I've had the pleasure of consulting with countless writers on their projects, and one comment that continues to pop up time and time again is:
But the OTHER guy said I should write it this way..."
OR
"These notes are SO different than the ones I already received!"
OR
"My script used to have that scene / sequence you're suggesting, but then I got these other notes that told me to change it, so I did."
Basically, the prevailing sentiment becomes one of: "UGH! Why am I getting so many different notes?! HOW DO I KNOW WHICH NOTES TO LISTEN TO?!?
Here's the deal: just like at a holiday family reunion, there are no shortage of opinions when it comes to screenwriting. Whether we like it or not, screenwriting (and filmmaking in general) is one of those public-facing, pop culture-entangled professions that everyone seems to be an armchair expert at ("That movie sucked! What were they thinking?!" -- "I totally would've done a better job!" -- we all have *that friend who sounds just like this). And the sad truth is: even within the industry itself, there are many "experts" whose opinions or advice don't pass the real-world sniff test. Throw a stone and you can easily hit someone who fashions themselves a seasoned pro, ready to tell you all about what is going right/wrong in your script... but who likely lacks the field experience to appropriately back it up.
So how do you tell the difference? How can you identify the real pros from the so-called "pros"?
Here's the other sad truth: oftentimes, you won't be able to. And let's not forget, moviemaking sits at the intersection of art + commerce, so there is by definition a level of subjectivity to elements like script development and script notes. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. That's art, baby!
So... what do you do? Is it a hopeless cause?! Are you doomed to wander the chaotic wasteland of conflicting notes, suspect experts, and confusing guidance forever in your pursuit of effective storytelling?!?!?
The quick answer: No. You are not doomed to be confused by script notes forever. There are many ways -- especially as you gain more experience -- to identify effective notes from just noise. Ways to define the "North star" of your development process and follow it through to success. And while I don't have the time/space to list them all here (and I'm sure you're tired of my rambling), let me throw out one tool that may be helpful, a perspective that Bill Hader has spoken about in many interviews (one of which you can watch here: https://www.tiktok.com/@thescriptlab/video/7249434664568474926)
Essentially, as Bill talks about, the perspective is this:
Over time, you're going to get a lot of notes. In fact, you should want to get notes, and get notes fast -- notes will help you stress test your ideas, filter out the good stuff from the bad, point you in the right direction. But when it comes to utilizing notes effectively...
Focus on WHAT the notes are about, NOT the suggestions about HOW to fix them.
Essentially, we humans are so exposed and comfortable with storytelling, that we have an innate sense of when something in a story is working or not. Whether it be another screenwriter or your retired grandmother, people in general have a knack for pinpointing when something feels off. So -- when they tell you what's not working in the story, they're actually usually correct. BUT, when they then tell you how to fix it, they're wrong. They're either not qualified enough, not experienced enough, or -- hell, they're just not you enough -- to accurately dictate what should always with-100%-accuracy come next in the story.
It's their job to give you their thoughts, to give you their notes. But it's YOUR job to determine the fixes.
So, if you're looking for a quick trick on how to best evaluate / manage all the different notes your story is receiving... identify the areas of your script that seem to receive the most critique or feedback. Those are truthfully the areas you should focus your development on. But when it comes to HOW you make those revisions... well, that's best left in your own hands.
So again: When it comes to receiving notes from others, focus on the WHAT, not on the HOW.
It's your job to determine the HOW when it's time to implement changes.
(I hope this helps! And, of course, if you ever need one more voice giving you notes to juggle in your head... you know where to reach out!)
6 people like this
Makes very good sense.
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Hi Ryan, what genre do you look for?
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Great advice, Ryan. It reminds me of something Michael Crichton once said. He was a medical doctor as well as a thriller novelist, and he said he listened to his editors for symptoms of disease, not a diagnosis.
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Billy Kwack all kinds -- genre agnostic here!
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Cool Ryan
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This is a great post. I know I am a new screenwriter. That is usually what I do is get multiple notes and look for what each of them say doesn't work. Then I look for commonalities in what they say doesn't work. This usually gives me a good direction or where to begin.
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Would love to give this post a five-star rating! Wonderful advice Ryan Christians . I have only recently learned to become more discerning of whether feedback is truly helpful or not. Healthy discernment is a skill in itself to be acquired! I can usually tell by the tone of the feedback also, whether a person is being positively constructive or not, it becomes more and more apparent, with the increased amount of feedback you request. Loved your whole approach of focusing on the WHY and not the HOW... usually it takes awhile for the WHY to digest and then you often find that a HOW to fix the problem will come to you a couple of days later. Thank you for your post!
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Ryan Christians - this is one hell of a post with incredible information in it. We are so thrilled to have you on board as a Stage 32 executive helping out our writers. Given your extensive experience in the industry, your advice here and your notes are very much appreciated!
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Ryan Christians - You have no idea how much i needed this post ! thank you thank you ....
also reminds me of the quote "Not everyone is an artist but everyone is a F***ing critic"
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I always try to get as many readers as I can on my scripts (a dozen or more people if possible). Then I put all their notes on the master copy before I ever even think about addressing them or blowing them off. That way I can see at a glance the problem areas (multiple notes in the same spot) and/or conflicting notes.
As for which ones to abide? I have what I call my "rule of 3". Which states:
If ONE person says something is a problem, it might just be their problem.
If TWO people say it's a problem, it might be.
If THREE or more people say it's a problem - it's a fucking problem! FIX IT!