All screenplays on the simplyscripts.com and simplyscripts.net domain are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. This screenplaymay not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.
And does it affect you? If you all the time consider what happened in the past, what you've done, others done to you, you're going insane of course. No person can take that judgment. I think we can't take full responsibility for "everything" ourselves told in the past. That would be extreme masochism. Though I'm not sure if you're talking about something like that in any case . Sorry for being Off topic-I'm just chatting with Ren
Eldave1 I was gonna write something in a different post, but, I will respond here. I hope you don't stop writing and bury your story (u had said that). Writers' block does suck. Sometimes, taking a few days, or even weeks away does wonders.
Or use this site and post the issue, and perhaps one of the peeps on here might offer you a way out of the writers' block. One thing this site seems to have a lot of, personality. All different types with backgrounds, specialists etc. So, instead of getting frustrated, I'd write a post about it.
I'm not as old as you, but, I turn 50 this year (actually, my spine is older then u as it turns 150, but, I digress) and I'm just getting back into writing. I'm getting into the swing of it, and i won't lie, it's been hard. But, after a crazy OWC, I feel a bit better. I got some good feedback and as I work on the 250 script and a few other stories, including a few shorts, I am hopeful that I can make them better then they were.
So, keep plugging away and ask us for advice or help. I know I'm always willing to help out if I can. No harm in asking, right?
Hope that helps. Dan
Thanks for the shout out Dan - appreciated. Yesterday I dug my computer out of the dirt, cleaned the piss off and start typing again.
My reply to Dustin had less to do with writers block and more to do with writing as a "hobbyist." It made me realize that, much like I used life circumstances for the prior 30 years as an excuse not to be a writer, now that I can I am using the term "hobbyist" as a parachute for any inattention to the craft I wish to indulge in. Thanks.
I'm very comfortable with constructive criticism. I had an art teacher in high school who would just expose everything you did in front of the class so all could hear. But he was fair, honest, and always spot on. And I tell you what, his students turned out amazing work. Recruiters from art schools across the country would fly out to visit his classes.
The simple fact is if you want to grow, at anything, you need to be challenged. For example, when you work out, your muscles only get bigger when you tear them down to shreds on a daily basis.
I learned a ton from this place and the honest feedback I received from everybody on here. I still have things to improve on, but I wouldn't have the skill level I have today without this place and the growing pains early on.
For all the chatter on here, the Bottom Line is really quite simple.
This is a message board, and a free one at that. It runs on people.
That's the real currency here. That's what keeps the engine going.
Continue to chase off new writers with purposefully dickish comments, and eventually, the board withers away.
If you find this board useful -- and want it to thrive -- don't be a dick.
Help to build it up and everybody wins.
Well said, Bert. From reading on further in this thread I see there has been false paradigms offered - where rudeness as offered up as honesty.
I think we can all agree that a dishonest, positive review has no value and that a honest negative one does. I wish we could agree on this:
- Honest does not equal dick - Negative does not equal dick - Dick = Dick
One can be honest and negative without being a dick. It's pretty simple. The - "hey, I'm just writing how I see it" reasoning is tedious - especially coming from a writer who by definition must know that they can get the same point across without being a dick.
I learn a lot from negative reviews because they offer stuff that I can immediately work on. But, you don't have to give a negative review in a dickish (copy rite) manner.
You can have a go with Dustin, LC! lol. I've had a few myself. I'm not holding his reviews in general up as a model. No way, no way. Just that particular review.
I'm not trying to start anything. I made a comment on the quite noticeable before (anon) and after approach. I actually think Dustin offers well thought out and knowledgeable critiques in general.
Not having a go at Dustin here but this review was done after the writer had outed himself. In his first review Dustin said he was 'out on page 1'. I think, why even bother posting in that circumstance. Even so I wouldn't have bothered making a one line comment like that as it clearly isn't constructive.The anonymity factor of the OWC unfortunately means some reviewers are careless with their comments and it contributes to some (operative word 'some') reviewers being more harsh than they normally would be imh.
I'm not suggesting the OWC should not be anonymous either - everyone knows (except maybe Newbs) if you enter a script you do so at your own risk.
Actually it's a time factor. I haven't got time for people I do not know. I know Dan and like him, so decided that I should elaborate as to why I was out on the first page. If you notice, my notes are only about page 1. I'm not going to get that detailed for everybody.
- Honest does not equal dick - Negative does not equal dick
Plenty of people take honesty in the wrong way. I know I did. People told me what was wrong with my scripts and I got all butt hurt. It wasn't that the reviews were dickish in any way it was simply that they were negative.
IMO, negativity in itself is enough for some writers to get the hump and declare the person delivering the negativity a dick.
I kind of feel as if I don't have the right to criticize anyone's work really but that's just me, what do I know? Perhaps I'm not as confident as some here.
I'm trying to learn this stuff and I feel a bit wrong commenting on a piece when I still have an awful lot to learn.
I don't do this stuff for a living, I'm not looking to go professional, although it would be nice to have a short made.
I kind of feel as if I don't have the right to criticize anyone's work really but that's just me, what do I know? Perhaps I'm not as confident as some here.
I'm trying to learn this stuff and I feel a bit wrong commenting on a piece when I still have an awful lot to learn.
I don't do this stuff for a living, I'm not looking to go professional, although it would be nice to have a short made.
It helps you to learn much faster if you comment. Sometimes you will point out what you believe is wrong and then the writer will offer you a different perspective in reply. And these things stay in your mind, and you debate the rights and wrongs of them... but all that really counts is that you have well told story. It has to be complete. I don't know how to explain when a story is complete as there aren't any rules in that regard. You'll just know when it's there.
You should Fengius. You'll be surprised at how much you can learn by looking at another person's script critically. If you want to improve it's a must.