points. I write out the notes in a bullet point list. Then, I read them all and highlight them in different colors to signify importance. This is crucial. Little line edits and polishes, such as unclear writing, is all last on the list. These things are needed, but we prioritize new writing before polishing.
Otherwise, I think of it like this:
Structure requiring shifting scenes, removing convoluted BS, or other major “spine surgery.”
Character work; arcs, emotional responses, following clear beats and outlining their purpose
General notes that require edits, but aren’t major. Scenes that need a little TLC.
Polish notes.
Bullet points are sexy, and you’ll never convince me otherwise. Look at them, ready to be tackled!
From there, it’s time to blow a hole in the writing.
I start with the big edits, because those impact everything, but before we do any rewriting, we need to ensure we know exactly what we need to keep. To do that, we need to know what the purpose of our scenes are.
The Autopsy
I use those sexy bullet points for this, too.
No writer likes throwing away scenes or ideas, but alas, we do what we must. Before I do, I go through the entire sequence and list each scene, and the purpose of that scene.
Walter White makes a video confession. This introduces his family and states exactly why he does what he does.
I would list all scenes in the sequence in a similar fashion. This is critical to my edit. I know if a scene needs to be re-contextualized, or cut entirely, exactly what key information I might lose.
Bonus: if your scenes aren’t conveying key information or moving the story, you know they can be cut completely!
Double Bonus: Your scenes should do more than one thing! If not, can you combine key information into another scene?
Now that I have an autopsy, it’s time to Frankenstein my notes together.
I add new points that tell me what I’m doing instead.
Walter White makes a video confession. This introduces his family and states exactly why he does what he does.
Walter White calls Skyler and confesses he became a meth dealer, then asks about their son. Skylar tells Walt he’s evil.
I don’t know why I’d be making this change, but whatever. Don’t think too hard on my random examples. I certainly don’t. But by doing this for all foundational notes, now my outline not only tells me exactly what scenes need to change, but what the new scenes will do differently.
Now for the character arcs. I do the same thing. I track their relationships through the beats so I can easily see how those beats progress. These might be small moments within a scene, they might be larger ones.
Now Edit Fearlessly
My best advice as you dive into the actual edit is this:
Don’t be precious about your current work.
Rewriting feels like such a big task, but you will improve everything by getting back at it with fresh eyes and stronger skills.
Don’t be afraid to rewrite full scenes, sequences, or acts. Hell, even as an exercise, I’ve found some TRULY AMAZING new takes that accomplished way more through this process.
Cut it all. You can create more. You’re great at this. Go at your scripts like a toddler to a birthday cake.
I still can’t shake the feeling I’m ruining things when I do this. I don’t fight this feeling. I remain confident at the same time that it will be better.
To combat the feeling, I pull the scenes onto a blank document where I can start ripping it apart and making a big mess of it, then I put it back together.
Then I put it all together in the main document. But we can’t move on just yet…
I need to know my scenes are cohesive, and the transitions between them make sense. So I read them out loud. The scene before, the scene I changed, the scene after.
Reading scripts out loud does WONDERS for your writing brain.
Finally, you’re ready for the polish. Clean up the widows and orphans. Those are terms for single words that take up their own line in dialogue or action lines. Start to Fix passive writing. Try to get rid of “ing” verbs. Show us the movie with your words.
All of this is way easier said than done, but I find this method the most clear and concise way to edit, break things open, and ensure I end up with a draft that tracks the elements it needs to.
Catch you next week. Happy Writing!
Love seeing this from a writer's perspective!