My style as a writer is to create massive amounts of content during the initial drafting stage. I rapidly write pages upon pages of script, anticipating a later edit. This allows for all ideas I come up with to make it onto the page, regardless of merit. This is what I refer to as ‘bulk content’. In order to make bulk content work, the writer must allow for a harsh, sometimes brutal, editing process. Sometimes 30 pages of script may be cut into a neat 10 pages once finished. When I allow myself to distance myself from my work, and not become married to my own words, I give the original content a chance to be cut and shined into a much better finished product.

To make this editing process successful, writers must have writing partners or editors that they trust and respect. Furthermore, we have to be willing to take the criticism and suggestions of others without being offended. In screenwriting there is no place for ego. By the time a script makes it to final draft, much of the original draft is gone or revised. Furthermore, the final say is that of the director, and to be an effective screenwriter one must be able to allow him/her to have creative control of the piece. If you are inflexible during editing, a director won’t be interested in working with you, or even continuing the project at hand. By letting go and listening to others, you increase your success as a writer and exponentially improve the final project.

This doesn’t mean that as a writer you have to become a pushover. Stick to your guns when it comes to important lines, plot points, or character development. Just make sure you choose your battles wisely, don’t try to fight for too many items, and have a strong defense before confronting your creative team.