Novel editor John Matthew Fox worked on 51 manuscripts last year and came away with insights for writers of books… that apply just as powerfully to screenwriters. While the mediums differ, the creative struggles are very similar.
Watch his video below, and then we can learn what screenwriters can take from his experience reading dozens of novels.
– YouTube www.youtube.com
Writers Worry About the Wrong Problems
When writers approached Fox, concerned about specific scenes or character choices, those elements usually turned out fine. The writer had given them so much attention that they’d polished them to perfection.
The real problems were things that weren’t even on the writer’s radar. Problems that had been overlooked.
Screenwriters face the same blind spots. You might obsess over whether your protagonist’s dialogue in Act 2 is funny enough while completely missing that your entire second act drags because of pacing problems. You’ll agonize over a single line of description while ignoring a plot problem that undermines your whole script.
Your instincts about what needs work can be backward. The elements causing you stress are probably solid, while the parts you breeze through without a second thought might be the real issues.
This is why getting an outside perspective matters so much.
You’re Better Than You Think
Fox said his feedback always started with what the author did well, and writers were consistently shocked by the praise. They hadn’t recognized their own strengths.
Screenwriters also tend to be brutally hard on themselves. You know every flaw in your script because you’ve stared at it for months. But you often miss what’s working. Maybe your scene descriptions are vivid and efficient. Maybe your character voices are distinct. Maybe your action sequences are snappy and exciting.
Understanding your strengths matters as much as knowing your weaknesses. When you recognize what you do well, you can lean into those skills and use them to shore up weaker areas. Plus, screenwriting is tough enough without beating yourself up constantly.
Revision Takes Longer Than You Expect
This one stings, but Fox found that by the time writers brought him a manuscript, they were often only halfway or two-thirds through the actual writing process.
As we’ve pointed out before, most first drafts aren’t great. Most first drafts aren’t even good. Screenwriters routinely underestimate how much rewriting lies ahead.
You finish your first draft and feel triumphant, but that draft is just the beginning.
Finishing a draft means you can rewrite, and rewriting is where the real work happens. If you go into the process knowing substantial revision is coming, you’ll be psychologically prepared. You won’t resist feedback or feel defeated when you realize pages need to be gutted and rebuilt. Because they often do, and it takes time.
OkayCredit: Netflix
POV Issues Fly Under the Radar
Writers rarely came to Fox worried about point of view, but these problems appeared constantly.
Sometimes the perspective would shift inconsistently. Sometimes the wrong character was carrying a scene. Sometimes the chosen POV simply wasn’t working for the story.
Screenwriters face similar challenges with perspective, even though scripts operate differently from novels.
Whose story are you telling? Which character’s emotional journey drives each scene? Are you staying close to your protagonist’s experience, or are you pulling back for a more omniscient view? Is this a two-hander? A three-hander? Or, since you’ve established a protagonist, should you stay with them the whole time?
According to Greenlight Coverageshifting perspectives can help keep the story moving and feeling fresh. But some screenwriters dealing with ensemble casts or multiple storylines struggle with when to cut between characters and how often to switch focus.
Learn how to control POV in your story.
Writers Can Handle Criticism
Fox feared writers would hate receiving tough feedback, but they consistently took criticism well. They were humble, listened carefully, and got excited about revision.
This tracks with most screenwriters’ experiences, too. We dread notes, but when feedback comes from someone who genuinely understands our vision and wants to help us achieve it, we’re grateful. Good feedback flows with your vision rather than imposing someone else’s agenda.
Our best writing advice centers on writing for yourself first—that initial audience is you. When you’re confident in your story’s core and you’ve written something you believe in, you can hear criticism without feeling defensive. You recognize that most notes are about making your vision stronger, not replacing it with someone else’s.
You Need Realistic Goals
Fox noticed writers tended to be wildly optimistic about their work becoming blockbuster movies or international bestsellers. I’ve talked to other writers and producers who think they can land A-list talent with the first draft of a debut script, and that’s an admirable dream—but not the norm.
While optimism helps you push through difficult moments as a creator, it can also set you up for disappointment.
Most films don’t get made. Most scripts that do get produced don’t become hits. There are no shortcuts in screenwriting—you have to sit and pound the pages, treating it with a blue-collar mentality even if it’s not your day job.
Fox suggested measuring success differently. Maybe success is writing something that deeply affects one person. Maybe it’s finishing a script you’re genuinely proud of. Maybe it’s improving your craft significantly from one draft to the next.
Box office numbers and studio deals are mostly outside your control. Pour your energy into writing the best script you can.
Synecdoche, New York Credit: Sony Pictures Classics
Execution Beats Concept
Out of Fox’s 51 manuscripts, many had great pitches. Some of those great concepts ultimately fell short because of poor execution. Meanwhile, some less flashy concepts became excellent books because the writing was strong.
Screenwriters obsess over high-concept pitches and killer loglines. Those matter for selling a script, sure. But as we’ve learned before, Christopher Nolan’s screenwriting advice emphasizes that emotion carries you through the story. You need to hook people by making them understand the emotions driving your characters.
How you structure your scenes, choose your details, and develop your characters determines whether your script works. Plenty of people have interesting ideas. But you need execution too.
Structure Is the Hardest Element
Every single novel Fox edited had beautiful line-by-line writing. But every single one also needed structural work. A chapter needed to go somewhere else, or a section needed cutting. The middle slowed down and needed to be tightened up.
Script Magazine explains that script pacing is something most people only notice when it doesn’t hit the mark. Screenwriters excel at micro-level decisions like sharp dialogue and vivid action. But getting the eagle-eye view of how everything fits together is where the challenge lies.
Every scene should have a complete arc and a clear objective, and the script should get to that objective quickly. Cut unnecessary action. (Unnecessary in this case would be meandering conversations unrelated to the story, scenes that repeat beats, or scenes that don’t move the story forward in a clear and compelling way.)
A good reader can tell you what’s not working structurally because they experience your script fresh, without your attachment to specific scenes or sequences.
There Are Many Talented Writers
Fox’s final insight was about gratitude. He worked with incredibly talented writers, he said.
As a writer, you’re competing with thousands of other writers in your genre. But that shouldn’t intimidate you. If you write with passion for stories you genuinely want to tell, the right person will read your work and connect with it. You have a unique perspective and stories only you can tell.
The screenwriting community is full of talented people pushing each other to improve. That’s something to celebrate.
Keep writing. Keep trusting that your voice and vision matter.
