If i were to do that, my avatar would look similar to the way it does now.

... I'm so lonely...

You need to get out Golem, and with a head like that you may want to bye a baseball hat. Ewww!

Mike, do you have a link to Photobucket?

Spencer

About time this old chestnut was given a bump.

This is where all that crap should have been in the first place. Not the two threads created because of it.

I think the whole situation is getting way out of hand. Banning people isn't the answer. Not that I'm saying anyone's considering banning anybody, it was just mentioned on another thread.

I'm sure some sort of peaceful resolution can be reached, right?

Jonnyboy, normally I would agree with you that banning people isn't the answer.  But there has to be an exception to every rule!

Nobody's going to get banned.  I don't even know why that was brought up.

I loved this discussion! I know I'm a bad example here for the new writers, but what I did writing my short scripts that way I wrote them was sincere and with heart. I confess that I knew that lot of them was made in order just to entertain all my dudes. Forgive me. All words of criticism I�ve received from you, made me to understand how hard is to be a writer and definitely all my time here together with people like Phil, Bert, Wasley, Greg, Higgs, Shelton, George and many others colleagues, encouraged me to write not a shot script but my first book. I have just one thing to say to you: thanks a lot for you criticism, honesty and mainly for the respect that you dialed with my foreigner condition.

cheers
Helio
Just in time: thanks to Brea, Andy, Cindy, Pia, Sandra, Ellis and all pretty SSGirls!

Quoted from Helio . . .and all pretty SSGirls!

Aww, flattery will get you everywhere!!  

Me, personally, I love harsh, no gloves, bare knuckle criticism ... It's more productive no matter how it goes. Good or bad. I was well known around here, probably for the wrong reasons, for giving out my share of harsh criticism on scripts I felt inferior to my own and a few of the top writers here...

I always looked at it as if I'm not wasting your time with my screenplays, why are you trying to waste mine?  I'm sure I was wrong, and being banned from here enough times backs up that theory... but when it comes down to it being as honest and blunt as possible will only do one of two things to the writer and his/her work.

1 - It will make him/her want to be a better writer. Make them work harder at learning more ways to get the most out of their work by saying the absolute least. Make them learn the craft of screenwriting, so they can produce a work of praise and merit.

or

2 - Show them that if they can't take what others think or feel, then maybe they shouldn't be a writer. If words can cripple your will and desire to be a writer then the words your putting on the screen for me to read isn't written with enough passion for others to care about it either.  Think about what "YOU" want out of being a screenwriter and try to outclass your critics.

That's my take on things... It's good to be back after nearly 3 years away, by the way.  

Welcome back Balt.  I've heard a lot about you.

Quoted from Baltis. Me, personally, I love harsh, no gloves, bare knuckle criticism ... It's more productive no matter how it goes.

I’m not trying to give you a hard time about this but I have to question you on one thing.  

You say it's more productive.  I think that largely depends on the person who wrote the script.  Some people respond to harsh criticism some don’t,  I’m sure you will agree that no two creative writers are quite the same and what works for one of them might not work for another.

Then a bit later…

Quoted from Baltis. 2 - Show them that if they can't take what others think or feel, then maybe they shouldn't be a writer.

I’m not sure how that is productive.  It seems a bit destructive to me actually.  

And like I said, I’m definitely not trying to give you a hard time about what you said. I’m just trying to understand it.

Quoted from mcornetto Welcome back Balt.  I've heard a lot about you. I’m not trying to give you a hard time about this but I have to question you on one thing.   You say it's more productive.  I think that largely depends on the person who wrote the script.  Some people respond to harsh criticism some don’t,  I’m sure you will agree that no two creative writers are quite the same and what works for one of them might not work for another. Then a bit later… I’m not sure how that is productive.  It seems a bit destructive to me actually.   And like I said, I’m definitely not trying to give you a hard time about what you said. I’m just trying to understand it.

Good to be back~

Now, as for my reasoning... I think, from my stand point, it is more productive. I should've been more clear in my post above, but as you can see it was pretty late on my end.  

When people give harsh criticism, and they're doing it for the right reasons... not simply to be an ass, then yeah... I think it's productive. A lot of times giving harsh criticism can detour some writers who simply don't have the heart to write, but they just "think" they can. Or, maybe, they just come here to waste other peoples time with a script that simply isn't worth your time.  I remember seeing screenplays here that weren't even in proper format, didn't include a fade in, fade out or a The end. To me those writers needed to be told about formatting first and foremost... If they repeated their mistakes I wouldn't read anything from them again.

And a Screenplay, if you read any of the books, isn't souly about grammar, 3 act structures and trying to fit everything you can on 1 page.  They're a blue print and nothing more. Tell the absolute most in the absolute least possible way. Be direct, be percise and, above all else, have a good story to tell no matter what.

If I don't have any of the following in a screenplay you read of mine, let me have it. Blast me with everything you got, cos' it's only going to help me as I set down to write my next one.  I mean, let's face it... If I was never told of mistakes I had made in a way that was superior to my own thinking, would I have ever learned? Perhaps... but I bet it would'nt have come as fast.

That's my take on things, and you're right... Not all writers are the same. Some writers are really good, yet they simply can't make good things out of bad criticism. I just don't wanna be one of those writers.  

Oh my my!

Baltis! Welcome back!

I, for one, am glad.

I never thought Balt down right thrashed anyone, but he would give honest reviews.
Reviews that helped the writer. Made them think.

Did you bring a new script with you, Balt?

Quoted from Helio …thanks to Brea, Andy, Cindy, Pia, Sandra, Ellis and all pretty SSGirls!

I knew there was a reason I liked you.


To Balt:

Welcome back.


In general:

My only problem with harshness is when people confuse it with honesty. A review is either honest or it’s not. It may just be a subjective opinion. I try and give the best advice I can. I’m always honest. But unfortunately I’m not always right.

I think honesty on the part of the person receiving a review is more important than the honesty of the review or the reviewer. Can the receiver process the information in an honest way? Can he or she recognize when a reviewer’s comments are true, when they’re unfair, when they’re just wrong, when they’re biased, when they have no idea what they’re talking about? When they’re absolutely right?

In my mind, the harshness of a review has nothing to do with its honesty. Or its sincerity. It’s more a matter of the personality of the person reviewing.


Breanne

I am pleased that ol' Balt has resurfaced, too.  Knows his way around a Horror script, for sure, and can be pretty darn amusing...on his good days.

My contribution to this old relic of a thread is to remember the Golden Rule.

If you would respond negatively to having your script called a god-awful piece of shite, perhaps you should not foist that description upon the work of another.

If you would enjoy having your script called a god-awful piece of shite, please forward that information to Balt so he can craft an appropriate review for you.