Now you’re ready to write your next script draft! Congratulations! Don’t stress that your “script isn’t ready yet.” You’ve done the hard part and conquered the blank page. Now, it’s time to have fun digging through the various parts of the move, finessing the bits that you weren’t previously sure were “just right”, and enjoying all the things that got you excited about writing this script (just in case you weren’t already) !
Since you sent your draft, you’ve received a bunch of notes. Make sure that when you hear or read these notes, you remember to take them all in instead of getting defensive. Don’t immediately contradict or dismiss anyone’s notes. You’ll organize these notes, which will help you determine which ones are the most important to give back and which ones are worth shelving or understanding more clearly.
This process allows you to get feedback from executives, producers, reps or anyone else with an open mind and a team approach—Even if you think they’re not real Get your script.
Write down every message you get from someone who has read your latest draft. Now you’ll take “notes on notes” and organize them by asking these questions…
Is this a formatting error or a typo?
Don’t pay too much attention to any feedback in this category. You’ll be making so many changes to your script that they may not be important. If you’re in one of your later drafts, highlight these and go through the script first to correct them. It will now be easier to find them before any changes are made, as readers may list page numbers and where changes may affect those misspellings.
Keep in mind that Final Draft now has Grammarly integrated into the software as well, so take advantage of all its features before sending your script to anyone!
If your notes are about formatting, be sure to check out screenwriting software like Final Draft if you’re not already using it. This will save you a lot of time and effort so you don’t have to receive a note like this in the future. The best way to learn about formatting is to use the Final Draft templates built into the software and read recently produced professional scripts.
Is this a world note or a prose note?
Do you have any notes that reference your prose writing style? Or are there times when the story drags, but you put it there because it shows the audience the rules of the world? What should I do if there are too many instructions?
No matter the genre, you have a message that you have to convey to your readers, and you want to do it in an interesting way. Sometimes you just need exposition in the dialogue, but the goal is to have everything in the story fit in that vein, and that means the characters’ actions. Think of a movie like this inside outwhich uses this opening to not only show us who Joy is (establishing her emotional arc, vulnerability, and desires), but also to show us the larger rules of a fantasy world within a little girl’s mind.
Even a more grounded story like last year’s teen comedy BottomsThe script uses character interactions and humor that are close to real life, while also giving us a sense of how different high school attitudes are from real life. Without that distinction, you’d never let yourself question whether you fit the premise of the movie, which follows two teenage girls who form a fight club at school, even with the permission of their principal and teacher advisor.
You’ll deal with these annotations later, but it’s important to consider them first because they are clearer than the next two areas, and you can often combine them with other feedback in the solution.
Read more: You’ve received script notes from the producer, now what?
Is this a plot/structure note?
Now, let’s review your feedback and highlight anything that falls under Structure. Readers are looking for a inciting incident, catalyst, midpoint, low point, all-lost moment, climax, reversal, pinch point, setback, Wait to anchor your story.
You may have them, but they didn’t register them. If they are there, mark them as “character” annotations (next section). Otherwise, you will need to look at the overall structure.
Are there moments of clarity in your script that serve as checkpoints in the plot’s development, leading to noticeable changes in your characters? That’s what your structure is for. It just challenges your character through the plot.
Another note you may receive may relate to the size of your story, meaning it is a plot note. If you’re writing an action movie, you’ll probably hear it over and over again to make it “bigger.” They may want a bigger positioning moment, but when you get bigger, don’t forget about the stakes, whether they’re tangible (like money) or emotional (like relationships).
If anyone is concerned about your screenplay budget, you’ll want to take a look at your scenes and see if there’s a smaller way to achieve them while still making an impact. The big scenes may be fun, but the lasting impact always comes from the characters, which brings us to…
Is this a character annotation?
I don’t understand why they do this…it’s not that important to me at this moment…I just don’t understand… These notes occur when readers don’t understand who your protagonist (or another character) is and what makes them tick.
The audience needs to understand early on who they are, what they want/desire in life, what their goals are in the movie, and if they don’t understand it, depending on what they need (whether it’s to heal, overcome a flaw, upgrade, or all of the above) What are the dangers?
Their goal is essentially the plot of the movie, but everything leading up to that choice has to be character-based. Each subsequent setback has to hit those same emotions in a new, bigger way.
If we don’t know what’s at stake, or what makes them work, you’re going to get a lot of empty questions and suggestions about how to fix it, and you’re going to want to put it off. Don’t push back. Listen to these thoughts, there may be some good ones in there, but remember the “note behind the note” is that they just don’t understand your personality.
Read more: Breaking down the character archetypes of the hero’s journey
How can I incorporate these comments into my script?
You’ve got it all organized and probably figured out some cool fixes along the way. When you go back and look at all the notes, is there a thread throughout that illustrates what isn’t working for readers? Is there a way to resolve multiple issues that arise in one scene or sequence?
you may have heard The problems in Act Three arise from the problems in Act One. This means that if you work on the first few pages, it will influence the rest of the script and answer a lot of questions for the reader.
Let’s say you’re told that they don’t understand why your character makes certain choices in the middle of the script. In the opening pages, do you set up how your character would react in a similar situation? Have you exposed their weaknesses? Maybe make them clearer than they are now and call back to those moments in the movie.
If your readers want you to lower the budget, can you put the moment in a smaller scene, with fewer characters, and make the emotional beat bigger?
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A great script will make the characters’ wants, needs, and stakes obvious as the plot hits them with every structural checkpoint. It’s not an easy task, but as your skills improve, you’ll get stronger with each round of note-taking and rewriting.
Read more: Script separation: ‘Acolyte’ screenwriter Leslie Headland’s advice on first draft
