The Shocking Truth Behind Why Writers Avoid Screenplay Table Reads—And How It’s Killing Their Scripts

You’ve probably heard the advice a million times: get your screenplay read aloud. But if you’re like most writers, the “table read” often sits on your to-do list somewhere below clean the coffee machine and figure out what to cook for dinner. Why is that? Are your excuses really valid, or are they just the same tired tales we tell ourselves to dodge the hard stuff? Organizing a screenplay table read isn’t just some quaint tradition for movie buffs or industry insiders—William Goldman famously called it “the most important part of the process.” Yet, many writers freeze at the thought of starting one. What if I told you that skipping this crucial step could actually be doing more harm than good to your script? From not knowing where to begin, to lamenting the absence of actors, or the classic “I don’t have time” gripe—let’s unpack the three most common excuses writers give for avoiding table reads, and how to sidestep these pitfalls without breaking a sweat. Ready to hear your script in its rawest, most revealing form? Let’s dive in. LEARN MORE