What do when everything you write comes out wrong!

And what's the best approach to re-writing

Newsletter #7

Hello hello again,

Dear subscribers - once more thank you so much for keeping this newsletter alive with your questions.

If you’ve got a question - something you’ve been wrestling with quietly - send it my way. It might end up here next week.

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QUESTION 1

Clara from Sweden

Hi Hrafnkell,

I don’t know if this counts as “writer’s block” exactly, but lately everything I put down feels off, like the rhythm is wrong or the dialogue sounds fake. I keep rewriting the same scene over and over, and it just gets worse.

How do you deal with that feeling when nothing sounds right anymore? Do you push through it or walk away?

Hey,

This one hit close to home.

There’s a very specific kind of frustration that comes when your brain insists that everything you write is terrible - that every line sounds false, that the rhythm is off, that you’ve somehow forgotten how to write altogether.

It’s not quite writer’s block. It’s something sneakier - creative self-doubt disguised as quality control.

And I’ve been there. Many times.

The first thing I’d say is: don’t fight the feeling - make it part of your process.

Tell yourself, “Right now, I’m in that phase where everything sounds wrong.”

Once you name it, it loses power. You stop treating it like an emergency and start seeing it for what it is - part of your process.

Because that’s all it is.

Every writer goes through it - beginners, professionals, award-winners.

No one is immune. The only difference is that some of us have learned to expect it.

When you know it’s part of the process, you can stop being your own antagonist.

Then, the answer is simple: yes, you push through.

But not as punishment.

You do it because this is what writing looks like.

Some days it flows. Other days, as Stephen King said, “you’re just shovelling shit from a sitting position.”

And that’s fine. Because a few days later, when you come back to what you wrote, you’ll often realise it’s better than you thought.

It was just your head lying to you.

If you absolutely can’t write your way through it, here are two things I try:

Move on to another scene. Don’t stay stuck in one puddle. Jump ahead — let momentum do the work.

Flip the scene. Make it do the opposite of what it’s meant to. If it’s supposed to be calm, make it chaotic. If it’s meant to be funny, make it dark. Sometimes that jolt wakes up your instincts again.

And if all else fails - take a short walk, breathe, and remind yourself: you haven’t lost it.

You’re just in the messy middle.

That’s where the work happens.

Good luck, Clara.

And remember - this is not failure. It’s just a part of writing.

QUESTION 2

Diego from Mexico

Hi Hrafnkell,

When you’re revising a script, do you burn it all down and start from page one, or do you work scene by scene, polishing as you go? I’ve heard pros do both, total rebuilds or slow clean-ups, but I can’t tell which actually works better in the long run.

Curious how you handle it?

Hey Diego,

Perfect timing - I’m actually heading to Mexico next week for the CILECT annual film school conference, and it’ll be my first time visiting. I’ve heard great things - and a can’t wait to explore that culture.

Now, to your question.

How I rewrite really depends on how much time I have. But if time allows, my preferred method is simple:

👉 Write the whole thing again.

If you’re anything like my students, that probably just caused an audible gasp - that’s too much work!

But here’s the thing: it isn’t, not really.

After I’ve gone through the notes and the draft, I always return to my outline. That’s where I rebuild the story. I rewrite what scene is about there first, rearrange what needs shifting, and once that’s done - I have a clear plan.

Then I print out the script, place it next to my laptop, and start writing the entire thing again, line by line.

And yes, a lot of it ends up being the same text - but the key difference is that I’m choosing what stays.

This approach keeps me from accidentally dragging old problems into the new draft.

When you rewrite from scratch, you naturally integrate all the new changes instead of trying to patch holes in an old roof.

It also lets you trim the dead weight - scenes that no longer belong - and add small references or emotional beats that fit the new version.

Rewriting, to me, is like surgery: carefully taking things out and putting new things in.

When I try to rewrite directly into the existing script, it often feels like putting a band-aid over something that needs stitches.

And surprisingly, rewriting this way isn’t as time-consuming as it sounds - because you already know the story, the characters, and the rhythm.

You’re not inventing it again; you’re rebuilding it cleaner.

If I don’t have enough time, I compromise:

I open a new document, copy-paste scene by scene, and check each one - does it still belong, or does it need to change?

Then I rewrite only what truly needs it.

There’s no universal right way to do it, of course. But I’ve found that starting fresh usually saves me time later - because I need fewer rewrites overall.

Good luck, Diego.

And enjoy rewriting - it’s where the real craft begins.

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