Prepare to get "bumped"

So you're getting notes from the network. Their creative execs tell you that they loved the script. It was fresh and fun, or else it was powerful and exciting.

Then, something bumps them.

This is the term you must come to know and hate. "What bumped me, though, was..." That's what they'll say to you.

Many writers loathe this term. I'm not sure why. I actually get why people use it. First, it isn't harsh. They aren't saying "I hated the part where X happened." Second, when I read a script, I often feel an almost physical "bump" when I encounter something that doesn't work for me. I'll read and reread the bumpy bit. It has jolted me during what should be a smooth ride. It has pulled me out of your make believe world for a moment, when I should be enraptured.

That said, just because one person says they got bumped by a line of dialogue or a plot twist doesn't mean they're right. If you're getting notes from anyone other than the studio or network, feel free to take their bumps with a grain of salt, if I may mix my metaphors. If the studio or network gets bumped, however, then get out your asphalt and smooth the road for them. Those are the folks you need to make happy.