Writing is Rewriting…
There’s a saying that most writers are familiar with that says…
Most writers don’t enjoy writing; they enjoy having written.
I get it. Sometimes writing, though we love it, feels so grueling, we’d rather be doing almost anything else rather than suffer the pain of trying to capture the beautiful abstract ideas running through our minds with concrete prose that somehow manages to convey the beauty of the ideas to someone else not in our minds.
An Invitation
But sometimes having written is just an invitation to more and deeper frustration. Last summer, I wrote the first draft of a television pilot called Remnant 13. It’s my unique take on the concept of a zombie apocalypse. I went through numerous revisions of that script until I was able to turn in what I hoped was the final draft of the pilot on August 9, 2016.
Writing a TV pilot was interesting. I’d never written one before other than as a ghostwriter, and coming up with the story line was fun. It was an independent project where I would be working with a brand new producer who hoped to crowdfund this pilot so that it would get made, generate interest, and hopefully lead to a series.
I love television. LOST and Smallville are my two favorite shows of all time, and I love This Is Us and The Walking Dead. I’d love to write for television. I’m a high school teacher, and I love what I do, but I make it no secret that my dream is to write.
Crowdfunding a TV pilot, I discovered, is hard. It’s not surprising. I can’t think of a situation in which I would donate money to make a television show happen, so I’m not upset that people didn’t give money.
But the producer, a great guy named Shawn Lindsey, wanted to make something happen with this story.
Which meant rewriting.
When Writing Isn’t Your Career
I can’t speak from experience, but I imagine rewriting as a full-time writer is still pretty frustrating, but when you have a full-time job as a teacher, plus side gigs as a freelance writer, and responsibilities as a husband and father, the prospect of rewriting a story you thought was complete is devastating. I honestly didn’t know how I was going to do it.
The plan was to take the original one-hour pilot script and divide it up into five fifteen-minute webisode scripts. Actually dividing the script up required retooling the entire plot so that each webisode had a solid beginning, middle, and end, and so that each was equally compelling.
Sure, having written those five webisode scripts felt great to a degree, but the work it took to get there was the reason. And even after having written those scripts, I experienced a bittersweet feeling because I had invested so much of myself into each one.
Just When You Thought You Were Finished…
Life has a funny way of giving you what you wish for. Writing for an independent production is fine, but what if you had the chance to pitch your pilot as an original series to something bigger?
The fifteen-minute webisode script doesn’t work anymore. And the original pilot I finished in August? Rewriting forced me to rethink a lot of the storyline and events that occur, so that script is basically garbage now.
My Current Rewriting Journey
Last week, I began the process of writing and rewriting and rewriting the pilot of Remnant 13. I finish a draft, I send it to my producer and director; the director, who’s much more knowledgeable about these things than I am, sends me copious notes about what could be improved. I rewrite some more, sent it back, hoping the number of things that need improving will be less than the last time. And on and on the process goes.
I’m about to begin my fifth pass through this script. I want it to be perfect. Did I mention I’m tired?
The saying that writers don’t enjoy writing but having written assumes that when the draft is written, you’re finished. But that’s rarely the case. There’s always room for improvement. And if you’re passionate about what you’re creating, you’ll make the time to do it.
So What Have I Learned?
I hate writing... Just kidding.
I’m fortunate to have a director for my pilot who is willing to give me gut-honest feedback. It helps me grow. It shows me where I’m weak. It reveals my blind spots.
Rewriting gives me the opportunity to take the raw material that I’ve created and make it into something better.
Rewriting is frustrating, but it’s the only way you grow as a writer.
Tom Farr is a writer, teacher, and storyteller who believes in crafting lies to tell the truth. When he’s not enjoying the good life with his beautiful wife Lindsey and their three much-adored children, he’s striving to create stories that thrill and inspire and preparing for the day Disney calls him to write a Star Wars movie. He’s also a contributing editor at daCunha.global. His work has also appeared on Panel & Frame, Wordhaus, Curiosity Never Killed the Writer, and The Unsplash Book. Check out his fiction writing portfolio on Medium and sign up for his author newsletter.
If you’re interested in seeing creativity at work, check out the stories and art blooming at daCunha. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, become a subscriber and support the artists.
“ART IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF HOPE.” — Gerhard Richter
Interested in publishing your own writing? DaCunha is now accepting submissions year round. Check it out here.
