So this past week the producer of my script had us do a table read. It's in need of some rewriting before it gets produced, since we started this script a long time ago. Things have changed a lot since we first wrote it, and all the rewrites over the years too. We're bringing in a new writer that I'm friends with who's very talented so I know he'll do a great job. So we cast actors, and we listened to them perform the script.
If you've never done a table read, get yourself some actors, or friends if you don't know any actors, writers work too. It's just really helpful to hear what scenes lag, what dialogue is too long or on the nose and what even works. I highly recommend it. But I also highly recommend not to be so critical of your writing like I was. I think we're all our own worst enemies. There's plenty of time to be criticized when it's an actual movie and in the theater, right? So why do it so early on? Try to enjoy the table read a bit more than I did. Let's just say I was so stressed that I almost had anxiety over it. And I'm probably one of the most calm people you'll ever meet. For some reason, all I could hear were the flaws. But that's what a table read is for, to find the flaws and fix them! When I told an actor that I was focusing on the flaws, she said, "Are you kidding? It's such a strong script." When I hear that, I remind myself I'm being too hard on myself. But it's so hard at the time. So hard!
Even afterwards everyone said how great the script was. But would anyone really say to my face, that sucked! Maybe, but I doubt it. But people liked it and I'm going to focus on that. And now my writer friend is going to take a pass at the notes we all had. And I'm so glad! I know he's going to get this script to the level that it needs to be for us to hopefully have a movie we can be proud of. Wow, a movie! This actually might get made after all these years! Fingers crossed!
