Screenplay rewrite plan template

# Screenplay rewrite plan

## Draft identity
- Project:
- Draft / save point:
- Date of read-through:
- Target for the next draft:

## 1. Read the draft before fixing it
Write the experience of the whole screenplay in a few sentences before opening individual scenes for edits.

- What movie / episode is currently on the page?
- Where does the central character make the story's major choices?
- Where does your attention drop or become confused?
- What does the ending currently resolve?

## 2. Reverse outline
| Scene | Character objective | Turn / new information | Consequence | Keep / cut / move / rewrite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |

## 3. Translate notes into diagnoses
Do not treat a proposed fix as the diagnosis.

| Raw note | Observable problem | Likely cause | Scenes affected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |

## 4. Rank by blast radius
### Priority 1
- Diagnosis:
- Why it is upstream of other problems:
- Scenes / relationships affected:
- What success would look like:

### Priority 2
- Diagnosis:
- Why now:
- Scenes / relationships affected:
- What success would look like:

### Priority 3
- Diagnosis:
- Why now:
- Scenes / relationships affected:
- What success would look like:

## 5. Rewrite in passes
### Pass A — premise, objective, and ending
- Decisions to make:
- Scenes likely to disappear or change function:

### Pass B — structure and causality
- Major turns to rebuild:
- Setups / payoffs to move:

### Pass C — character and relationships
- Objectives to sharpen:
- Relationship changes to track:

### Pass D — scene work
- Scenes entering too early:
- Scenes leaving after the turn:
- Repeated beats to compress:

### Pass E — dialogue and voice
- Character voices to separate:
- Exposition to convert into action, conflict, or implication:

### Pass F — continuity and polish
- Names / props / time / locations to verify:
- Formatting / typo pass after structural work is stable:

## 6. Protect list
What already works and should not be accidentally flattened while solving other problems?
-

## 7. Next-draft proof
Before calling the rewrite complete, answer:
- What three things did this draft need to prove?
- Which scenes provide the evidence?
- Which priority remains unresolved?
- What should the next reader evaluate instead of re-litigating solved questions?