Do you “Loop” Like I Do On Your Rewriting? If you said yes, you might need to get some Script Coverage. But first…
See if this sounds familiar…
You sit alone and write your script.
You work on it and sweat it out for… a loooooonnnnnggg time.
You get to the point where you think, “Hey, this is pretty good!” You’re actually semi-proud of your work.
But there’s another little voice, somewhere in the back of your mind… asking, “Or am I the only one who thinks it’s good?”
And pretty soon, it becomes, “Well…. now that I think about it…. I can see a few places it still needs work.”
“In fact, there are quite a few — well — a LOT of places that need work.”
“Ah… crap! Let me re-write the whole dang thing.”
CUT TO:
“FIVE YEARS LATER”
“Okay. NOOOOOWWWWW — Now — it’s pretty good!”
LOOP BACK TO BEGINNING.
Okay, playing around a little bit. But in fact, this is pretty common.
How do I know?
Because it’s exactly what I do with my own writing and so many of my screenwriting clients who come to me for script coverage have told me that’s what they do!
I don’t write screenplays anymore, but I do write a lot of information products and, of course, we have our script coverage services and other consulting services. But when it comes to just my own writing, no matter how much I have to say for an article or new course, I do the same thing.
I loop!
Do you loop?
Like in the above story?
I did…. at least until recently.
Until recently when I finally changed my pattern.
I realized that I just kept doing the same thing, over and over and over. Like a rat on one of those wheels.
And then a situation presented itself.
A situation in which there was someone outside of my head — meaning another person. In fact, it was one of my screenwriter clients who asked me a question. She needed some information about making deals and how much money she should get, and I told her, “Wow, you should read my Guidebook on Writer’s Money! Except — well, it’s not quite ready. I need to proofread and do some editing. It needs work–I think.”
She said, “You think your guidebook needs work? How ’bout this? I’ll review your guidebook for you. I do editing all the time. I need this information, Melody!”
And in that moment, something clicked. I realized that I had been working on this guidebook and many others in solitary confinement, so to speak. I had written them but never shared them with anyone… oh maybe a couple of people… but not really getting it out there.
But once it clicked for me that I had been in my head and there’s no way I could know for sure how it came across to other people, it was an easy decision! I said, “Okay,” and I handed it off.
That one moment completely opened up the possibilities for me.
It reminded me of something that was so obvious:
Script Coverage is Your Feedback — Every Writer Needs It
EVERY professional writer and screenwriter has other people review their work and get feedback. It’s impossible to know all on your own if what you are trying to say is fully conveyed on the page.
Once I handed it off and got my feedback, I felt so much more confident. The fact is, there WAS some work that needed to be done. Certain things were confusing.
In my head it was crystal clear. But outside of my head, it wasn’t!
I assumed the reader would understand certain things which in reality didn’t come across the way I thought it would.
The feedback from her was great news.
Now… instead of being stuck in my head worrying about it, I could move forward knowing another professional had told me exactly what wasn’t clear–what didn’t come across as I intended.
With feedback from someone I trusted who was outside of my head, it gave me the confidence and clarity I needed to move forward. Even further, it helped me clarify things that I already sensed I should do but hadn’t yet done! I completely re-organized the whole thing. And now I feel great about it.
And the truth is… I wouldn’t have done this with just any writer. Not even “just any” of my writer clients who have had me do their Script Coverage! But this particular client was already a professional writer. With her, I felt confident that I would get the feedback I needed.
And I did.
I could proceed with confidence, knowing that another professional had reviewed it and helped me see things I couldn’t see before because I was too close to it.
To re-state the obvious… Every professional writer has their work reviewed by others before they put it out to the public. I would even venture to say that not only all professionals, but nearly all advanced aspiring screenwriters know that getting script coverage is part of the writing process. With that said….
Do you have a script that you’re either stuck on or you’re pretty sure is ready to go that you think you could benefit from professional script coverage?
If yes, then I can help.
I’ve read thousands of screenplays and given in-depth feedback to countless screenwriters. I know the common mistakes and how to help you get your best story onto the page.
On three different occasions I was rated a Top 5 Script Analyst or Cream of the Crop Script Consultant by industry trade magazines. I have a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies (with emphasis in Depth Psychology), so I pull from many different resources to give feedback — including keeping an eye toward making your screenplays as marketable to Hollywood as possible.
If you’re ready to rock and roll and get your script reviewed, you can order 1-hour feedback on your screenplay here. It’s $350 and the link will take you to the Paypal shopping cart. — No sense procrastinating if you know you’re ready!
Or… to learn more about the Script Coverage I do, go to my website page on professional feedback on your script.
Or… now you can go back to the top and watch the video to learn how to choose the right analyst for you…. which may be ME! đŸ™‚
Thanks for playing along and reading this story.
Happy writing!