If she’s writing, I’m available for notes. If I’m writing, she’s available for notes. Usually, there is no simultaneous writing. One person writes half the script (pages 1-60) and then the other person writes the other half (60-100+ depending on the genre). We work at this until we have one long outline with all the beats.

This story breakdown is then put into a Word document but sometimes we use emails too. Mostly because after writing together for five years, we have developed a process that not only took some time to set up and but it finally seems to work like a well oiled machine.įor those who might do it differently, our process goes like this… When we get a new project, whether it’s a assignment or a spec script, we start by breaking the story beats over the phone. I was hoping it didn’t feel like trying to learn quantum physics because like everyone, I dread change. Rah! So, we down loaded the new Final Draft 10 program and proceeded to figure out how to do this. Sounds good in theory, but it is practical? My writing partner, Ann Marie Allison, and I decided we wanted to find out first hand with our new script Golden Arm, a female buddy comedy about ladies arm wrestling. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the same city or on the other side of the country, this technology makes it easier than ever to collaborate – a fundamental in the film industry. That means you can write a few lines of dialog or a quick little scene, and your writing partner can watch you and even join in. The newest thing in screenwriting software is collaboration. Ann Marie and Jenna trying to collaborate.

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