Value of second read??

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  • Value of second read??

    A long-winded "what if..."

    Let's say you got notes from one of the fine folks often named on DDP. You executed some of the notes, ignored some, tried to respond to the note-behind-the-note on others.

    You have a shiny new draft.

    Is there value to paying for notes from the same person? Should you get a fresh set of eyes, letting the new work stand on its own? Or should you have previous reader review it in context of the changes?

    It would be great to hear from writers and readers.

    Thanks in advance.

  • #2
    Re: Value of second read??

    Originally posted by ClintW3 View Post
    A long-winded "what if..."
    Is there value to paying for notes from the same person? Should you get a fresh set of eyes, letting the new work stand on its own? Or should you have previous reader review it in context of the changes?
    I've done both and felt like I got more for my money having a fresh set of eyes on it.

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    • #3
      Re: Value of second read??

      I also think you should get a fresh perspective. You don't want to get caught up in trying to write for one person unless that person is a buyer. Trust that you executed the notes and made improvements based on the initial reader's feedback and see what someone else has to say.

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      • #4
        Re: Value of second read??

        Get a second read. Unless you were just correcting grammar and punctuation, you need feedback on how the STORY works with the new draft. That's difficult to get from someone who has already read it and "knows" where it's headed.
        (Caveat: There are quite a few folks who drop by here that I wouldn't hesitate to get a reread from, but I'd probably still think about also getting a fresh pair of eyes on the project, too.)

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        • #5
          Re: Value of second read??

          As a reader, I would say to always get a second reader before a re-read. That's not to say a re-read is worthless.

          I've had plenty of writers bring me scripts more than once. Personally, I will decline to provide coverage if there's nothing of substance I can say. Sometimes, writers will order a higher level of notes for the new draft, so they'll get both the new issues addressed and the old ones covered in more detail.

          Usually, the people who send me a project multiple times haven't actually broken the story yet. Each draft will be completely different. They're basically writing different stories in the same universe, with maybe one or two characters being the same.

          That's when going back to the same reader is most useful and that's when I'm most comfortable giving a second pass. That's also where the old reader might have one slight advantage over a new one: they can perhaps point out valuable things that were dropped.

          I've also found that newer writers benefit from multiple passes because they're still learning how to revise scripts. If they get three different readers yelling at them for screwing up every other thing, they won't know how to process it all. Just as one generic (and common) example: Someone will send me a script, I'll say it's too long, they'll cut it to death, and I'll let them know that they screwed up the pacing. You also have young writers who get one criticism about one thing and they junk the entire script and start over. That, again, is a point where I can say, "You didn't need to do this."

          Very new writers basically require tutoring and I'll work with them through various drafts to help them out, usually with some kind of discount.
          ****

          I am a critic first and a writer second.

          I have a background in development and currently provide low-cost coverage.

          More info here: www.FourStarNotes.com

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          • #6
            Re: Value of second read??

            Originally posted by muckraker View Post
            I also think you should get a fresh perspective. You don't want to get caught up in trying to write for one person unless that person is a buyer. Trust that you executed the notes and made improvements based on the initial reader's feedback and see what someone else has to say.
            +1

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            • #7
              Re: Value of second read??

              Honestly, I think you want a second reader.

              It's really hard to evaluate a second draft except in terms of "how well did this person implement my obviously-brilliant notes on the first draft?" Really hard. Almost impossible.

              Go to someone else. If they have the same problems as the unaddressed notes of the first reader, that's useful information.

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