Although I have been writing for quite a while, I have only let a handful of ppl read my writing and the only criticism I had gotten thus far was a few years ago from my late grandmother who complained that I had too much sex in my stories (I expected nothing less from a 80+ y/o woman lol). I know that in order for me to get better, I have to let other ppl review and rip apart my work and I was rather excited about the process. Now, a couple of days after letting someone read my script who I didn't know (but was knowledgeable about script writing) read my script, I feel liberated and happy that I now know some of my mistakes. I'm still excited but also a bit tired and daunted knowing how much rewriting I have to do. It was something I greatly needed, but I'll admit it was painful to read where I went wrong. I felt like I should have known even though I written this script with no formal training in screenwriting. I used everything I could absorb from online articles to help me write it. I only ordered my first screenwriting book last week. I felt like a mini failure of sorts but I knew that there was a 97% chance my script was riddled with glaring errors. Every time I reread it I knew it, but 3% of me wanted to believe that I got it right the first time. I wanted to spend as much time as possible in that 3% world. But I soon realized that I was only wasting time on the super small chance that I had gotten this write my first time and now I can read my notes and get to work rewriting so I can get that perfect script. I'm really just venting because this was a huge epiphany and eye opener for me but has anyone else had similar thoughts or experiences when they were getting someone to read their scripts or screenplays for the first time without bias? Just curious?
Screenwriting : From Review to Rewrite by Tarus Rhinehart
From Review to Rewrite
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The first time my co-writer and I sent out for notes, I thought it was a one-time thing. However, I've since learned that the writing is a process. We've sent our scripts out many times now to be read, torn apart, critiqued. The more you learn to take the feedback, the easier it becomes. And the more you realize it's just helping you become a better writer, the easier it is. Keep moving forward, Tarus. On a side note, my co-writer and I have written comedies without putting sex in the scripts. Just a thought. :)
I toned down a lot of my work since then. I was only 16/17 at that time and I do believe knowing my grandmother like I did that she was using that as a way to pry/dig deeper into an issue lol but I was just so happy to had finished a project at that time I didn't think about what was in it before I gave it to her to read lol. But I am certain that it will get easier as far as the critiques. It wasn't bad this time. I enjoyed the experience and hopefully I will learn something (I already rewritten my first 3 pages in like the past half hour lol), I just had to really sit back and take inventory on what I need to do but Im exciting about the prospects of other reviews and critiques because I really got some good advice from just one.
Keep at it, Tarus. If you do, one day you'll be able to look back and reminisce about how your grandma was the first person to critique your work and see how far you've come because of that. :)
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Thank you so much.
i am wary of letting writers read my work. i have worked with illustrators for several years and they are awful to each other. in fact the worst are the non-professionals. they have major chips on their shoulders and seemingly would like to berate anyone who has achieved or is capable of achieving greater things than themselves. many pro artists have left deviantart.com because of unflattering and ignorant critique from amateurs. to enter into such a neo-liberal forum is a poor method of review for a truly talented illustrator. I have run into the same problem with writers. i would love criticism from schrader or o'bannon... but if you aren't of that caliber, i would hope that the criticism would be very very humble. it isn't about the quality of my work but the presumption on the reviewer that they are truly qualified to judge. even if their advice is spot-on, it is how that advice is presented that can irk me. status is nothing... our historical framework has no sense of posterity... how could it? we have no working experience of the diachronic. whatever is considered "poor form" today could be considered genius in the future. it is sheer vanity to hold that standards developed in literature - even over thousands of years - are inherently correct for the medium. standardization is bunk. i have had the amazing good fortune of getting some very fair coverage on my recent scripts - provided by individuals clearly trained and gifted in the craft of screenwriting. i guess my prejudice is against amateurs primarily. i would say that you should take the criticism of amateurs in your field with a grain of salt. respect pros that respect you and your work. and enjoy the feedback of non-writers for what it's worth.
Older women love romance novels. You'd have to focus on the actual passion\romance rather than the sex act to keep the woman intrigued. My grandmother just turned 90 and she loves a good romance! ;) If you're looking for feedback, find beta readers that you can trust.
@Peter: I had just put that in there as a mini joke even though she did say it but now you got me wondering lol.