Why Stacking Screenwriting Projects Could Be the Game-Changer You’ve Been Missing
Ever wonder how the top screenwriters seemingly juggle a dozen scripts without breaking a sweat? It’s not magic—it’s “stacking projects,” a craft that’s as much about savvy strategy as it is about creativity. Take a peek behind the curtain at writers like Liz Hannah or the duo Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who each have multiple projects simmering simultaneously, from scripts to pitches, rewrites to TV series options. This approach isn’t just a quirky habit—it’s the freelancer’s secret weapon for steady work and, let’s be honest, keeping the lights on (and those private school tuitions paid). But managing this juggling act demands a rare skill set—knowing exactly how to balance rewriting a draft while racing toward a first draft on another. Curious how they keep the plates spinning without crashing? Here’s a closer look at how you can stack your projects the smart way.
One key to the craft: Learning how to manage multiple projects at once.
Here’s something interesting to do if you subscribe to IMDbpro.com: Check out some of the top screenwriters and see what projects they have in development. Here are some writers I’ve gotten to know:
Liz Hannah (The Post, Long Shot)
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine — Script
Under Another Name — Script
Bad Girls — Optioned / TV Series
Mercury 13 — Optioned
I Love You Now and Forever — Script
The Bird’s Game — Pitch / TV Series
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer, The Fault in Our Stars, The Disaster Artist)
A Chris Farley Story — Pith
Salt to the Sea — Optioned
The Beauty Inside — Pitch
Rules of Civility — Development
Nothing to See Here — Optioned
Beginner’s Greek — Development
Untitled Royal Wedding Comedy — Development
Each one has several titles in various stages of development. That’s called stacking projects and it’s requires a certain skill-set.
First, why do you want to stack projects? Simple answer: So you can know what your next gig… and your next gig… and your next gig is going to be. As a freelancer, that’s as close as you get to job security. If you can stretch your project horizon out a year or two, that’s a damn fine situation, knowing you’ll have the wherewithal to pay for little Brenna and Slater’s $50K private elementary school tuition for the foreseeable future.
But it also means you have to be able to handle several projects at once. I can’t say exactly how other writers manage stacking projects, but here’s how one way to approach it.
At any given time, you are actively working on three projects:
- The Rewrite: This is a project for which you have already written a draft and turned in, and you will edit per studio / producer notes.
- The First Draft: This is a project you are working on to get to the studio.
