I just finished the 2nd draft of a script I've been rewriting over Christmas. Here is my first tip of the year - never agree to work on a script over Christmas. If your Christmas is anything like mine between the day job, seeing friends and family and Christmas shopping you only have a handful of hours free to write. And those hours aren't good writing hours - it kind of feels like you're stuck indoors while everyone else is out having fun.
The result of this was in the latter half of December I wrote 30 pages. Last week I wrote another 30. At the weekend I wrote another 20, 20 on Monday and around 20 tonight. Yes, that does add up to 120 -- about 20 pages too long. It probably also sounds like a bit of a rush job, but although I decided to rewrite the whole thing from scratch some of those pages could be imported over from the first draft and I made do with a few minor tweaks.
I was talking to a writer friend last week who hates 1st drafts but loves 2nd drafts. I'm the opposite. Even though I love the idea that it's an option not a necessity I find it impossible to do a second draft without starting from a clean slate. With any first draft there are so many things that need changing that I find it gets difficult to keep track of the story unless you start with a blank page. And usually most of those amendments involve adding elements rather than taking things away so they always end up being about 20 pages too long, which then necessitates a third draft.
Anyway, it's done and I'm pretty happy with it - happy enough to call it my first finished script of 2009 even though it technically should've been finished in 2008. I'm sending it off for feedback and will then make the necessary cuts over the next few days.
It's now 2.45am in the morning, I'm 29 years old today and there is a large present in the hallway:
