"It's art..."

 I recently scored a "Double Recommend" from Stage 32. This read was done by a development exec and the "recommend" score is a top 1% evaluation. These readers often have read thousands of scripts.  The "double" is when they recommend both the script AND the writer.  Seems odd you'd get one but not the other ... but they're different categories in the evaluation. Stage 32 sends out an email blast promoting the project, which will generate reads.

I addressed the notes that were included in the "double recommend" and did yet another draft.  Then got a "meh" reaction with even more notes from the next reader.  

I tend to "box car" reads - do one; address those notes; do the next; then repeat.  Thirty to forty drafts later... should be scoring "recommend" consistently.  But not always.

My kvetching to a friend about this who is a contest administrator led to this response:

"It's art!"

"Huh?" 

"Go look on Rotten Tomatoes.  A hundred critics will be widely divided on the same film and the audience may be on a completely different page than them. It's art. Everyone has an opinion."

"Ugh!"

So, that said, what do we as creatives do to navigate all this?

We follow our instincts and do the best job we can do. If you agree with a note - even if your draft has scored highly - address the note. Incorporate what is useful to make your script the best it can be. That's all we can do.

Not everyone is going to love your story. Not everyone is meant to love your story. You'll find your fans and your tribe. You'll find readers who have your back and help you see weaknesses in the story or character development. And you'll make it the best you can make it.

Then move on to the next story and do it again...