Trying To Write A Perfect First Draft Is A Waste Of Time - Frank Dietz
Screenwriter Frank Dietz is a former Disney animator. In this Film Courage video interview Frank references his time on the comedy movie I Hate Kids (2019), written by Frank and Todd Traina and directed by John Asher. The film stars Tom Everett Scott, Marisa Tomei, Tituss Burgess, Rhea Seehorn, Rachel Boston, Julie Ann Emery and Arden Myrin. In 2020 Frank joined the Creepshow (2019) television series as a writer for season 2 (among his many other credits).
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Absolutely couldn't agree more. I can't count the number of hours I've spent overthinking a single sentence the past week
It happens man, just roll with it
Every time I’ve outlined a story before starting it I’ve finished it. Every time I’ve started a script before outlining, I’ve not finished. Yet.
I have actually been able to see bad ideas clearly when I outline... If I am not eager to write it, then people will not be eager to watch or read it. If I am bored, they will be bored.
"Nobody can edit a blank page." That's why you get it on paper.
As someone who has 25+ years of experience in this game, I have this to say: Any novice screenwriter who thinks his first draft will be “perfect” and ready to send out into the world, is delusional. It’s been said before but here it is again: WRITING IS REWRITING. Get that first draft completed-get all those great ideas and scenes and dialogue you love down on the page-and then start from page one and rewrite. Then rewrite again. Then rewrite again. At some point, you’re not doing anything major to the script; you’re merely tweaking/trimming dialogue and scene descriptions, making it all flow better. If it takes five drafts, fine; if it takes twenty, fine. It takes what it takes -- and at some point, you'll know when it's ready to go out into the big bad world.
I wrote the story without an outline to surprise myself what direction it would go in. There was structure with first draft but not so rigid. Your imagination can twist and turn til the very end without being fake sounding
Film Courage you are a gem💙. You'll learn more on here in 3 days than 2 years of film school.
Say it with me: "It is ok to have plot holes, boring/inconistenct characters, awkward dialogue, and bad descriptions in a first draft." As soon as you basically stop caring and get a routine the fast the draft will go. Editing is actually the fun part because you get to refine things such as character arcs and personalities.
I WANT TO GET TO THE FUN EDITING : (
I always love the different opinions of Save The Cat. People either love it or hate it. Never an in between. LOL
Drown The Cat !!
I like going through the first screenplay and edit it as I go along. Whether I'm adding, subtracting, or changing things; it seems to be more fun that way. You can have a first, second, third, and final draft as you go along.
I always watch these types of videos when i'm like my boook sucksss when talking about first draft. Then I get reassured :)
Hahah, me the same right now mate.
Love the open ended creativity clause... So boosting potential!
For me, outlining is just getting that sequence of actions on a paper, and my first draft is just me figuring out new things and going, "Oh my god, this is genius!" So, I really love when I finish the first draft to focus on getting the nitty-gritty in the second and third drafts and future drafts onward.
making a draft is super important to me i cant get my work done otherwise and i see your point when you said that the first draft is like a failure
Its funny to see him go from black roses to this. Its awesome
Excellent interview! Very helpful advice. I agree that the ending has to come organically unless one wishes to keep it open ended. Don't outline the story to the very end even though I have an idea how it is going to end.
Cheers from Brazil, love your channel so much, inspire me in all the levels, thank you
Cheers! And thank you.
Brasil sil sil
There are parts of my first draft I am keeping for my current story. I couldn't write those sections any better. But a lot of it is altered or goes to the way side.
He seems like a sweet person. I don’t know how common his process is, but I saw a lot of similarities with my own. I like to not know the end, because it steals away my curiosity. See how it develops organically, that’s exactly it.
You do NOT have to have the end written in stone. You just should have a general idea of the end already planned. (Your hero's goal.) As you write you will very, very likely surprise yourself and the ending will change dramatically, but the hero's goal could still be the same..
@@28Pluto That’s very true. I recently wrote a horror comedy novel as part of a challenge, and discovered that the story became plain boring (despite all the monsters) because I hadn’t concidered the character arcs and that inner journey we relate to. Exactly how they reach their journey’s end, that’s the surprise.
What a great channel. Always good content.
Thanks Tor Ali!
Thank you
I Have Lots Of Your Videos Downloaded For My Homeworks And Revision.... Love From India...
Our best to you!
I'm willing to write outlines. However, I wrote short screenplays without writing outlines down. Mostly thought of the outlines in my head along with the stories. Yet, I had some good feed back from them.
I like to "prune" if you will, my draft as I go. I have a general idea which path its going to follow but again, I like to build it little by little and, let's say, discover it as I go.
First drafts are fast and loose...like all of my exes...😄 made myself laugh!!
Wasn't it Hemingway (or was it Faulkner) who said "your first draft is always shit"? ( or words to that effect).
Do you outline all the way through the end of the story?
Yep
I need to know where to land the proverbial plane so I can stick the ending, bringing the story full circle.
Yes. So I have a destination. Sometimes it changes as I write the script. But at least I have a road map that’s strong.