I’ve sent a very rough draft of A GROWING CITY out to some early readers. I haven’t heard back yet, but that’s pretty normal. It usually takes a couple weeks. Plus, the more time they spend on it, the more they’re thinking about it and the better the notes get. (They’re probably just procrastinating on reading it, like I would, but that’s cool too, since no one’s getting paid yet. Of course, I thought one early reader was procrastinating and I got some of the best notes from him I’ve ever gotten, so…)
The strange thing about waiting is that my artist’s mind plays tricks on me. For instance, my first thoughts were neither, “They’re really digging into it and giving great notes,” nor “They’re really busy people who have to carve out time to do me a favor.”
No. My first thought was, “They hate it and they’re afraid to tell me,” and “It’s so bad they didn’t even finish it and the reason they’re not telling me is because they no longer want to associate with me in any way.”
The funny thing is, I know that third paragraph isn’t true. Anyone I send out my script to is professional. If they think the script sucks, they’re good enough to tell me. They’re awesome people just for volunteering to read it! Reading someone’s script who’s trying to break into Hollywood is a real rare thing and invaluable in helping me improve my craft.
And so, early readers, if you’re reading this, YOU ARE AWESOME! I can’t thank you enough. But, rest assured, when A GROWING CITY gets made, your names will be in the credits. Also, I owe you a beverage-of-your-choice.