Notes The Sting (And What They're Actually Telling You)

Image by: Litsie Gonzalez

There's nothing like opening a fresh round of script notes... and immediately questioning your life choices. When I was first starting out, they would send me into an existential crisis and shut me down for months. Whether it's "I didn't connect with the main character" or "The second act felt slow," even the most well-meaning feedback can feel like a gut punch. But those stinging comments? They're often pointing to your script's most fixable (and most important) opportunities.

Let's decode what those painful notes might really be saying - and how to use them to level up your work instead of spiraling.

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I Didn't Care About the Main Character

What it feels like: You wrote an entire backstory, and they still didn't care?!

What it might mean:

• Your character may be active but not emotionally engaging.

• Readers connect through vulnerability, contradiction, or a clear need - not just cool action.

Fix it by: Giving your character a moment of internal truth early on, or sharpening the stakes around their personal goal.

The Second Act Drags

What it feels like: A classic structural slap in the face.

What it might mean:

• The midpoint isn't turning the story hard enough.

• Your character might be reacting instead of driving the story.

Fix it by: Introducing a surprising twist at the midpoint, shifting the power dynamic, or giving your protagonist a bold new plan.

I've Seen This Before

What it feels like: Your originality just got erased.

What it might mean:

• The execution feels to familiar - even if your idea is unique.

• You're leaning too heavily on genre tropes or expected story beats.

Fix it by: Asking: what's the version only I could write? Then filter every major scene through that lens.

This Dialogue Doesn't Ring True

What it feels like: Ouch. You heard those lines in your head.

What it might mean:

• Characters sound the same, or too polished.

• Dialogue is carrying exposition rather than emotion or a power struggle.

Fix it by Reading scenes aloud, cutting filler, and ensuring each line moves the scene emotionally or narratively.

It Just Didn't Click for Me

What if feels like: Pure frustration - what do you even do with that?

What it might mean:

• It could genuinely be a mismatch in taste (it happens!)

• Or... you're burying the emotional hook under too much plot.

Fix it by finding the emotional questions your script is asking and ensuring they are clear by page 10.

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Final Thoughts

Notes that sting aren't a sign you're falling. They're often neon arrows pointing to your next big breakthrough. The real growth comes not from pleasing every reader, but from learning to hear what's underneath the surface of the feedback, and translating that into fearless revisions.

-Renee

📄 Want to handle notes with clarity and power?

🔐 Download my Script Feedback Decoder—a guide to translating vague feedback into clear, actionable rewrites.