The notes call went WELL!

So yesterday it happened again. Another conference call. Another few minutes of butterflies just before I dialed in one whole minute early and waited to be joined on the call by the network executives and my producers.

I had expected to be more nervous. I really did. I expected to not be able to focus or not be able to sit still as usually is the case when I'm anxious. But that didn't happen. Maybe it's perspective. I've been getting a lot of that lately. Maybe because this is finally the real thing. Maybe because this is just a part of life that is what it is. It's exciting. It's amazing. It's wonderful. But really? It's just a part of it all.

So I was nervous but not too nervous. More so that we had handed in an actual script this time. With my name on it alone. And this was the first time anyone at the network was reading my writing, not just my ideas or my thoughts.

So how did it go?

Really freaking well.

Mind you, this was my first one of these. My first time getting notes on a draft. But still? I think it went well. They told us what they liked, they thanked us for incorporating so many of their notes from the outline so well, and then they gave us their thoughts.

And told us we had eight more pages to play with. Which never happens. I'm constantly cutting my scripts, trying to fit them into these prescribed boxes of page counts, act outs and act ins, blah blah blah. It's all important in television writing and I get that. I've been getting it for over five years now. But I also love that I've finally been told, okay, we get it, you can writing in the box. Now color outside a little. I LOVE THAT.

Their notes were specific and general. But not specific enough that they don't want to hear what I and the producers have to say. They said do this but not how to do it. And I love that.

So what's next?

A rewrite. Adding pages. Making things that need to jump off the page fly off the page. Reworking and retooling some stuff. And having fun. Because, as I often tell my writing students, if you do all the hard work when you outline, the writing is a breeze. And that's what I'm hoping for this week and next. A fun breeze.

So here we go -- to official draft two. Due right after Labor Day though we'll get it in before the long weekend so we can all enjoy (strong hints were shared about this during the call). For now? A good call, a smile on my face, and my fingers typing really fast! I love it!