There's a term in Hollywood called "bump." When a reader/producer/exec reads your script & they "bump" on something in your writing, you'll get a note to improve it till it doesn't bump them. Jordan Peele said (paraphrasing) he thinks of it as a game to get drafts down to 0 notes
I've written a lot of drafts in the past three years & it's helped me get to zero notes faster by adjusting my mindset when drafting or revising to anticipate what my bosses will bump on as much as I can predict. When your reader gets your vision, notes will align with yours.
Often, it's small stuff. For example, I was working on a scene where a character turned on the shower. The water was running way too long while she spoke to someone else so it was distracting. I bumped on when she turned on the shower & revised it.
Bumps can be anything from incidents that are too convenient, unrealistic, unexplained but not mysterious, far-fetched to the point of distraction, illogical. They can be emotional beats that feel unearned or too huge. They're often that little thing that's bothering you.
Sometimes you can't figure it out until someone else points it out. When they articulate the issue, you know it's right cause it crossed your mind, but maybe you thought, I can prob get away with it. So take a step back & fix potential bumps. Being proactive will speed up drafts.
Bumps are like the shower running too long in your script. We can't dive into what's happening in the moment if we're distracted by wasting running water. #screenwriting #FilmTwitter #writing #feedback
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