Just wondering how people feel about receiving negative but constructive criticism. When I started this journey I did not take it well, and I fought it. I believe that attitude made the road longer. Once I started listening to people's critiques and took it upon myself to hone those skills I grew exponentially.
Also, to those giving the feedback. How do you feel when someone is combative about it? I gave feedback on the website Covertly. The guys script is a page one rewrite. So, not only did I (as politely as possible) tell him the problems. I also gave him strategies and sources where I started to learn. He didn't seem to appreciate that. I know when I was new all I wanted to be told is how great I am. Now I want to know how to make it better.
1 person likes this
I like feedback from a viewers perspective, which is rare. I like feedback like “it gets boring in the middle”, or “why does she do that, it makes no sense”. I love this feedback with a passion.
What I hate (with a passion) is things like “you need a strong incident to make the jump into act 2”, or “your hero has to refuse the call before starting on the adventure”.
The first one is all about the story. The second type is someone telling you how smart they are because they can remember something they have read.
I also think the most important part if that it must be constructive. On the rare occasions that I do give notes, I try my best to make it an improvement exercise. I normally talk about the craft and not so much the story. What the person is trying to achieve in each line and why it worked or why it didn’t.
I have process for receiving feedback. I will first read the feedback, then I will put it down for a few hours and not think about it (getting feedback is exciting, I want to distance myself from the feeling before I actually think about the content). Then I pick it up again and think about the major points, sometimes I will go back and look at the script section referenced so I can understand the problem better. Later I think about what would fix the issues and then make changes.
3 people like this
I welcome constructive criticism! To me, the point of asking for feedback is to improve.
The most valuable feedback asks intelligent questions, like: "Why was (a character) so calm after she was given shocking, life-changing news?" I also appreciated it when a reader pointed out that my protagonist needed a stronger set-up since it's an ensemble cast. Both excellent points that made me think. Good feedback should provide script-specific examples, not just unsupported statements or generalizations. I'm also not interested in formulaic writing.
In the end, there's no need to be combative if you disagree with a note, especially if it was provided politely. Your script, your choice. Who wants to help a super defensive writer?
1 person likes this
Professional feedback applies to the script only; it's not to be taken personally.
2 people like this
I worked for many years as an editor, although not on scripts. I also found that feedback in the form of questions often worked well, and sometimes there was an answer in the text that I had overlooked.
As for combative authors, that is the worst. The editor suffers and usually the text does too. If I were a producer and had a combative screenwriter on my hands, I would probably ditch the person. That doesn't mean you have to roll over and play dead as a writer, but present a solution or a valid argument for your choice and be willing to see it from a different POV.
4 people like this
To be frank, listening to what felt like constructive feedback at the time, forcing a smile on my face, and trying to satisfy the reader, held me back for years. Best thing I did was stop soliciting feedback from amateurs, embraced any positive comments that came out of nowhere, studied the craft intensely, and did my own thing.
Only a tiny minuscule number of people can give craft based feedback and only a tiny few of those will be in a position to explain how to apply it. What most aspiring writers are going to get are highly subjective opinions, out-right trolling, and regurgitated bad-think.
You have to become so damn strong in your convictions as not to be led down someone else's path and start butchering your voice/scripts. The problem is validation is so hard to find in those early years so you go looking for positive reaffirmation that you have what it takes and it's a trojan horse for doubt, second guessing, and plain bad advice.
Once you're strong enough to stick to your guns despite the opinions of other writers, you've got to do it again and again with producers, directors, and actors of gradually increasingly levels of prominence - including some of your heroes.
Everyone wants to go walk that red carpet with confidence, receive that Oscar with confidence, own the press room with confidence, but roll over the second some anonymous peer with no credits tells them "what they're doing wrong".
All the people who trashed my work with what they felt was constructive feedback in the first few years are still floundering in their own BS a decade later.
Am I combative about it? Hell no. I'm completely indifferent. It's not for you? Bye Felicia.
1 person likes this
C.J. - right on!
I try to use my gut as much as possible. Feedback sucks, but it's necessary. I try to identify which feedback feels right for me and which doesn't. You can have a person who hates your script and has a piece of feedback that just feels helpful, and vice versa. Knowing which feedback is worth exploring, for me, is about instinct. If something doesn't feel right, trust that. Then there's feedback you know is good, but you don't have any ideas for. That's the most frustrating feedback. Really general feedback too.
2 people like this
I love how the hosts of "The Screenwriter's Life" Podcast put it - you go through two very difficult phases when receiving feedback before you can get back to the work:
#1 - Fuck You
#2 - Fuck Me
If you can overcome both of those phases (not avoid - dive into them, and still carry on), then you'll be good. Keep at it, sir!
Every writer should remember that writing is a craft, and everyone starts their writing career worse and no better than when they end it.