I have a subscription to a service that gives me access to multiple drafts for screenplays. I’ll read a draft, then watch the film to see how it’s fleshed out. Having only enough time to read ONE draft, what’s more beneficial to my own writing: reading the draft latest in date, or earliest?
— Brendan
Los Angeles
Mix it up. You’ll notice big changes if you read the earliest drafts. But the later ones give you a better sense of how the words on the page translated to the screen.
There may also be a benefit to reading some drafts from the middle of the process, particularly if the project changed writers. And if you have the opportunity to read a few scripts by the same writers, you’ll get a better sense of how their style stays consistent–or changes–from screenplay to screenplay.