The script is really great!
But what if you just re-invented the first act?
We think you should make it about her instead.
Could you just change the whole thing?
How many times have you heard that for your writing?
It's very common for your readers to respond to problems by looking for big changes. At my last writer's group meeting, I was reviewing my latest spec. It is near completion, after nearly eight drafts. I believe strongly in taking a step away from your material and thinking about big changes, but that strategy is usually better suited for early drafts. At this point, I needed "scene execution" notes. So when a few ideas came my way that suggested I revamp entire sections, I pushed those comments aside and dug deeper.
"What did you think about that scene there? Did you get his choice??" I asked.
I discovered several smaller notes that I could pull off rather quickly. If I show him making that decision at the beginning of the scene, it helps? What if I move that moment just a scene earlier? So I can cut that exchange and reveal it later? Suddenly everyone was saying, "Yeah, if you do those things, it will read a lot better!" Those three little scenes threw off the read for thirty pages, disrupting pacing and finesse.
Sometimes readers respond with big suggestions because they can't identify the issues. All they know is: something isn't working. Then they let their imagination run away to fix it. But as writers, we can recognize their instincts, while looking past their suggestions. I always say the note is different than the suggestion. By asking how can I execute more effectively what I intended, sometimes you can pass on a major rewrite and achieve with just a polish. It's an especially important strategy in later drafts.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Or to use another analogy, go in with the scalpel.
