Well, I just realized I have been an SS member for slightly over a year now. A year and 10 days actually and I thought I'd share my experiences.

I think I have received some extremely valuable feedback that has dramatically improved my writing.

I have also received a lot of crap feedback but that's part of the SS experience, learning to figure out what matters and what doesn't and taking it all in your stride.

I've been in 2 OWC's which have been great experiences.

I have been lucky enough to have 3 shorts produced, I have another 1 in pre-production and several that are currently optioned.

Even made a pretty good cyber friend, you know who you are.

So, all in all, I have to say the system works. The feedback helps and scripts get made. What more can you ask for?

Here's to the next year, I'd be happy if I could be half as successful.

Thanks, Don, amazing site you have here, and thanks fellow SSers for the feedback.

Good post Warren.

I owe much of my continued development to this site and the people on it, so thanks Don and everyone else!

* Results not typical.

I think you get out of it what you put into it.  

And, glad the site is of use to you and appreciate your participation.

- Don

I've been here 11 1/2 years (though this is my third account... for various reasons). Writing is just a secondary hobby of mine, and even I have learned a TON from this site because of the amazing feedback over the years. When I joined, I didn't even know what I didn't know. Everything I've learned about screenwriting was built from the ground up by this site.
Now, not only can I write a half way competent script, I can teach someone else as well. Huge shout out to George Willson and his invaluable threads/posts in the Screenwriting Class section.

I think we joined at almost the exact same time, Warren. So it's been a year for me too. I'm kicking myself I didn't join earlier instead of writing in isolation for so long.

Thanks to all the awesome, helpful writers here. I've learned a lot from everyone and will continue to do so.

This site will turn you into a lean, mean writing machine. I guarantee it. Money-back guarantee. Oh, wait, it's completely 100% free so no money back.

Thanks for everything you do, Don. And all the moderators.

I'm still a newlywed here. It'll be a year in August, I believe. I just posted a 'Getting to know you' as I realized that I never did anything like that. I just jumped in with both feet.

I can't say how much I've learned since joining. Not that I knew anything when I started either. My prep work was 'Save the Cat', only to learn that it's not highly regarded by many. Yeah, I could've throttled Jeff after the first couple OWC's but now I realize that he's an pretty valuable resource here. Truth hurts, eh?

Thanks again, Don. You d'man!

Been 4 years for me this July when I wrote my first. 90  percent of what I have learned in that journey I have learned here

When I joined this forum, I've been in german language forums before and everybody was just cursing me for writing english scripts, told me to give it up because my work was utter shit.

Now, some time later, I've got one of my shorts produced and accepted to an international film festival, a second one is optioned and will be shot next month and I've been hired as co-producer and writer for a feature film which will be shot in November.

So yeah, this site has definately helped me a lot. Special thanks to Janet who helped me to kick it off with STS, where my first short script was discovered and special thanks to everybody who had the patience to point me to grammar / wording issues in the scripts I posted here on SS!

Firstly, well done on the production success Warren. I love the fact there seems to be a load of Aussies on this site, there's something in the water down there for the creatives. I started my SS journey a year and a bit ago out of Melbourne, and continue in the bleak northern wilderness.

The site has been absolutely invaluable. El Dave and Cam D took what was an absolute mess off a script in the Work in Progress section, and pointed out valuable sources and methods which I think I've integrated so that it's now practically second nature when the keyboard hammering starts. Also big thanks to Anthony for taking a look at Tommy's Millions, which is doing the rounds at the moment outside of the site.

The OWC's have been absolutely essential in my progression, from having a runner up in my first attempt, to getting mixed reviews in my recent efforts, but it's all been fun and a learning curve.

In short, I wouldn't have ever completed a script if it wasn't for this site. From those early stumbles to these current production fumbles, huge kudos to Don for running it and everyone here for the reviews and advice. It's also helped me through some recent tough times, something the site was never designed for but a welcome distraction to life and its travails.

Thanks to all of you on here,

Cam