How long should it take to write a screenplay?

Question

In my screenwriting class, my teacher felt that it should only take three months, and that the successful people are the ones that are able to do this. He felt that there are two types - the successful ones who can do it in three months, and then there's the tortured geniuses.
Gee, I dunno about his standards - "Dances with Wolves" was written by a guy who took a whole year to do it, in his car.

tracy

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]In my screenwriting class, my teacher felt that it should only take three months, and that the successful people are ... "Dances with Wolves" was written by a guy who took a whole year to do it, in his car. tracy[/nq]
There isn't a "should" unless someone's paying you and you have a deadline.

Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.

Albert Einstein

Usenet · Answer

@reader1.panix.com:
[nq:2]In my screenwriting class, my teacher felt that it should ... a whole year to do it, in his car. tracy[/nq]
[nq:1]There isn't a "should" unless someone's paying you and you have a deadline.[/nq]
Exactly.
jaybee

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In my screenwriting class, my teacher felt that it should only take three months, and that the successful people are ... - "Dances with Wolves" was written by a guy who took a whole year to do it, in his car.[/nq]
Different strokes. No hard and fast rule, but I do think there is a natural momentum and if it takes more than 6 months something ain't right.

"The only reason I'm in Hollywood is that I don't
have the moral courage to refuse the money."
Marlon Brando

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In my screenwriting class, my teacher felt that it should only take three months, and that the successful people are ... are two types - the successful ones who can do it in three months, and then there's the tortured geniuses.[/nq]
Well, I think it makes a big difference if you're just starting out, and writing your first screenplay or two, and if you're an established pro working on a deadline.
Yes, as an established pro, 12 weeks is about how long you're going to have. (Although you'll probably have done some preliminary work before that clock starts ticking.)
But when you're learning the craft, it takes how long it takes. And I don't think it matters if it takes you a year or two to get that first script into reasonable condition.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Gee, I dunno about his standards - "Dances with Wolves" was written by a guy who took a whole year to do it, in his car.[/nq]
Which is a crying shame if true. "Dances With Wolves" was a book first, and the novelist adapted it himself into a screenplay.

Lois

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Gee, I dunno about his standards - "Dances with Wolves" ... took a whole year to do it, in his car.[/nq]
[nq:1]Which is a crying shame if true. "Dances With Wolves" was a book first, and the novelist adapted it himself into a screenplay.[/nq]
oh man, somebody really bs'd me.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Gee, I dunno about his standards - "Dances with Wolves" ... took a whole year to do it, in his car.[/nq]
[nq:1]Which is a crying shame if true. "Dances With Wolves" was a book first, and the novelist adapted it himself into a screenplay. Lois[/nq]
And then Costner and friends adapted it into an Oscar. Maybe taking a little longer's a good idea, wherever you do it? :-)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In my screenwriting class, my teacher felt that it should only take three months, and that the successful people are ... are two types - the successful ones who can do it in three months, and then there's the tortured geniuses.[/nq]
Then there's the third category. The terminally lazy.

Ah-YUP!

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In my screenwriting class, my teacher felt that it should only take three months, and that the successful people are ... are two types - the successful ones who can do it in three months, and then there's the tortured geniuses.[/nq]
Uhh... well, given the fact that there are thousands of types of screenwriters, I think, by his own admission, it will take a different amount of time for everyone before they get their screenplay in "perfect" condition (perfect according to that screenwriter, that is).

Besides, how can you predict how long rewrites will take? I wrote my first screenplay in 3 months, but only spent 2-3 hours a day on average. Then I spent another couple of months doing rewrites, getting professional coverage, doing more rewrites based on the coverage, getting the formatting/spelling/grammar as perfect as possible, etc.

It'll be different for everyone. And btw, it's my experience that "teachers" are teachers for a reason, and not actually professionals at "whatever they teach".

Usenet · Answer

A screenplay is never perfect. If you set yourself a deadline of three months, then sure, you might be able to do a great screenplay, but if you took four months would it not be a better screenplay?

But then linger too much on it, doing needless rewrites, and you run the risk of destroying all enthusiasm you ever had for it, chewing up perfectly fine dialogue, and accidentally factoring out important exposition because you're too close to the material.
And also, in my experience, when you have been working on a screenplay for several months, the challenge comes from remaining suitably enthused about it, and being strong-willed enough to get it finished when another "better" idea comes along. Then you just end up with a big pile of great, yet utterly unfinished screenplays.
I guess it comes down to a balance between working hard to get it where you want, but knowing where to draw the line and not stagnating it because you just thought you aught to do another draft.

How long should it take to write a screenplay?

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