zxcvb at 2012-10-02 20:58:25:

Thanks for the (re)post, Scott! I figured you may have answered it in the past, but I wanted to ask just in case. I feel like I do most/all those things (break, read aloud, re-consider basics, get feedback, etc.). I guess what I'm worried about is over-fussing or focusing on the wrong things when revising. Yeah, if any GITS readers have additional thoughts or rules of thumb re: "locking down," I'd love to hear them.

Scott at 2012-10-02 21:01:19:

zxcvb, at some point, let it go. Readers are not likely to pass over small details. If the concept is great, the writing is solid, the characters compelling, and the story moves, even if it has some issues, readers will get the overall strength of the script.

DJ Holloway at 2012-10-02 22:56:55:

There is always something I could still change on every script I've written. A different joke, a more compelling scene setup, an even LESS on the nose line, whatever. And same for every movie I've made - I could just tweak one more cut, change the music cue *this* much, end a scene six frames ealier, etc. It's the nature of the beast. For me it's helpful to start another project. If I've done a draft and a re-write, had someone read it and caught a few things, maybe fixed a question or two - then I move on to my next idea. Planning or writing or whatever. It's not (at all) that I think the first script is the Best It Will Ever Be, but because I convince myself that the new project demands my attention, I cease to think about those small changes and start dealing with the bigger issues of the new script. In theory, I could go back to the first script, but chances are it'll hold up okay if I've already done those earlier steps, and to change anything would require me to 1) force myself back into the creative mindset and energy of when I originally wrote it or 2) get paid - man, I wish - to tweak something for a potential buyer, at which point I would be THRILLED to jump right in to another rewrite.

Annika Wood at 2012-10-03 02:12:00:

Tweaking a script too much is a way to procrastinate on other things -- but, unlike other forms of procrastination, it's more deeply disguised so you can get away with a lot of this before the guilt sets in! The real downside, though, is that overworking a script can suck the life and energy out of it.

SabinaGiado at 2012-10-03 03:12:58:

Caveat: I have never finished a script. I would consider my script finished if it's the kind of script that gives me tingles and, if made into a movie, makes me want to see it over and over and over again. And tell my friends about it. And my children. And my grandchildren. Not perfect. Just something that resonates with me. Examples: Back to the Future. Blade Runner. Alien. The Shining. Anchorman. Superbad. Blue Valentine. Lars and the Real Girl.

Lydia Mulvey at 2012-10-03 07:20:58:

I'm ten (??? I may have lost count) drafts into a sci fi spec script that I've been working on for some time now. I'm finally at the point, having had feedback from many different people, where I can say that the script is the best I can possibly make it at this moment in time. I "feel" that it's ready. When I read through it now, I don't have to make notes any more. All the issues that came up have been resolved and I get excited when I read it. That's not to say it won't need more work in the future, but I'm leaving it alone now while I work on my GOYOQ script. Getting the feedback is the hardest part. It blows the illusion that your script is "perfect" to pieces. But it's an absolutely necessary and essential stage. Feedback for me now is part of the woodwork. I can't move forward without it. The above list of ten pointers should be mandatory for every writer.

Are there any rules of thumb to “locking down” your script? | FilmmakerIQ.com at 2012-10-07 08:58:42:

[...] Scott Myers of Go Into The Story answer this question about when to say, “I’m finished” For a working screenwriter, this is an easy question to answer: You know you’re done with a script... [...]