Hi Stage 32!
I have a big event: a real human being actually read my script. Now my glass is half full — I got 2.5 points. Of course, it’s an epic fail. I believed — either the story or the script, something had to work. I was deeply wrong.
How do you cope when your story or script doesn’t land at all? Any advice from those who’ve been through it?
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Hi, Nataly Kiut! I keep pitching, networking, and getting better at writing scripts. And sometimes it's the concept. I turned a Crime Drama short script into a Sci-Fi Thriller short script and added a hook to the concept. I started pitching the script yesterday and already got interest in it.
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Nataly Kiut !! I know that feeling, and it can be really discouraging... but speaking as someone who sits on the other side of the desk often reading and grading scripts and pitches, those star systems are tough because they’re trying to quantify a lot of nuance into a single number.
More often than not, a low score isn’t saying your work has no potential or promise. It usually means something wasn’t being communicated clearly. Whether that’s the premise, the character journey, the stakes, or the structure.
Most strong projects go through multiple rounds of “this isn’t landing yet” before they really click. The key is digging into the notes, looking for patterns, and using that feedback to sharpen what you already have. It’s part of the process, not the final verdict. Keep going. Writing is rewriting, after all.
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Hi Nataly Kiut I have just started writing scripts, pitching, networking and had 2 execs pass on my script so far. You can still believe in your idea even if you get a low score. Never give up with it!
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Hi Maurice Vaughan!
I’m really happy to hear that your new concept is already getting interest — that’s amazing and very inspiring. Wishing you lots of luck with the pitching and the project. Sounds like you found a great hook!
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Hi
Laura Notarianni , thank you so much for sharing this perspective from the other side of the desk. It really helps.
I’m going back to the craft — reading, studying structure, and carefully working through the notes to improve the script. Your comment gave me clarity and motivation. Thank you.
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Hi
Shayla Anne ! Thank you for the support. Yes, we’re definitely in the same big boat )
We just have to keep learning, writing, and moving forward. Wishing you strength and good luck with your scripts too!
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I’ve learned that a low score doesn’t mean a story failed — it usually means it hasn’t finished becoming itself yet. Feedback can be clumsy, subjective, or early, but the fact that someone read it at all means the work is already in motion. Be gentle with yourself. This part is more common than we admit.
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Nataly, a 2.5 score isn’t an emotional crisis; it’s a clinical diagnostic signal.
The industry tries to 'cope' with failure through moral support. Architecture copes with failure by identifying the fracture. In my 12 years as an invisible hand behind global slates, I’ve seen 'brilliant' stories fail not because of a lack of soul, but because they were structurally bankrupt at the core.
A story doesn’t 'land' when the Information Gap is hollow or the protagonist lacks engineered agency. If the narrative physics aren't sound, the landing is impossible regardless of your passion. Don't go back to the 'craft' to study more dialogue; go back to the blueprint to find where the tension is leaking capital.
Success is a byproduct of precision, not just persistence. Audit the bone, and the flesh will follow.
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Thanks, Nataly Kiut. I'm thinking about turning my short script into a feature script. Hope you find the right producer for your script!
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Hi Nataly Kiut, you, me, and every other screenwriter with rejected scripts owe the industry nothing! If you believe in your idea, take out your phone and shoot your script just the way it is, the best you can with what you have, if it is not right, learn from your mistakes, and repeat. Your finished film (no matter how bad, good, or great it is) has more value than your unmade script.
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Charmane Wedderburn, hi. Thank you so much for such a warm message — I really needed to hear that. And honestly, I’m already grateful that a real person actually read my script. It feels like the first real step forward.
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Maurice Vaughan thank you! And good luck turning your short into a feature. When you start handing out premiere invitations, please put me on the list too — I’ll bring the popcorn
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Artashes Yeremyan, thank you for the technical and honest perspective from the other side. It’s extremely helpful. Architecture and structure are my new best friends now. Hopefully after the rewrite my scripts will be much easier to read
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Paul Rivers, now that’s a plot twist I honestly hadn’t even considered that approach. My project involves some underwater shooting, so I’ll wait for the ice to melt and maybe just start filming. .
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You're welcome, Nataly Kiut. Thanks. I'll try to get you a premiere invitation!
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A sound structure does more than make a script 'easier to read'—it makes the investment inevitable. Transitioning from 'writing' to 'engineering' is where professional sustainability begins.
Nataly Kiut : Don't just rearrange the dialogue. Re-verify the conflict DNA. If the foundation holds its weight, the audience won't just 'read' your story—they will be trapped by it. Good luck with the overhaul.