A while back I posted that creating a screenplay was a lot like cooking a meal. Not only do you need the right ingredients, you also need to prepare them correctly and in the correct order in so that you can create the most delicious dish. There was something that I left out of that post however, and it’s one of the most important things. You can do everything right in making the meal. You can have the freshest ingredients, you can measure the quantities out perfectly, and you can mix them to perfection. But none of that will matter if you leave it in the oven too long.

Just as you can burn your main course, you can also over cook your screenplay.

This comes to mind because I recently had a client send me a script that I had read a couple of times already. In fact, the most recent reading led me to tell the writer that the script was in terrific shape and was probably ready to shop around. My opinion was confirmed when the writer contacted me some time later to tell me to tell me that the script had reached the semi-finals of a well-known screenplay competition. However, the writer was not satisfied with the script and continued to noodle with it.

The writer sent me the script for another round of coverage, and I really felt as though the script had taken a step backwards. The storyline was much the same, but some new scenes had been added and since writing was new, it lacked the polish of the rest of the script.

That’s not to say that it was all bad. The writer added a ticking clock element that added tension, but it too needed to be polished because its timing was somewhat clumsy and needed to be worked out better.

Despite the added flavor, the script was overdone.

Now I know the old saying that scripts are never finished so much as they’re abandoned. But as a writer, at a certain point you need to be able to walk away when the story is finished. I know that can be a very difficult thing to decide, especially when you’re trying to evaluate your own work. Certainly there is room for improvement with any script, no matter how many drafts it’s been through. However a script can be overworked to the point where it has lost all of its spark, and once you’ve crossed that threshold as a writer, you’ll never be able to get it back.

That’s when it’s good to have a professional reader evaluate your script. Especially if that reader reads more than one draft. A professional reader will see when you’re approaching that threshold and will be able to advise you when it’s time to shift gears from writing the script to marketing it, and move on to writing your next idea. As a writer, I know that it can be impossible sometimes to make that determination on your own. But just as I advised my client that this script was ready, and sure enough, the script has had a successful run in a contest. As professional readers, we know what we’re talking about and we know what to look for. Getting an evaluation from a professional reader could be the difference between ending up with an overdone steak from Sizzler, or a perfectly prepared delicacy from Arnie Morton’s.

Check out the link below to find out how Monument Script Services can help you discern whether your script is approaching the threshold of being overdone.

http://monumentscripts.com/service/