Here's how to finish a screenplay: write a rough draft through the ending before revising. Writers commonly finish the draft first because a complete story can be judged and rewritten as a whole; an unfinished story cannot. For the broader process, see the guide to writing a screenplay.
- First draft
- A first draft is commonly the first complete version of your script, from opening scene to ending. Its job is to make the whole story available for revision.
What gets in the way of finishing a screenplay?
Watch for revision that keeps replacing forward movement. You might keep polishing a bakery's opening scene because you haven't decided whether its owner stays or leaves. Instead, note the opening's problems and write toward that decision.
How do you plan the draft so you can finish it?
Choose a possible ending, then list the moments that lead toward it. For the bakery story, Mara might discover unpaid rent, ask her brother for help, and decide whether to reopen.
- Outline
- An outline is commonly a list of a screenplay's scenes or key moments in story order. It lets you see the story's shape before drafting. The screenplay outlining guide explains this planning stage.
Write through to a complete draft
- Choose an ending
Write the final choice your main character might make. Treat it as a direction, not a promise.
- List the necessary scenes
Connect the opening problem to that choice. Give each scene a reason to be there.
- Write the next unfinished scene
Decide what someone wants and what prevents them from getting it.
- Write notes for unresolved details
Record missing research or a needed earlier setup outside the scene. Continue when the missing detail doesn't block the action.
- Finish the final scene
Show the character making the ending's choice. Save broader revisions until you can read the complete story.
How do you keep writing when a scene is hard?
Write the action that changes what happens next, even if the dialogue needs another pass. Mara needs her brother to help keep the bakery open. This draft gives that request a visible result.
INT. BAKERY - NIGHT
Mara sets an overdue rent notice beside the till. Eli counts the coins inside.
MARA
Call the landlord.
ELI
And say what?
MARA
Tell him we're opening tomorrow.
Eli leaves the coins on the counter. He takes out his phone and dials the number on the notice.
What do you do when you reach the end?
Read the complete draft and choose the story problem to address next. If Mara's final choice feels unsupported, look for earlier chances to show what the bakery costs her. A finished first draft is ready for this examination, not necessarily ready to send out.
- Rewrite
- A rewrite is commonly a new pass that improves the story, scenes, or dialogue. It can change how the story is arranged, while a polish adjusts lines. Find related terms in the screenwriting glossary.