Writing a Script - From The classroom

For anyone who's ever written a script for an education or professional environment, you know that changes are doomed to happen.  You are always going to be doomed to edit your piece.  And after everyone's opinions and all your frustrations, where you end up going may not be even close to the initial direction, theme, or characters you started with.

Where do you draw the line between a good solid edit that's complete and much better than the initial attempt, and a failed attempt that's lost all your personality and is simply a product of everyone else's ideas?

At what point do you just throw your hands up in the air and scream "I give up already!" ?

I'm still trying to find the balance myself, but after spending semester after semester tearing apart stories and scripts, I've learned that everything has a limit.  At some point, even if your script isn't perfect, you will be happy with the result.  It will make sense to you.  That's when I call mine done.  Because any edits after that are simply tiny details.  When you reach that point, nail it down and call it done.  There will be nothing more you can do to it without destroying the good things that you've already done to it.  And above all else, make sure you are always okay with the direction that you are going.  Make sure it makes sense in your own head, not just in someone else's.  And never use someone else's idea without thinking through how it would work with and what it would do to your story.

The only other piece of advice I have for script writing and writing in general is to make the dialogue real.  Many times, what we say in writing is not the same as what we say when we talk.  This is especially true when you're actually speaking to someone else.  And it's because the other person gives you input.  They take you in directions that you aren't expecting to go.  Do yourself a favor and get an good audio recorder.  Stick it in your pocket and go have a conversation with someone.  Then go stick it in a friend's pocket and have them do the same.  If you're a girl, stick it in a guy friend or boyfriend's pocket (if they're okay with it), and have them talk to their friends.  You will be amazed at all the different ways that people actually talk.  Speech patterns will change from person to person, depending on who is talking and who is included in the conversation.

What do you want your characters to be like?  What is their personality?  Speech patterns should reflect a character's personality.  Remember, the way that your character talks says something about them.  Do they talk trash? Are they a potty mouth? Do they cuss when they get mad?  Do they never cuss at all?  And what effects their moods.

These are all things you need to think about.  Trust me, they definitely help me.