LOSERS Notes: Part 1

Leigh Anne and I got our first round of notes on LOSERS last week.  We had three excellent readers that we handpicked based on the following criteria: intelligence, sense of humor, sense of story, and attractiveness.

And the readers delivered! Each person had their own excellent feedback that melded together in a really exciting way — one reader noted issues in the first act, another in the third, and then our last reader made some brilliant notes about the middle that successfully effected some of the first and second act questions. One of my favorite notes was to render a character more likable by having someone have a crush on her.  If the audience sees someone liking a character, they like the character even if they’re seemingly unappealing. (ex. Meredith on GREY’S ANATOMY.  McDreamy always was sooo into her.  And George (RIP) was puppy dog-crushing on this drunk, damaged, proud, poor-decision-making character.  These men’s unwavering affections helped us like her more despite all the ways she was annoying in the first season).

Our readers’ feedback (and the ideas it spawned) combined to provide a comprehensive analysis and (after some discussion) clear agenda for draft 2. An even more awesome screenplay is on the way.  This is truly exciting considering this screenplay was one of the most solid (and funniest) first drafts I’ve ever seen in a while.

Next draft is due Wednesday!  A whole new round of readers will get their paws on LOSERS next weekend.