Taking notes

So, you've written the best screenplay ever. And you're going to meet with your writing group or a producer and get feedback. Of course they'll agree it's brilliant and Oscar worthy. Sure, there might be a few changes, but they'll notice how brilliant you are, right? So...then come the REAL notes. And they're not as positive as you hoped! Of course you want to tell them that they don't know what they're talking about and they must be mistaken. But guess what? They're not wrong! At least not completely. The fact is, we writers are inside our head. And when we put words on the paper, we're sure that what's in our head is on the page. But that isn't always the case. So when you get notes, listen to the person giving them. Write down what people are saying. You don't have to agree inside. You can actually think they're completely way off base. But if you ever want notes again, which you need, you better listen! And get in the practice of just listening with your writer's group. Because when it comes time to get notes from a producer, you really better not argue. No producer wants to hear a writer tell them they're wrong. If they're hiring you, listen to what they have to say or you'll be known as a writer who's difficult. Before long no one will want to work with you again. I'm not saying you have to take every note people give you. In fact, don't. Take the notes and go home and sit on them for a couple days. Remind yourself the story you are trying to tell. Then read the notes and see which ones are helping you get there. If you don't take all the notes but use them to make your story the one you want to tell, then those notes will be very helpful. Sometimes people don't know what's not working, they just know it's not. So that's why arguing with the person giving the notes is a waste of time and truly downright rude. So listen up. I promise you, there's something there that will help your story become better than you ever imagined.