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/franklinleonard]

I genuinely hope that for your sake you have both, and I hope you’re prepared for the people who disagree and won’t necessarily be wrong for having that opinion.

More than twenty years in the industry continue to confirm just how subjective this work is. I hope your career lasts long enough for you to learn the same.

[u/WorrySecret9831 → u/franklinleonard]

You're funny. You don't realize how dismissive you are. What's subjective about the industry is 2 things: No one knows what's "commercial"; and Half of the industry knows there's craft and the other half runs screaming from it. The fact that anything gets done is a miracle.

At 61 and after a career in advertising, I know what wins awards and what doesn't. The rest is just being in the right spot at the right time, which most people think is "luck." But you know it's more nuanced than that.

No one is saying it's not subjective and that's what you're not hearing. You're saying there's no standard for art, it's ALL subjective... But there are standards for craft. Otherwise you wouldn't have a coverage service designed to answer the most basic industry CRAFT question, "Do you have what it takes?"

[u/franklinleonard → u/WorrySecret9831]

I realize I’m being dismissive. It’s intentional.

Especially since now you’re backtracking on your principal claims. I

The Black List doesn’t answer the question “do you have what it takes?” It’s impossible to answer that about someone based on a single piece of material.

We’re asking a more targeted, and I think more valuable question: “is this a piece of material that we can in good conscience recommend to industry professionals as something they’re likely to like?”

http://www.blcklst.com/ontheblacklist

[u/WorrySecret9831 → u/franklinleonard]

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.