Sometimes a writer knows they have a good story, but something on the page still isn’t working.1.Maybe the opening takes too long to pull us in.2.Maybe a character’s motivation isn’t clear.3.Maybe the pacing slows down in places.4.Or maybe the ending doesn’t have the impact the story deserves.The difficult part is often knowing, what needs fixing when you’re too close to the script yourself.That’s where a fresh pair of eyes can make a difference.When you’ve finished a draft, what do you usually want feedback on first: **character, pacing, structure, dialogue, or the overall story?
Screenwriting : Is Your Script Really Ready? by Jeniffer Cole
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That's a useful checklist, and the writer is the last person who can see their own script clearly after months inside it. What's the feedback you usually ask for first, and has it changed depending on the project?
Samantha Rivera Absolutely, Samantha. I usually start with the areas that can affect the reader’s overall experience most, especially the opening, character motivation, pacing, structure, and emotional stakes. From there, I look at what the specific project is trying to achieve, because the feedback needs to serve the story rather than follow the same checklist every time. For me, understanding what the writer wants the audience to feel is often the best place to start.
My attitude is different. Leave it to the reader to determine what they find most important to help me correct. Besides, different readers have different talent profile, so if the first reader doesn't notice a problem, then perhaps the next one will.
For me, I like to get feedback on characters. If I know a character's story arc isn't work or the stakes need to be raised somehow, most of the other problems can get solved in that process. If there are scenes that aren't adding to a character's growth and development, I want to know that as soon as possible so I know what kind of wiggle room I should give myself to solve the other problems.
If I'm being honest - in my opinion - the logline needs to be polished first alongside the synopsis. Without either of these, it can be rather difficult to get the engagement for the read to begin with. Once they have been polished, I began with a phase 1 review; the first 10 pages. This was acting as a double edged sword - I kept the full script back protecting the IP and, got an honest review of what was working well and what wasn't. This gave me a base to look over the rest following this. Now, I am in a place where I feel, a full read from the right person is due. The issue isn't the next steps however - it is finding someone willing to do it. I am happy to give it time though. This is such a personal project that I have no intention of rushing the process.