THE OTHER NETWORK WRITER'S ROOM
INSIDE THE ART, CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF WRITING for Film, TV, Books, Stage, Print or Digital Media (with Particular Attention to Comedy)
Do you really want to call it “DEATH of a Salesman”? (Even Arthur Miller Got Notes)
Screenwriter Nicholas Kazan wrote a memorable article for the Writer’s Guild Magazine about receiving notes. His father features in the story, which revolves around the first draft of Arthur Miller’s now-classic “Death of a Salesman”.
This harrowing story is the most instructive one I’ve ever heard about script notes. I repeat it to every producer and studio executive I meet. The story reflects poorly on my parents. As a matter of privacy, I don’t normally reference my family. In this case, it’s unavoidable…
I want to point out that I’ve gotten some really great notes and there are times (like when you’re not Arthur Miller) when you really do need some input from others, so I’m not saying never listen to anyone else about what your work needs to get better.
When I was working as screenwriter and would get notes from a producer or studio exec, I realized that when they told me to change something, I need to change something although it often wasn’t exactly what they told me to change and was almost never the way they told me to change it.
THE OTHER NETWORK WRITER'S ROOM 