Write a Fresh Tale: Time to Put Pen to Paper
In the world of screenwriting, it's common to find oneself grappling with the challenges of getting started or moving forward in a project. Two obstacles that often surface are the misconception that one must find their voice or tone before writing, and the belief that all story problems can be solved during the preparatory stage. However, these notions can sometimes be disguised forms of procrastination.
Procrastination in screenwriting, unlike preparation, is characterised by avoidance and delay without meaningful progress. It is often driven by fear, anxiety, or perfectionism. In contrast, preparation is a deliberate and productive process aimed at improving your work.
One key difference between the two is the purpose and outcome. Preparation is focused on improving your screenplay through research or planning, while procrastination is marked by avoidance and lack of progress. Another distinction lies in the emotional state. Procrastination usually involves negative feelings such as anxiety, fear of failure, or lack of confidence, causing stress and delaying start or completion. Preparation, on the other hand, feels purposeful and reduces uncertainty or improves readiness.
Progress measurement is another important factor. Preparation includes measurable steps such as outlining, research, and drafting key scenes that advance your screenplay's development. Procrastination, however, lacks tangible forward movement and may involve unrelated tasks or repeated starting over without completion.
Setting clear goals and deadlines can help reveal if your time investment is resulting in movement forward (preparation) or avoidance (procrastination). For screenwriters, this can mean daily writing goals instead of endless planning without writing.
Recognising that much of the story is discovered through the actual writing of it can help overcome procrastination. This means that instead of waiting to find the perfect voice or tone, writers should start putting words to the page. Similarly, excessive focus on backstory can prevent progress in starting the actual writing. Writing before you're ready can help clear out the crud by putting words down until you figure out what you want to say and how you want to say it.
Determining whether one is stalling or needing more prep work requires self-awareness. Reflecting whether your "prep" is rooted in genuine story needs or is an excuse to delay hard work can help differentiate between the two. Ask yourself: Am I accumulating actionable insights for the screenplay, or am I stuck in cycles of revising plans instead of writing?
Ultimately, only the individual can determine if they are procrastinating or advancing their work. Feeling overly invested or responsible for getting it "right" (perfect) can contribute to stalling. Expecting to create polished material straight out of the gate is unrealistic and can lead to procrastination.
In summary, preparation supports purposeful progress with concrete goals and improves your screenplay, while procrastination is avoidance caused by fear, anxiety, or perfectionism that hinders progress. Recognising your motives, measuring progress, and setting structured goals will help distinguish between the two.
- In screenwriting, the misconception that voice or tone must be found before writing is a disguised form of procrastination.
- Preparation in screenwriting is a deliberate process aimed at improving work through research or planning, while procrastination involves avoidance and lack of progress.
- Determining if one is stalling or needing more prep work requires self-awareness; asking if your "prep" is rooted in genuine story needs helps differentiate between the two.
- Starting to put words to the page can help clear out the crud, as much of the story is discovered through the actual writing.
- Editing backstory excessively can prevent progress in starting the actual writing, while setting clear goals and deadlines can help reveal if your time investment is resulting in meaningful progress.
- Progress measurement in screenwriting includes measurable steps such as outlining, research, and drafting key scenes that advance development.
- Recognising that education-and-self-development and personal-growth are crucial aspects of a screenwriter's lifestyle can help overcome procrastination and propel forward movement in their work.
- The final draft of a screenplay represents the culmination of the writing process, blending the themes, characters, plot, act, dialogue, storytelling, and scenes into a cohesive narrative, while acknowledging that rewrites will likely be necessary throughout the process.
