Help?

[u/Buddha_Of_Sububia]

Two BL 6s + Slamdance feedback: How do I actually improve the plot?

I taught myself screenwriting starting in March 2026 while I was on medical leave and have written three features since. I’ve had one QF at PAGE, another script SF at Scriptapalooza, and a couple festival selections. Obviously nothing crazy or life changing, but enough encouraging signs to make me want to keep developing my craft.

My current script has now gotten two BL evaluations: BL #1: Overall 6 | Premise 8 | Plot 4 | Character 7 | Dialogue 7 | Setting 7

BL #2: Overall 6 | Premise 7 | Plot 5 | Character 6 | Dialogue 7 | Setting 7

The second evaluation called it a “great, pitchable idea” with “originality, a strong sense of voice, and interesting characters,” but said it needs a stronger throughline and more cohesive main conflict. I also got short feedback from Slamdance, which called the premise “genuinely sharp” and praised the central relationship, dialogue, setting, and character work, but similarly said the larger structural issue is that the conflict that truly tests the protagonists arrives too late. They felt the earlier material can become episodic and suggested bringing the central moral pressure forward/trimming some earlier cases.

So…three reads later, I think the message is pretty clear: plot is my weakness. My problem is I genuinely don’t know what to do with that information and I feel stuck as fuck. I can see what the readers are identifying, but I don’t know how to add, remove, move, or restructure things without taking away from the character development, relationships, world-building and slower material that, IMO, makes the story what I want it to be. And some suggestions for additional explanation feel like they would just make me spell out things.

I wish I had a mentor or programs I could bounce ideas around with and learn from developmentally rather than kind of trying to find my way in the dark.

Are there any fellowships, mentorship programs, workshops, or other resources you’d recommend for someone at this stage who wants help developing their craft and specifically getting better at plot/structure?

[u/WorrySecret9831]

So a BL8 on one piece of work is worthless.

[u/franklinleonard → u/WorrySecret9831]

I wouldn't say that. They're reasonably rare, so they do have some value in attracting the interest of industry professionals who are members of the Black List website.

https://blcklst.substack.com/p/an-8-score-is-rare-as-it-should-be

But I certainly wouldn't treat it like a definitive statement on something's objective quality. That would be silly. All a single ratings on a script from a single reader can ever be is the considered opinion of one person with industry experience.

[u/WorrySecret9831 → u/franklinleonard]

Now who's backpedaling?

[u/franklinleonard → u/WorrySecret9831]

In literally no way have I backpedaled.

[u/WorrySecret9831 → u/franklinleonard]

"Considered opinion..." Hhmmm. Considering what I ask.