Feedback from the script consultant friend
A friend of mine who’s been in the business a long time gave me some invaluable feedback on my script. She liked it but asked a lot of questions about the subtext and characters’ reactions to events. I think what came out of our phone conversation was that I didn’t know my story world well enough. This is definitely true. When I write a short there’s a voice in the back of my mind saying, “Don’t worry - it’s just a short. Wing it!” I’ll try not to listen to that voice again. Of course it makes perfect sense that any time spent on the backstory is an investment towards creating a well-rounded and meaningful screenplay. So it’s back to the drawing board again…