first draft is a throw away

it certainly doesn't have to be the rule, but it is an important option to give yourself when you are writing something. just like you can't be so attached to something that you can't throw it away, you have to be willing to kill your darlings and edit them out of the draft-- i personally have a darlings document where i keep all of the little buggers that i love so much but simply do not fit in that iteration...
you also have to let your first draft be a shitty one if it has to. This is sage advice from writer Anne Lamott- she hasn't written any screenplays that I know of, but she has a great advice about writing, no matter what you are writing. I got this and some other bits to follow from her book BIRD BY BIRD.

i wrote a first draft of the SMOKE AND MIRRORS pilot- for all intents and purposes- yes ma'am it was and is shit. that is compared to what i intended it to be, compared to what i am going to ultimately be pleased with. i equate the writing / creating process to - and i know this might seem a bit right on the nose but bear with me- it's like a diamond, you have to apply pressure but not so much that you crush your raw material. it's all about the perfect combo of time and pressure and good material to start with. so i've got the great material, it's just taking the time to apply the pressure and attention and effort in order for it to reflect the fabulous vision image that previously resided only in your wildest imagination.

lucky for me i have a great co-creator who is not only full of ideas, willing to hear and provide feedback and knows just how crazy hard and exhilarating writing is. this is especially awesome because she isn't a native creative writer herself.

more blogging on the process to come. this is just my warm up- i am also working on more writing and less talking- do more and promise less. though i am DYING to write about why i am inspired by some TV and why some is inspiring not because it's rockin' but because it's straight up SHITE!