James Cameron recently said Christopher’s Nolan screenplay for OPPENHEIMER was “a bit of a moral copout” and “dodged the effects” of Oppenheimer’s choice to help create the atomic bomb.
This made news—–the 2nd highest grossing filmmaker of all-time criticizing the story choices of a wildly successful movie that won Best Picture and made billions.
It was highly unusual to see a public comment by one filmmaker directed at another.
Some might not see it as unfair, simply a remark of constructive feedback between professionals. Others might find it a personal attack on another’s creative expression, and arguably inappropriate.
Where does your writing come from? Sometimes I forget. Cameron’s criticism reminded me that my work is written by me. It’s my screenplay and I’m writing it.
It’s personal.
In fact, when I forget that everything I create is from what I’ve seen and experienced—what I dream of, what I fear—I get bogged down. My script doesn’t move forward.
The Not Upset Writer
I have judged a screenplay competition for nearly 30 years. We have sent out tens of thousands of feedback on scripts directly to writers.
I find it refreshing when a writer takes their feedback professionally. Despite getting detailed criticisms of what’s not working in their script, they are able to receive it in a courteous way. They have trained themselves not to freak out.
But in some ways, it’s kinda weird when people don’t melt down.
Don’t get me wrong! Dealing with writers who are not upset is better than dealing with writers who are.
Yet I have to say that when I do get a cool, collected professional response from a writer we have sent our feedback to, I’m a little suspicious haha.
Like you’re lying.
You expect me to believe you’re not bothered in any way that we do not understand something you’ve wrote?
On the flipside, when people react with accusations of using AI and you didn’t read it and is this person in high school who read it, you must have skimmed this, your readers must be tired, how could they have missed this information, this is a rip-off, my script has placed in 27 contests, an Oscar producer said they liked it, an Oscar producer said they loved it, an Oscar producer wants to make it——-
It’s almost like they’re being honest about what they feel. Like they’re taking it personally. Like we have attacked their souls.
Maybe, you could argue, we have attacked their souls.
Makes me wonder, if my soul doesn’t feel attacked, is my soul in my script?
Your Soulful Script
I have been writing screenplays for 30 years now. And there are times I have forgotten who I am when I am working on something. I can’t see myself in it. I’m thinking about plot and structure and conflict and endings. I’m fixing dialogue and trimming description. I’m trying to be a good writer. I’m trying to make a great movie. I’m working towards winning an award and receiving attention and getting a bigger house for my cats.
And I wonder why the script is stuck.
Perhaps it’s not personal. Maybe it’s not about me. It’s not coming from who I am. How I have been embarrassed. How I have injured others. My mistakes. My hope for a better tomorrow.
Be upset with how things go, or better yet, tell the truth. You’re an imaginative, gifted intelligent person. Stand on the front line of your work. Are you taking your screenplay personally? What’s bothering me? Who am I? Why do I have to tell this story? Have I forgotten?
Audiences love stories when it’s about them. Not only does my screenplay need to be about me, but the creation of the screenplay should also, I hope, be about me.
And it’s okay to be messy, kids. This is where we are.
And my cats don’t want a bigger house.
They want to sit next to me.
Note: This was written by a human named Gordy Hoffman.
SUBMIT YOUR SCREENPLAY
Oh, how true, and how well-written. Humorous and honest! Thank you.
Thanks, Vicki!
Writing is Re-Writing. Without criticism there’s no need for re-write. Critique is good, as long as it’s constructive
Take the criticism. A lot of it maybe be spot on, and some of it maybe spot off. Sit with the notes, do not immediately react, just sit with the notes. As JJ Abrams once said – take the notes. Do not fight with them and the people giving them. You might receive ninety-nine bad notes, but in those ninety-nine bad notes there might be one great spot on note that will be useful-… Rewrites aren’t that hard, and if someone gives you a few good notes they have saved you some figuring out time. Any writer that has a chance of making it can always do a rewrite.
Absolutely! Just sit with the notes. Thanks, Joe.
For me, it’s the opposite. I tend to try too many suggestions, lose my own vision and confidence, and get bogged down.
It’s definitely understandable and I can relate!
Having written a memoir and queried for a literary agent, I’m quite familiar with rejections and feedback that hurt like hell. But I learned very early in the process: the agent is a professional and knows what sells and what doesn’t. Maybe I disagreed with them, maybe they had a good point, but I didn’t get defensive because I knew that wouldn’t make my writing better. And I really wanted to get better.
Now that I’ve written a screenplay for that book, I’m facing the same challenges, rejections, and painful feedback. But again, I’m looking at it from the viewpoint of the professional who took the time to be honest and share what works and doesn’t work. I know it’s a long shot to get anyone to notice my screenplay, but heck, no one will notice if I don’t try! Onward….
Thanks for sharing, Linda, inspiring insight!
I live for feedback, notes, and yeah I love praise. Good notes not only make my work stronger, they make me a better writer.
I live to write a good script, a good novel, a good poem, memoir, or whatever I’m working on, or rather try, whether I get feedback or not. I am like the writer who no one knows he or she is a writer. At least that’s how I’ve been a large majority of my writing life. I am the judge, the panel, the editor, the one who writes, re-writes and listens for the sounds inside the words. The clangs, the whispers, the shouts. I love and appreciate the notes from Blue Cat and I have re-written the ending. But I’m never satisfied with what I write, for there are a million ways to do a better job. A great re-write that’s kin to a million tweaks have a way of finding their path home. Unlike others, I do believe we can go home again– at least in our writing…
What a timely and helpful blog as I begin the process of submitting my latest script to various contests! Having been on “both sides of the script” meaning I spent many years working in development and as a freelance script reader, I have come to really appreciate when a reader takes the time to read the entire script and moreover, takes my script seriously enough to give me the brutal yet constructive criticism that’s going to make my script better…once my ego recovers from the bruising. At times, when the feedback particularly stings, I’ve considered quitting screenwriting altogether. But then somehow I find myself back at my computer writing dialogue. I’ve come to the conclusion that even if I suck I cannot not write. And who knows? Maybe I’ll be using a walker to go up and receive my Oscar. A girl can dream.
What an inspiring blog! Thank you. I’ve been fascinated by the idea of writing a screenplay for many years, but I never put it into practice; I only thought about it. Eventually, I began working on a screenplay adapted from a book I had written. I found that transforming the story into a screenplay helped me identify its weaknesses. Now, I want to challenge myself and learn from the best to become a better writer.
Thank you! Thank you! 😊 This made my day! **hugs**