Screenwriting: The first draft can be shit

The first draft can be shit

I often feel like a real perfectionist - or am I more in love with detail?

These words are the first words in the journal, ever, and I have no idea how to write a journal at all. No structure, no guidelines, just go for it - but that's okay. After all this time in the creative business, one thing has become fucking clear to me:

The first draft is allowed to suck.

Perfectionism right from the start is a strong and important demand on yourself, but it also often stops me in my tracks and temporarily kills my motivation until I get back in the mood for the next attempt.

Once you have your thoughts on paper and YES I love working analog on paper (even though I'm writing this post on my phone in a crowded café) you have the opportunity to work on the foundation step by step and that's important.

The thoughts have to get out - I have to channel them and then I can find my way into the topics more easily and without stress. At least that way I take the pressure out of everything. Pressure is good, pressure creates progress and movement in this sense, but too much pressure buries me in the stress itself. And then I'm more likely to have stress than to channel stress and work through it.

Since I've allowed myself to have the draft for myself first, no matter how good or bad it is, my own aspirations have brought me back to the goal I want to achieve.

Project by project.

Everything finds its flow and, in the flow of creativity, it feels like it falls into place all by itself.

And that is beautiful.

What is even better, and I had to learn this first, are the criticisms, thoughts and ideas of others. They challenge my view of the project and look at things that I might not have seen from my own perspective. Even if everything seems easier and more precise after a certain amount of time and experience, I always remember the basics, the core, the message and the goal of the project.

Projects and ideas only become really good when you give them time, attention, meaning and loving rigor.

But also leave mistakes and a door open for imperfections - that also gives character.

[IMPORTANT NOTES]

The first draft can be shit.

The last draft is never final.

At some point, it has to be done.

Even the best theory has to be put into practice at some point.

EXECUTION IS EVERYTHING.

--> I think that will be a topic in itself (maybe haha)