Validation!

Opening up gmail to read that my pilot script Blowback got a 9 on The Black List was a great way to start a day. While most of us alternate between love and hate of our own work (depending on mood, moon-cycle, and how much coffee we’ve mainlined), getting 3rd party approval of something I’ve labored on for months on end can be quite gratifying to say the least.

Of course I realize that one thing common on the Black List is how drastically ratings can vary from reader to reader. Having cycled several scripts through their site, I’ve certainly noticed that some readers will absolutely hate some aspects of a script that other readers will think are the strongest points.  My philosophy on this is to take everything, good or bad, with a grain of salt, and then really think about the points made in the critiques to try and improve my screenplay. Even some reviews that I haven’t agreed with ultimately wound up inspiring some minor tweaks.

For now I’m just going to bask in the glow of validation before hitting the bricks once more. Getting a 9 is certainly great, but it’s still an uphill slog to get a script out there and into the right hands. Of course meeting a bevy of interesting folks while pursuing those ends can be rewarding as well.