|
Critiquing
From Writers Workshop Script Doctor
Who can critique a script? In a sense, everyone. Everyone is an audience, and the main thing a writer needs to find out is, "Do they like my story?" That may be the only thing he needs to find out. But if the story has a weak element, he needs to find out what to fix and maybe how. Not everyone can critique. Aunt Martha may not like anything she reads. Your Brother, Paul, may think everything except motorcycle action films is no good. Mother always likes everything you write regardless of how poor it is. Your neighbor loves screenplays but has the diplomacy of a wrecking ball. Uncle Steve, who teaches English Literature, can hold it to the flame of high art, but has no clue what a modern audience likes. Another problem with critiquing is the person who wants to write the story for you. I once paid to have a novel critiqued and received five pages of excellent criticism and an offer to rewrite the novel for a substantial sum. But that wouldn't have helped me become a better writer. What I really needed was to know what I had done well, what needed improvement, and suggestions on directions to go. You can't become a better writer by having another person write it for you. Even other writers aren't necessarily good critics. I sent a movie script to an agent who offered a critiquing service. What I received back was exceedingly poor criticism, nothing positive, and was informed that one particular scene in the comedy "was not funny." I learned that the writer knew nothing about comedy - not every scene in a comedy is supposed to be funny - even though that one actually was. So, where does that leave struggling writers? In desperate need of feedback and finding it very difficult to get beyond, "Did you like my story?" Read on. From Writers Workshop Script Doctor
Writer's groups are one of the best ways to find support.
The people who attend the meetings are mostly people who genuinely want
to write, improve their writing, and maintain contact with other writers.
Formal writer's groups, like those associated with arts
councils, are usually attended by people who are reasonably sensitive to
others' needs, and who typically don't assault each other's esteem. Most
groups make their own bylaws or operating rules, so there is nothing consistent
from group to group - it's strictly up to the members what they want to
do.
Writer's groups are never perfect, so be prepared for
their peculiarities. The membership of groups is fairly dynamic from year
to year. Many writers stay indefinitely, but others move on, burn out,
or lose interest. New faces show up regularly - fewer than half come back.
Groups typically split every year or so as special interest groups congeal,
and form their own group, as in children's writing, women's issues, science
fiction writing, screenwriting, playwrighting, romance writing, and poetry.
Personalities also tend to drive groups apart: academic
writers have a different mind set about writing forms than say a romance
writer. If these differing groups aren't flexible, tension develops and
people leave. Sex scenes and foul words, which may be legitimate to the
story, may not be well received in a group. Test the waters before jumping
in. Sometimes the group leadership forces a more rigid structure on the
meeting than people want, or fails to provide enough leadership. Since
groups for only screenwriters are rare, the writers in the group are accustomed
to novels that tell exactly what a character is thinking and doing, so
it is sometimes hard for them to follow and appreciate a screenplay. Thankfully,
most members have had some experience with plays. The most important thing
is to be supportive of others when they fail. I have seen many people bite
off a larger chunk of a project than they can handle and a few weeks later
fail to return because they are embarrassed. It's better to have tried
and failed than never to have tried at all.
But most writer's groups are active, very accepting, friendly,
more than willing to hear or read your work and give you feedback. In these
groups, writers often have the opportunity, and feel comfortable, leading
small seminars on writing topics, or just contributing helpful information.
Frequently individuals are willing to read your work independently and
give you more feedback - especially if the favor is returned and not requested
too often. Events of interest in the region typically are announced by
various members. Sometimes contests are run for the area, and often the
group will publish an annual representative sample of their work. They
often have or sponsor guest speakers - usually someone connected with the
writing industry. Sometimes it's just a great place to meet a friend and
become mutually supportive.
How do you find writer's groups? Not in the phone book.
Library bulletin boards and newspaper ads are the most common. Sometimes
they are featured by local columnists. University writing teachers often
know of groups. University bulletin boards sometimes list them. Playhouses
(live stage theaters) sometimes have a bulletin board for such things;
and the theater director or college theater department may know of groups.
People connected with commercial writing, such as TV news; radio/TV/newspaper
advertising; local publishers; high school theatrical, language, literature,
writing teachers; newspaper columnists; or professional writers.
Writer's groups are very frequently sponsored by community
arts councils - contact your local library or county government. Some cities
have active film groups. Contact the city or state film commission (responsible
for enticing film makers to the state) for leads on film groups. For example,
the Kentucky Film Artist Coalition regularly sponsored meetings for writers
and actors and sponsored seminars with major talents from New York and
L.A. Denver and other cities have chapters of Women In Film.
If you find nothing in your community, try starting one
yourself - meeting at home is common, acceptable, and often preferred.
Or ask the local library or government if there is free space available
for a weekly or monthly meeting. Advertise for members in the newspaper,
library bulletin boards, local supermarket bulletin boards, etc.
From Writers Workshop Script Doctor
One of the more fun things about screenplays is that they
can be worked with by actors. I have done story development, readings,
and staged readings with both writers and actors. The people involved get
to know your story and characters and provide excellent feedback. They
can often suggest new directions to take. They also give you an immediate
sense of whether the scene or dialogue works or not, and how to fix them.
I have used improvisation to get ideas for developing a story and characters,
and for getting past a sticky point in a scene.
How do you find people to take part? Most people lead
very busy lives, and many are somewhat shy and in doubt of their talents,
so expect many people to decline. But many others are actively looking
for opportunities to get involved in interesting projects - these are the
ones you are looking for. Local small theater groups, such as community
theater or traveling production companies, are one source. Usually only
a small number of their membership is active in a current production or
coming production, so the rest (they all are employed at full-time jobs
but act for fun) may have some interest in a project like this to sharpen
their skills.
Writer's group members are often willing to read or act
a part. The local arts council may sponsor a theater group. You may gain
interest simply by advertising on bulletin boards. If you are interested
in going this route, I recommend the book, The Playwright's Handbook,
Frank Pike and Thomas Dunn, Plume, 1985. You may end up with a produced
play as well as a screenplay (and a lot of fun and learning).
From Writers Workshop Script Doctor
Many people will decline reading your screenplay because
they don't know how to help. It's best to let people know specifically
what you are after. For example, sometimes you just want to know if people
enjoy the story or if they find it confusing anywhere. Other times you
want to know how you are doing with a character. The best way to handle
defining needs is to use a feedback form. You can create one for each situation,
or you can use a more standardized form. I have had good success with forms,
both with scripts and with staged readings. But expect that people will
not answer every question - only the ones they feel comfortable with or
have something specific to say. And some people prefer to give feedback
verbally - they won't write a word. When you really want to know if you've
produced a good screenplay, ask if they would pay to see it. It may not
fit their personal taste, so ask if they would recommend it to others.
A typical screenplay critiqye form appears after the following list of forms.
If you want to review or critique a movie, you can use the following forms: Questionnaire
From Writers Workshop Script Doctor
Screenplays can only be improved through identifying problems.
Your input is valued. If you have a definite opinion, please provide candid
answers, as long or brief as you wish. Thank-you!
What did you really like? _______________________________________________________________________________
When were you confused? _______________________________________________________________________________
Was there anything you really disliked? _______________________________________________________________________________
Were you bored? If so, when? _______________________________________________________________________________
Did the story live up to expectations? ___Yes No___
Was the dialogue too long? ___Yes No___
Were the characters unique and have a voice of their own?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Did the characters seem real and have real motives? _______________________________________________________________________________
Was the dialogue too preachy? ___Yes No___
Would you recommend this screenplay to a friend? ___Yes
No___
Do you feel you would have paid to see this? ___Yes No___
What age group do you feel this story would appeal to?
_______________
From Writers Workshop Script Doctor
Educational opportunities abound. Most universities offer
night classes for those wanting to get training in creative writing. Others,
like Northwestern University, Chicago, offer full curriculums in writing,
and sometimes offer extensions in other cities. As the film community migrates
from Los Angeles, other communities are becoming centers of film activity,
like New York and Miami, so universities there are offering full film curriculums.
UCLA Extension offers courses on single weekends, multiple weekends, as
well as regular courses. It also offers short courses in selected cities
across the U.S. Many universities also offer creative writing courses by
correspondence. These are worthwhile even though they are not specifically
for film, because the most important part of writing for film is to get
a good basic story developed. Other institutes, like Writers Digest, offer
courses through correspondence which get you individualized professional
attention.
How
to be a help without being destructive
Each time I am asked for a critique, as I open my mouth to give advice,
I am struck by a recurring question: How will the writer perceive it? Am
I going to come off like a maniac with a wrecking ball thrashing insensitively
through the prized prose of some gentle soul? Or will I seem like a pompous
ass stroking my own ego? Or as someone who says considerably more than he
really knows? Or maybe a jealous writer waiting to slash the unwary victim
to his yarn spinning soul. That fear is born from seeing too many writers cease looking
for feedback because they can't handle it. Writers invest hundreds of hours
developing a beautiful story that is often a direct reflection of their
abilities. They are creative people and creative people necessarily open
themselves to the world so they can taste it with all their senses. When
you have your tongue sticking out, you risk someone belting your jaw shut.
Most writers don't thrive on criticism - they die on it. What they really
need is encouraging words. But on the other hand, writers have a very difficult time
improving a script without effective feedback, and the world that buys
words is a rough and tumble place. The writer could have earned several thousand dollars doing a part time job instead of writing this story - this is an investment. Personally I would rather hear a good
sound comment on my writing about something a reader didn't like than a
lot of well intentioned praise. I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong
with it, and my main intention is to make it the best it can be. Somewhere
in that dichotomy between the fragile creative ego and the highly critical
marketplace is where the literary critique falls. When a writer asks for
an evaluation and a reader agrees to give it, a contract is formed. The
writer agrees to hear constructive advice and the reader agrees to give
it. Anything less is unworthy of both. I'm a slow reader. It takes me 90 minutes to read a script, more if it is
boring, and I refuse to give something that represents hundreds of hours of
work less than a thorough evaluation. So I usually go through the basics:
Concept, plot, characterization, dialogue, surprises, uniqueness, and of
course the pitfalls. But I don't force a story into stereotyped ideas of how
stories should be, and I usually avoid the fad advice that is always
circulating because it typically is short sited or even wrong. I just focus
on good story. (I do warn against the tragedy of selling Tragedy at the box office.) I won't critique a story whose form I don't
understand such as slow moving stories that are totally character driven and
have only a shadow of a plot. They work for some, but they don't do anything for me
(OK, you guessed it, I'm a guy). The best place to start with a critique is to look for
the good. Writers desperately need to hear that you enjoyed their tale.
At some level I enjoy them all. I have never seen a story that didn't have
some good quality to it, something the writer could build on. I try to
note those good qualities for the writer: something good he can build around.
There are usually several things a writer is doing right. Sometimes it's
just script mechanics: spelling, format, shots (or preferrably the lack of shots). Sometimes
the plot is great. Maybe he has just one fascinating character. I have
never seen a story without at least one good quality and I like to note
all the things the writer is doing well so he at least knows he has accomplished
that much. I avoid criticism, which may sound funny, but criticizing something just
means running it down. I only give constructive criticism. That means
telling specifically what can be done to improve the script. I try to help
the writer move from wherever he is to a better place. I usually try to make suggestions that will spark the writers imagination,
or call elements or even loose ends to his attention that could be developed
to improve "what's broke," or develop an effective subplot, or take the
story in a better direction. Some writers can't take constructive criticism at all and will react
negatively to it no matter what. They and their baby are perfect, and that's
fine with me. Many scripts could be drowned in a deluge of criticism.
This is overwhelming - it makes people feel like putting the story aside
and forgetting the "Problem." It's much more important to help the
writer get to the next level of development. For example, a writer who
is struggling with making vibrant and engaging characters doesn't need
to hear about developing a motif. What that writer does need is a lot of feedback about
characterization. What did you really enjoy about the characters? What
didn't work, why, and what do you suggest to make them better? If the hero
came across as aloof and uncaring, then you need to suggest he make the
character warmer. Add a couple of ways - show him in a more private scene
baring his soul to his girlfriend as opposed to the rough exterior he usually
shows to his business associates. I view scripts being developed in three basic levels.
The first is characterization, plot and subplot development, and script
mechanics. If these are in shambles, that's what I'm going to focus on.
I'll mention the other elements, especially if there was something good,
but these three have to be there first. The second level has to do with making a good story great.
Writing so that there is unity of theme, crisp visual scenes, and a very
thorough development. This is done by knowing how to develop a scene, subplots,
pumping up dialogue, how to join scenes into segments - what a sequence
is - and how to let a compelling piece of storyline drive a section of
the story. The third level has to do with aesthetics. Many stories
can benefit from a motif and symbols; and exciting settings can add a lot
to a story. If the script is beginning to address the second level, I'll
mention these because they are part of the story, not add-ons. Unfortunately not every script can be turned into a winner. Some really good
stories just have a very narrow audience, or the concept just isn't enough
of a draw and usually fixing this just means writing another story. I try to
keep in mind the commercial aspect and try to give some feedback about
this - especially advising to seek other readers for their opinion because I
have my own tastes and I'm not God even though my wife thinks I think I
am... or something like that. It helps a lot to have writing experience and to know first hand not only
how to fix problems, but also know what you did wrong that created the problem. This
is the good stuff that you can pass on that gets to the root of it much
better than spouting dogmatic theory. Although I make suggestions, I don't do any writing or rewriting - I think
the only way that I (or any writer) learns is by doing it himself. If I have
a working relationship with the writer, I will mark up the script. Otherwise
I just write a separate note. I've found that seeing your script slashed and
burned makes many writers sick. They write you hate mail. Constructive criticism in groups can be good and it can be controlled. I have used it in writers groups and in staged readings of both stage and screen plays. There are four things to control: 1. Some people have no idea what is valuable feedback, so tell you anything. 2. Some people simply want to impress everyone with what they know, and they sacrifice the writer and his script in doing so. 3. Some people will go on and on forever, criticizing everything even though most of the script is well done, thinking that they "must" provide feedback. 4. Some people don't know constructive criticism from destructive, so they just trash the script. One thing to remember is that even the best works have flaws that can draw criticism, but that doesn't mean they need to be improved. The way to avoid destroying the writer is to control written or face to face feedback by not leaving the feedback process and questions open-ended, but directing them through pointed and leading questions. Ask questions to try to get the feedback in perspective, such as, "Would you recommend this story to a friend?" Knowing what worked well is just as important as knowing what didn't work - if you don't know that it worked well you may destroy it in rewriting, so ask what worked. I ask only for constructive feedback, such as, "What do you feel really needed to be improved?" I often use a questionnaire. An example of a feedback questionnaire is given previously in this article.
Other distribution restrictions: None
Page URL: http://www.visualwriter.com/Howtoget.htm
|