[This article was originally published on Talentville, an online community for screenwriters.]
by Angela Guess
These words should be a comfort to any writer, whether you’re starting your first short script or writing the final pages of your tenth screenplay. The first draft of ANYTHING is shit. Granted, your first drafts should get better as you become a more experienced writer and improve your story development process, but don’t ever think that you’ll get to a point where your first draft is good enough to be your final draft. It just doesn’t happen.
Why a Bad First Draft Isn’t Bad News
Now, you may be asking yourself, “Why is that comforting? That may be the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard.”
For those of us who dream of being struck by a brilliant idea and writing an award-winning script in a single day (a la Crash), sure, this news might come as a bit of a downer. But it should also be an immense relief.
