Sending Your Project "to School"

As I watch movies and read scripts for this year's competition, I am struck over and over by the unfulfilled promise of many works.  It is clear there is a story or characters there to love. And that love is getting in the way of the life of the work in the same way an overbearing parent can smother a child.  School does not treat your precious baby as well as you would like.  Social requirements are made.  It is painful.  But to learn to "play well with others" is the goal and reward of socialization.  Too many of these creative "darlings" have not learned that skill.  I can see what you love.  But you must cut the apron strings (aka cutting pages and scenes) by getting feedback from loving teachers.  Not all teachers are great, but most are not bad for the simple reason that if your story loses them, they will tell you and you will have to fix it. Don't argue.  Their solution might not be the right one, but try it.  Try other things.  Learn to help your baby "play well" with any audience. It breaks my heart when a work with legs is still crawling because the creator "loved it too much" to help it become what it could.