How Long Does A Brand New Spec Take?

A Look @ A Schedule for a New Feature Spec

I can't tell how many times I've heard writers talk about finishing a brand new spec in a month or two. I can never get my head around it. Blows my mind. I'm not a slow writer, but I try to be realistic about the speed at which a spec progresses. I thought it would be helpful to finally sit down and chart out an average, perhaps fast, spec's journey, from start to finish.

So here it is. An ambitious writing schedule for a brand new spec:

First Draft

Idea & Brainstorming - Two Weeks

Treatment & Outlining - Two Weeks

I'm assuming that a month might elapse between the time inspiration hits and the time you begin writing pages.

First Draft - Four Weeks

Now you need to get notes. You may have one fast reading friend, but most people require two weeks to read a script and get back to you. And then it takes a week to go get lunch/coffee with everyone and collect their feedback.

Rewrite

Notes on Rough Draft - Three Weeks

Processing Notes and Re-Outlining - Two Weeks

Rewrite - Four Weeks

We have a rewrite! And we're going to assume you are right on track and only need one more rewrite here.

Second Rewrite

Notes on Draft Two - Three Weeks

Processing Notes and Re-Outlining - Two Weeks

Rewrite - Four Weeks

Okay. We're close. But now we need to polish dialogue and tweek a few more things.

Polish

Notes on Draft Three - Three Weeks

Processing Notes and Re-Outlining - One Week

Rewrite - Two Weeks

And we're done!

That's 32 Weeks. 8 Months.

That's assuming you can commit five days a week to writing. That's assuming you don't travel or have any vacation weekends like 4th of July. That's assuming you don't run into a snag and require a rewrite draft just to put you back on track.

So I guess I can see how a fast writer might pull out a drat in a month or two, but it seems naive to assume that draft will be "industry-ready". I guess if there are writers out there that can write "industry-ready" drafts in under three months, I'm just out gunned. But I think a fast spec can be done in 6-9 months. And standard time is 1 year.

How do writers finish more than one spec a year? They transition back and forth between several projects and they write full-time. But I haven't met many writers that can consistently pull that off.

Write with a Scalpel

The Advantage of Small Notes over Large Notes

The script is really great!

But what if you just re-invented the first act?

We think you should make it about her instead.

Could you just change the whole thing?

How many times have you heard that for your writing?

It's very common for your readers to respond to problems by looking for big changes. At my last writer's group meeting, I was reviewing my latest spec. It is near completion, after nearly eight drafts. I believe strongly in taking a step away from your material and thinking about big changes, but that strategy is usually better suited for early drafts. At this point, I needed "scene execution" notes. So when a few ideas came my way that suggested I revamp entire sections, I pushed those comments aside and dug deeper.

"What did you think about that scene there? Did you get his choice??" I asked.

I discovered several smaller notes that I could pull off rather quickly. If I show him making that decision at the beginning of the scene, it helps? What if I move that moment just a scene earlier? So I can cut that exchange and reveal it later? Suddenly everyone was saying, "Yeah, if you do those things, it will read a lot better!" Those three little scenes threw off the read for thirty pages, disrupting pacing and finesse.

Sometimes readers respond with big suggestions because they can't identify the issues. All they know is: something isn't working. Then they let their imagination run away to fix it. But as writers, we can recognize their instincts, while looking past their suggestions. I always say the note is different than the suggestion. By asking how can I execute more effectively what I intended, sometimes you can pass on a major rewrite and achieve with just a polish. It's an especially important strategy in later drafts.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Or to use another analogy, go in with the scalpel.