How Long Does It Take to Write Your First Screenplay?

Most first-time writers take three to six months to finish a first draft of a feature screenplay, writing a few hours a week. A feature script runs roughly 90 to 120 pages. At two pages a day, a draft takes about two months, and outlining first usually shortens the total time.

• One formatted page is roughly one minute of screen time.
• An outline saves more time than it costs.
• Deadlines and readers are what get first drafts finished.

How many pages is a screenplay?

Feature screenplays usually run 90 to 120 pages, with many spec scripts landing between 95 and 110. A half-hour TV pilot is typically 25 to 35 pages and an hour-long pilot 50 to 65.

What does a realistic schedule look like?

A workable plan for a first feature: two to four weeks developing the idea and outline, eight to twelve weeks drafting, then several weeks on a first rewrite. Writers with a full-time job often write in short, fixed sessions, such as an hour before work or a longer block at the weekend.

What slows first-time writers down?

The most common problems are rewriting page one again and again, starting without knowing the ending, and writing with no deadline or reader waiting. Each of these can turn a three-month draft into a two-year one.

How can you finish faster?

Set a weekly page count and track it. Outline the main turning points before drafting. Save revisions for the second draft. Join a class or writing group so that someone expects pages from you every week.

Questions

How many drafts does a screenplay need?

There is no fixed number. Most scripts go through several drafts before they are ready to send out, with each rewrite focusing on a different layer: structure, then character, then dialogue and polish.

Can you write a screenplay in a month?

Some writers draft a feature in a month, especially with a detailed outline. A first draft written that quickly will still need rewriting.

Related course: Screenwriting 101