The Page One Re-Type

Many of you have heard of the "Page One Rewrite."  I became familiar with the term as a guy working in development for a management/production company.  Managers and Execs would give their notes and when something seemed like it needed a total revamp, they would say:

"Maybe this needs a page one rewrite."

I think most writers hate to hear that phrase.  It means that all of the hard work they've spent for months working on this script is for naught.  At least, that's what it seems like.  This Page One Rewrite is a reconception.  A reimagining.  It means you need to reconsider the whole premise of what you've written.  You can't just rewrite a scene or some lines.  You have to re-do the whole thing.

I'm a fan of a page one rewrite myself, especially when the notes are too extensive for me to just take apart the script.  Rewriting the whole thing feels like a fresh start.  I know I might be in the minority here.

But there's something else I like to do when I need to get back in the headspace of a script. Or when I need to do a polish and I want to check to see if the script still feels right.  It also helps me check for consistency.

The Page One Re-Type

Yes, it means that I'm retyping my whole script.  It's energizing.  It's also mechanical and tedious.  But sometimes the repetition of retyping a script over again, gives it new energy.  It also makes me consider what I've written and what I think I've liked on a deeper level.  The visceral action of typing an entire script again just integrates your mind, body and creativity (or soul) around this script.

I was talking to my friend Susan last week and she had said a friend of hers suggested doing the same thing.  I don't know if she called it a Page One Re-Type.  I'd like to think that I coined the phrase.   Aside from getting the juices flowing and making you feel like you're doing something when you're having a hard time getting started, it's a great way to start a rewrite.

It's like running.  I love running.  I'm a marathoner.  I love the routine of running.  But sometimes it's hard to get out there.  So instead of thinking about running or how I should run or how I'll feel better or I'll get healthier or I'll lose weight...

I just need to start moving.

And that's what the Page One Rewrite does.  It literally warms your fingers up.  It gives them something to do.

Then that leads to looking over the words that you made up months, weeks or years ago.  Oh, that's funny.  Look...that wasn't so bad.

Then you start thinking about those words.  Hmmm...maybe this is a better way to say that.  And you start typing.

Maybe that leads to some rewriting.

Then you get STUCK.  It all seemed to flow up until this point.  Why did everything flow, but now it seems like it isn't quite right?

Then you look back at everything you've accomplished.  You've retyped 20 pages or 40 pages or even 80 pages.  That's good.  Most of this is good.  But this stuff up here...

To use the running analogy, you've hit an incline.  You're slowed down, but you just need to push it a bit further until you level off or better yet, start going down hill and gaining momentum.  You're hitting your stride again.  All right, I'm typing away as fast as I can. This feels great!

And then you just run the rest of the race.  Parts of it will feel steep.  Parts of it will feel like a good pace and parts of it will feel like you're flying.

And all you did was retype something you've already written!  But you're still fixing along the way.  It's a much more active thing to do then just look at the script and try to figure out what works and what doesn't.

Yes, it's more labor-intensive.  But you know what?  So is writing.  Get over it.