Part three of a series of notes about notes

Getting your work read and reading others is one of the important next steps in your development as a writer. 

And while the temptation can be to try to thrust your script/pdf into the hand/inbox of anyone who’ll read it, it’s important to think about your feedback goals before you even choose your reader.

If you’re not using a script service for your feedback there are a couple of other options.

Peers and collaborators

For early career writers this can be your most valuable reader pool. It’s about establishing trust and connection with a small group of Voices who provide quality feedback. If you are studying, this will be people who you’re studying with or who are in peripheral courses. Bonus points if there are producers and directors in this reading pool.

Writers groups

Peers and collaborators form a regular group where there are processes for submitting your work and you use it for shared accountability. There are also a wide number of writers groups online, and chances are there is one in your city. Some of these are purely informal arrangements, with no binding guidelines. At the other end of the spectrum there are also curated writers groups often led by experienced writers who curate participants to ensure a good mix of levels and experience. Some groups are a fee-for-facilitation development process, which provide a combination of development, accountability and notes.

If you can’t find a group or if there’s not one in your area, start your own. As co-founder of Adelaide Screenwriters Club, I did some research on what script groups work, including my writing group from AFTRS. Get in contact if this would be useful.

Another benefit of writers groups is table reads.

Table Reads

Hearing work read aloud is one of the most valuable feedback exercises a writer can take. It highlights things that the writer will hear immediately. An added bonus is that you can also then ask readers for feedback in the moment. 

Contests with notes/coverage/notes 

Short films live or die by their performance in contests and festivals. Short scripts on their own seldom do, unless it’s one of a small number of contests. 

For unproduced shorts, in Australia, the main contenders (as at June 2026) are:

• AWG Emerging Writers Contest
• AWG John Hinde
• Adelaide Independent Film Festival Script Swap**
• Byron Bay International Film Festival  
• Cinescape

International*

• Finish Line Script Competition**
• Script Pipeline
• Raindance
• Screencraft
• Shore Scripts (Coverage and production fund)
• Austin Film Festival Script Competition
• Killer Shorts (for Horror/Genre)
• NYC Midnight Screenplay Contest (writing challenge – not for pre-written scripts)***

A significant downside to contests is that they are expensive and often the deadlines mean that you are waiting for some time for feedback on your work. And particularly if you’re focused on short film those deadlines seldom match the timing for getting your work produced or into the limited number of programs available for shorts.

The other significant downside of contests for shots is that it is an unregulated business. I know of people who have sunk a lot of money into contests and it’s had a negligible impact on the quality of their script. (Sometimes this is about their ability to apply the notes, more on that later.)

Decide on a budget and stick to it. Don’t over-invest.

Second tier contests mean you’re taking a gamble with your material. While there are a number of established contests that offer coverage from experienced script readers, you’re not really sure what you’re getting from a reader in many cases. Are they a film student? Have they had their own work assessed? Or produced? Use your own due diligence to determine whether you feel there is enough experience for valuable feedback.

Disclosures regarding contests and festivals

*This is a subjective list. Since Coveryfly and its parent company folded a bunch of contests disappeared and as of early 2026, there are also a lot of microfestivals and comps available.  

** Disclosure – I have provided script consulting and notes to Adelaide Independent Film Festival and Finish Line Scrip Competition.

*** I am a prior finalist in the NYC Midnight Short Screenplay Contest.

Friends and family

For sharing your story and telling it? Friends and family can be affirming and positive. They are also…friends and family.  They (hopefully) want you to feel encouraged and do well. 

But, if they aren’t working with story, if they aren’t writers, there’s a good chance that feedback on a script itself can be of limited use. 

This isn’t a hard and fast rule. Think of your goals, think about whether a read is needed or if it could be a talk-through of the idea. My partner is always my first go-to for testing an idea, at the ‘is this something stage’ and to talk through characters, or ‘what if’s’ when I am outlining. Once I am drafting, it’s other writers, script notes, writing group workshops.  

A script consultant

A little self promotion – I am a script consultant who has worked across contests and directly with emerging writers. Here’s what some of the people I’ve provided work for have said about me.

Get in touch if you would like more information about how I can help.

Finding your ‘first reader’

A ‘first reader’ is an important role and one that can shift according to your goals for the script you are working on at the time, and what you need from it. Typically, your first reader will emerge from the process as you write more. It might be a peer, it might be your writing group, or it might be a consultant who provides helpful insights. 

Context is everything

As a general rule, regardless of where you are seeking feedback, along with the script, you should provide:

Title. “As yet untitled project’ is far less appealing than any working title you can change later.

Genre. Different genres come with different rules, tropes, audience expectations. A good reader will know these and read accordingly. You don’t want someone introducing a meet cute in your space opera, or defusing the visceral tension in your horror because they mis-genred your project.

A logline. This is helpful as it’s a guide for the reader about whether the script does what it says on the label. Loglines evolve through drafts. Nothing’s set in stone but it can guide the reader considerably in terms of theme and central premise. 

Draft. Letting the reader know the stage you are at helps guide their feedback accordingly. 

Specific Questions. Sometimes you want a cold read. Sometimes you want specific help. Let the reader know.  

Content Advisory. Some contests will require you to flag types of content to ensure readers are aware of what they are going to encounter. As a general courtesy, think of a content advisory as a way of ensuring readers know they are stepping into something with adult concepts, themes, particular violence or topics. This isn’t essential but often appreciated. 

In part four, I’m going to cover what makes good notes. This is particularly helpful if you’re script swapping.