sent my script off for formatting and editing today. feels weird honestly, months of living inside this story and now it's out of my hands for a bit. good feeling though, means it's actually moving forward instead of just sitting in my drafts folder.
anyone else get that strange mix of relief and separation anxiety handing a script off, even when it's a good thing?
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Absolutely. After spending months with a story, handing it over can feel strangely personal. But it’s also a good feeling knowing the script is finally moving forward. What was the hardest part for you about letting someone else work on it?
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I completely understand that feeling. When you’ve spent months immersed in a story, it must feel strange to finally let someone else work on it. But it’s also exciting that it’s moving into the next stage. What’s the script about, and are you having it professionally edited and formatted for submission or preparing it for production?
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@Mikel Jayden I think that moment of handing a script over can feel strange because, after spending months inside the characters and story, you suddenly have to let someone else experience it from the outside.
It’s also one of the most valuable stages of the process because fresh eyes can reveal things the writer may no longer notice, especially around pacing, character motivation, and whether the emotional beats are landing the way they were intended.
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Congratulations Mikel Jayden on finishing that script! And to answer your question...yes and no. There's a big relief but there's also a knowing that coverage will make it better and when it's sold, there will be changes made to it. Knowing that this is bound to happen, I tell my heart that I poured out everything that I was supposed to and that it's now time to rest. So rest...and celebrate!
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CONGRATULATIONS! That's such an exciting feeling! And yes, the unknown part is kind of nerve wracking, but for the most part, I get excited. I love getting feedback, and I love things moving forward. I also have the champagne problem of always having a story on deck that wants my attention. So for me, it feels like flow.
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Congratulations on this big step, Mikel Jayden~ and I definitely get those tangled feelings whenever I share my work, doesn’t matter if it’s for coverage or a table read ^^; in my case it comes and goes in waves, often in quick succession. I can be super excited to share my work and then immediately after be like “wait, I shouldn’t’ve done that!” xD
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Absolutely, Mikel Jayden, and it doesn't fully go away either!
Part of it is that a script in your drafts folder is still yours entirely. Nobody has misread it, nobody has told you the thing you were afraid was true, and every version of how it might land is still possible. The moment it goes out, all of those possibilities start collapsing into one actual outcome. That's genuinely a loss even when the outcome turns out to be good.
The other part is more practical. For months you had a thing to do every day, and now you don't. That gap is uncomfortable, and it's why so many writers start the next one immediately rather than waiting to hear back. Not out of discipline, but because sitting with an empty desk is worse.
But you're right that it means it's moving. A script nobody has seen can't do anything for you.
While you're in that waiting stretch, worth knowing about this week's Creative Army mission. Personally invite two friends or collaborators to join Stage 32, comment on the post telling us who you brought in, and you get a FREE Stage 32 Pitch Session. That's a live pitch to a working executive with written feedback, and the code runs through January 1st, so you could hold it until your script comes back polished and ready. Closes Sunday: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing/Why-Your-Creative-Community-Is-...
Congratulations on getting it out the door. Curious what you're going to work on while you wait.
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I’ve never actually handed a script off for formatting and editing, as that’s something I do myself, but I definitely relate to the anxiety of sending one out. I’ve felt it sending scripts to producers and studio execs. The biggest thing that helped me handle that anxiety was my experience as an actor, because you can audition dozens of times a year, and dwelling on each one can eat you up when you’ve got another audition to prepare for. That taught me to move on once I’d done everything I could, and I think the same applies to sending out a script. When there’s absolutely nothing more you can do until you hear back with that script, fill your day with other things you love or start the next story. The waiting can have a little of your attention, but it doesn’t need a starring role.
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Hard to say without knowing the details, but sending your script off for formatting and editing certainly sounds suspicious. I hope you're not getting scammed