Do You Need Professional Help?

Sure as the rite of Spring that Nijinksy evokes, once a year on the screenwriting message boards, a furious debate begins – whether using a screenwriting consultant is a good thing or whether screenwriting consultants are craven, blood-sucking vultures out to steal your money and laugh long into the night as they sip absinthe and boast of ripping off “newbies” and ordering more and yet more caviar.

Years ago, when I was a “newbie", I used several screenwriting consultants. I was able to afford the expense and it never occurred to me that I was being preyed upon. In fact, I found the notes quite useful and I credit them, to no small degree, in being part of my evolution as a screenwriter. I guess I’m just a cornfed farm girl Pollyana but I saw (and see) no difference between a professional who gives notes and feedback on scripts and a professional who does my taxes. It’s something I need help with, just like changing the oil on my car or choosing the best cabernet. I aver to the opinions of professionals and of course, I aspire to learn from them.

A client said to me recently that he hoped that eventually, his writing skill set would make him a better judge of his own material. And that’s true; the more experience you have, the better you will become not so much at spotting problems but avoiding them in the first place. If you learn from past mistakes and if you write continually and read other scripts often.

But you can never be truly objective of your own work. I don’t think any writer ever gets to the point when they don’t need feedback. Feedback is a beautiful thing; it sometimes points out the obvious, it sometimes reveals opportunities that just never entered your mind and most importantly, it puts some distance between you and your material. Never doubt the power of a set of fresh eyes.

But I’m a consultant, of course I’m going to say this, right? Do you want to know the truth? I still get feedback on my scripts – from paid consultants. And I’ve given feedback on scripts to screenwriting consultants who are my peers. I read and evaluate scripts every day but it doesn’t make me immune from needing help myself. Because MY script is my baby, my little genius, my personal emotional investment. So I need another set of eyes to tell me where I’m falling down.

In the perfect world, if you have friends who are also screenwriters, who are on the same level of writing as you are, whose opinions you trust and who are plugged in to the industry – go for it. But for many, this perfect storm of skill, opportunity, proximity and trust do not exist. So they turn to people like me.

As for me, when I need notes, I use a pen name and assign my script to one of my colleagues and I include a check. What – like they’re going to tell the boss lady the script sucks? This is too important for me to take that chance. Plus, my ego can handle it. Yes, yes, my story analysts get a little cranky when I reveal that I am in fact, the Cheryl Greenblatt whose script they just read. But I want absolutely honest notes. I am happy to say Cheryl Greenblatt, girl genius that she is, got a “consider” last go-round. Maybe someday I'll get her autograph.

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