The easiest way to waste months as a screenwriter

Outline the story twelve different ways.
Read every craft book you can find.
Rewrite Act One until it’s technically “good.”
And then finally do the thing that would’ve helped from the beginning:
write the messy, honest draft you were avoiding.

I see this constantly with smart, high-functioning writers.

They don’t have a talent problem.
They have a safety problem.

Over-outlining is usually fear in a sophisticated outfit.
So is endless research.
So is rewriting the opening instead of moving forward.

Because finishing means being seen.
And being seen means risking that it might not be brilliant.

Here’s the part no one wants to admit:
Momentum doesn’t come from certainty.
It comes from staying in motion long enough for the truth of the story to reveal itself.

You don’t need another pass.
You need to let yourself write badly. On purpose.

That’s not laziness.
That’s how real work gets made.

If you've been working on a big creative project, what gets in your way?