How to Write a Feature Length Script in a Week

Key Points:

• Co-writers David Wain and Ken Marino wrote the first draft of their film "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" in just seven consecutive 12-hour days, starting at 7 a.m. and working uninterrupted until 7 p.m. each day.
• Their unique writing process involves beginning without a concept, developing a complete outline by day two, and then writing rapidly, averaging 20 pages per day to maintain momentum and avoid the typical stop-and-start nature of screenwriting.
• This disciplined approach, inspired by their early sketch comedy days with The State, helps them overcome creative blocks and produce a first draft quickly, which then undergoes a longer rewrite phase over weeks or years.
• Wain and Marino noted that similar methods are used by other writers, citing Zach Cregger's "elf version" technique, which encourages writing without self-censorship to complete a draft before refining it.
• "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass," directed by Wain and starring Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, and John Slattery, will be released in theaters by Sony Pictures Classics on July 10, 2026.