Come Back To It

So, I had a bit of an oopsie with a friend of mine. He asked me to read his screenplay and give him notes (thoughts, opinions, suggestions, etc.) on it. I diligently read it, wrote up my thoughts, and forgot to send them to him.

So, yeah, oops. Then I got an email asking what was up. Guess who felt like a fool. (I'll give you a hint: it was me.)

So I read through my notes before sending them and I saw me commenting on parts I didn't even remember (it's weird how you think you remember a story, but you actually only remember a few scenes). So I read through the screenplay again, weeks after doing it the first time, and it was a very different experience.

A lot of the surprise was gone. It's like, although there were parts that I forgot, when I approached them in the story, my memory jogged. However, because I was less concerned with "what happens next", I was able to focus on smaller details much better.

I noticed continuity issues that I missed before. I noticed subtle visual cues that were a little too subtle for my first runthrough. I noticed that certain issues I had taken with characters' actions actually made perfect sense when I read more carefully.

So, it ended up being a mixed blessing. I screwed up on getting a review out in time, but because of the wait, a better review came out of it. (I still sincerely apologized.)

I have mentioned in the past how beneficial it is to put your writing away and return to it later.You see it with fresh eyes. But, on top of that, you see them with a wiser mind. Much like the experience described above, I was able to see so much more because I was no longer just going with the flow of the story.

A first reading is a truly unique experience. When you do it, I do recommend as much as impossible to ride the story from beginning to end. If there is a glaring error, make note of it, but don't let it ruin the mood. However, always make sure to give yourself a break to chill out and digest it all, and come back to it.