Over Labor Day weekend, I had a consult with someone who asked if I would "format" his screenplay.
I thought I might be able to do this in an hour or two while watching a Law & Order marathon so I read the first 20 pages.
Unfortunately, the script didn't need "formatting"--it needed a complete and total rewrite. It was obvious that he'd never read a single book or article about screenplay writing. He was a smart guy so just because he'd seen a lot of movies throughout his life, he figured he had sufficient preparation to write one.
I tried not to totally crush his dreams of screenwriting glory but also to explain to him that I've while been wearing clothes my entire life
-- and more than once I've sewn a button back on a shirt
--I've never woken up and thought "Today I will make my entire outfit from scratch!"
Until they tackle their first project longer than an email or term paper, so many people don't realize the level of craft and skill involved in good writing. And sometimes, like this guy, they even write 245 page screenplays rather than spending 5 minutes online to learn that 120 pages is the appropriate length.
Often an ounce of
research is worth a pound of
editing.
