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02/09/2007: Psst... It's Not Really an Old Saying


Several times during my career, I've heard experienced writers tell variations of the same funny true story. They've turned in a script to the network for approval, and the network executives have grimly told them that there are big problems with the script. They require that some character be fundamentally changed, or that a theme be entirely reworked, or that some other sweeping change needs to be made. In part two of this funny true story, the writer makes a one-word or one-sentence change to the script, like adding the word "proactive" to the character's initial description or adding something like "He stands victorious, his mission complete," to the final stage description. In part three of the funny true story the writer hands the script back to the network, expecting to be slapped for their impudence, but is instead praised for having made such a substantial change in such a short time. No one is sure exactly what was changed, but they know it felt better this time.

The moral of this story is NOT that network executives don't know when something feels wrong with a script. In fact, they do. Instead, the moral is that sometimes the person giving you notes on your spec script -- your friend or family member -- might not have a sense of which script problems require big solutions and which require small adjustments. All they can do is let you in on it when something that they read doesn't feel right. They're about pointing at the problem. As the writer, you're in charge of finding the solution. So listen and don't panic. The change you need to make might not be as big as you fear. It's like that old saying: sometimes the biggest fractures need the smallest bandages.

Lunch: knockwurst with sauerkraut