One of my process quirks is to do all the hard work, plot the story, break it down, shuffle it into page assignments, and then script it.

Then.

I go back and I remap the story out in page beats in a notebook, and I link the pages that make up a scene, and I look for where the pacing isn’t quite working. I look for where the structural gaps up for me to clarify things. And I look for where I can trim the fat.

It’s an extra step, but sometimes it helps me edit the script in ways looking at a 30 page document isn’t going to allow.

This is especially helpful when working on a one-shot, where every single page must feel crucial.