WHEN TO MOVE ON FROM A SCRIPT

Is it time to say adios to your pet project?

THE TRAP so many screenwriters fall into: working on one script well past its expiration date. While tenacity is important for writers, so is knowing when to take the brush off the canvas. In general, if it’s been five years or more and you’re still rewriting the same script, it just may be time to work on something new.

There are several different ways to know when it’s time to move on. Let’s break it down.

1. You can’t crack it. No shame in this – many pro writers get stuck and can’t find their way past a tricky script problem. This is one reason why a studio might hire multiple writers on a project. You can have a great idea, wonderful characters, and so forth, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to come together without a fight. An expression about not beating a dead horse comes to mind. Sometimes the best thing to do is backburner that script. Who knows, the solution may come to you down the line.

2. You took your best shot. There’s only so much you can do with a script. Even if you’re repped, your rep may only send it to a handful of producers to test the waters, and if they don’t get positive feedback, that’s it – you’re done. No rep? Get it out to festivals, contests, send out queries, pitch it to whomever you can and then hope for the best. No bites? Move on. You’re going to run out of places to submit it soon enough anyway.

3. The reaction is not what you’d hoped. Happens to the best of us – for whatever reason, the script isn’t lighting up the room. Maybe you can’t get past a ‘consider with reservations’ even after 20 or more drafts. When you bring it up, your friends change the subject. You can’t get any farther than the quarterfinals no matter how hard you try. Or you manage to get a couple industry reads, and the producers or managers either pass or never reply (AKA a pass.)

4. You’ve been focusing on it for many, many years. As a writer, you should always have multiple plates spinning. Past a certain point, an older script will not improve. It may have to do with choices made years ago that you would not make today, but cannot bring yourself to change them. You’re a better writer now than you were then. Why saddle yourself with a piece of material you wrote when you were not as good? Best thing to do is move on to something fresh and new. Don’t be the writer who has been working on the same script for 15 years. Those never go anywhere.

And keep those plates spinning. When one crashes to the ground, you’ll still have others to focus on.

FAQs

1. Why do screenwriters struggle to let go of a script?

Writers invest significant emotional energy and time into projects, making them feel personally attached. They fear abandoning means failure or wasted effort. Additionally, writers often romanticize the breakthrough moment rather than objectively assessing their work’s viability.

2. How long is too long to work on the same script?

Working on one script for five years or more typically indicates diminishing returns. Professional writers usually complete first drafts in eight to twelve weeks. Beyond twenty drafts without meaningful improvement suggests the script needs fundamental changes or should be set aside.

3. What does it mean if you can’t crack a script?

Inability to solve core structural or story problems despite multiple attempts indicates fundamental issues. Even professional writers sometimes get stuck on unsolvable script problems. Backburner the project temporarily, rather than forcing solutions that never materialize organically.

4. Is it normal for professional writers to abandon scripts?

Professional writers routinely set aside projects that aren’t working to focus on stronger material. Quality matters more than stubbornly completing every draft. Abandoning one script doesn’t mean abandoning your writing career or talent altogether.

5. What should you do after exhausting all submission options?

Move forward with fresh material while keeping multiple projects active. Apply lessons learned to new scripts written with improved skills. Consider converting the story into another format like novels. Always maintain several spinning plates rather than fixating on one stalled project.