Quoted from LC See I thought a v.draft which I prefer to call a rough draft or even first draft was the whole purpose of this exercise - i.e., to get it done in the allocated time on the assumption people will know and read it with that in mind.

You are correct. A vomit draft is indeed the first draft. Most scripts posted in these 7WC are first drafts and most people will know that when reading and take that in consideration. Writers will then use the feedback to re-write the other drafts. No one expects perfection when the scripts are first posted.

Cheers.  

I'm only just past the 1st act of the 1st draft. For me, the 1st draft comes after the vomit draft, as I don't write a treatment or plot beats. So the vomit draft is a purely organic process that will contain many holes. The first draft is where I clean all of those up, maybe even rewrite whole sections or acts.

I think what 'some' need to remember here is that many of us have lives. We can't all sit around year after year collecting social security cheques with all the time in the world to write.

I may be getting the wrong end of the stick, but I'll ask anyway.

I'm getting you write out your erm... upchuck draft, as I dislike calling it vomit one, but I'm getting off the point. Out of character for me, I'm sure you agree.

Anyway, you write out your v draft, then go and write a first draft, as you say. So that is number two.

It sounds like you start writing the whole thing again. Personally I just keep messing with the first draft as I go along then go through it from the beginning. Then I might do it again.

Maybe you do too and I'm just getting your meaning wrong.

Oh, I've my job at the zoo. There's the kiosk where people come when they want a spare set, not to mention the stall. You know, with them on it.

It was going well. But then you sounded a bit like one of those Eton fellas in the government at the end. Which incidentally it will be them come next year when they'll be down the dole. I must find my soap box.

Nothing wrong with welfare for those who need it, in my humble. Particularly in an economic climate like the present.

I'd love to sit here all day banging away. On a keyboard I mean. But I can't either. Who'd feed the meerkats?

R

Oh, I see.

The old socialist in me won't let such things lie easily. Those on the dole in England earn it, in my opinion, with the pittance it is and the hoops they have to keep jumping through.

Having said all that before I can't see Labour or the Greens being a whole lot better in government. But they don't seem quite as nasty as this lot. How IDS manages to sleep and not get showered with rotten eggs everywhere he goes is beyond me.

Oops. Wrong forum. I'll put me soap box away. Until the next time.

Keep at it.

R

Regarding the writing I forgot to comment earlier. Too busy defending dolies.

I've tried writing a treatment. Doesn't work too well for me as I can't get a good idea of characters until I start on a draft and get them talking. I write a first draft then write a rough summary. Which I suppose is a treatment of sorts.

You put it more poetically than I. I just keep messing about with the first draft, dumping bits, adding others. Changing a word on the first page every time I open it until I've changed every bloody word on it at least once. That type of thing.

Anyways. Time's a ticking. A deadline approaches. As the drummer used to say - Head down. See you at the end.

R

I'm not involved in this challenge but will throw in my two bobs worth about drafts and stuff.

I've finally got writing again after having a slack attack for a few months. It's a script idea I've had for ages, am doing a newer type,version of it.

Anyway, I always write by hand as I get more work done. Then I copy to the computer whenever. Using this method avoids a lot of rewriting (which I hardly ever do anyway as I'm more of the spontaneous one - if it ain't broke, don't fix it, lol) as when I go to copy onto the computer, it may be weeks after I've written the early stuff so I can revise as I go and leave it. Very handy.

I'm using index cards for this script so I guess they are acting as my vomit script. I write the scenes a few ahead and notes about what happens. I put a lot of stuff that may not matter later but it's no prob to do so. The index card app on my IPad is awesome!

Anyway it feels good to be back into the creative mode again! The whole storyline for this script,is all mapped out. I just have to 'fill it in' and make it rock.

I will read a few of your scripts when the challenge is done. Or if anyone wants me to read over their stuff before they finish or are struggling, feel free to just email it to me!

Yeah, I think that's it with me too. I don't know the characters until they open their mouths and start doing things... I tried story-planning before and always end up writing something completely different afterwards, because stories insist on writing themselves much of the time. I prefer to go with the flow.

That can have its drawbacks on occasion, with whole drafts being discarded and the concept completely rewritten.

Quoted from Dreamscale IMO, at this stage in the process, you should be set with a 3rd or 4rth draft, and reading it over constantly for corrections, edits, etc.  But, I know most don't work ths way, so that's cool.

I'm on the 3rd draft.  I think the "Vomit"/Pre-First Draft is always helpful when it comes to designing the characters and crafting the plot.

The Final Draft, or 3rd draft, is usually where I fall short.  I can crack out an idea in next to no time, but for the life of me, the 3rd draft is the MOST difficult one because it combines the good and great from the previous 2 versions, and that can be hit or miss.

Whether I submit Shadow Games to the challenge in its fullest or not is another question entirely.  If I feel it's not ready, or that people won't like it, or that I don't like it (is the case with 75% of the stuff I write) then it won't see the light of day.

Just submit no matter what. I'm still surprised when people show so much interest in Amelia and I always get high praise for it, almost sold it a couple times, been optioned once. I don't feel it is that great, however.

Folks,

Let's stay on topic and refrain from personal attacks and exaggerated self pity.

Thanks,

Don

Wrote FADE OUT:!!!!! Today, but I need to reread the script tomorrow as I had forgot some character's names and also the time of the "event" thing. Ah, oldtimers!

Two weeks still to go. Time for feedback and then a re-write before the 15th.  

A toast to all of you who are pushing through. Please ask for help if you need it. We all know what it's like to be stuck.  

Congrats Pia! Always nice to have time left to polish.

I stopped keeping track of the time element in mine. I started out inserting shots of clocks, counting pages and estimating travel times. By the mid-point I said, "Screw it. I'll just plug that stuff in when I'm done and make it whatever time feels natural."

I'm sitting at 85 pages now and am just about to enter the third act. Should be on pace to complete by a week from now. Then another week for nipping and tucking.

As for the earlier discussion about drafting. My preference is to write an outline. I didn't do it this time, but I could have. Ultimately, I decided that writing it out would take up too much time, and for what? Everything I would've wrote in there was holding together nicely in my head already.

Quoted from Grandma Bear Wrote FADE OUT:!!!!!

Groovy  

FADE OUT:

Sorry. Just wanted to see what it felt like.

It felt good.

Shame it'll take quite a hell of a lot more work than that did before I can do it again.

R

Or I could do it again here. No, maybe not.

How are you guys doing? Ten days left. Still time to get your scripts finished. I have discovered that mine is dull. Have plot holes the size of lunar craters. Shallow uneven characters...yes, I'm currently at that stage where I doubt everything I write. Is 12:18pm too early for a Guinness?

Don't forget your loglines! VERY important! If filmmakers checkout the list of scripts, don't let yours go unnoticed because of a dull logline. And, like I keep saying, this isn't a competition, so feel free to discuss your loglines here and ask for input too. I'm terrible with loglines, but I'm hoping my partner will be able to come up with something.