Ahhh...Feedback

So I stumbled upon this great blog about getting feedback on your writing.

Basically, the author suggests giving comments in the form of questions. Instead of "Wow, your dialogue is super-cheesy," something like "Would Cara really say something like that?" would be better. It makes the writer think about the issue at hand, it cushions the blow, and it probably means the writer will be more likely to take advice. No one like a Negative Nancy...

...which brings me to another point. It's always best to include something positive in feedback. If you're a writer looking for feedback, ask the people to whom you're sending your script to mention what they liked about the work. If you're a reader, keep in mind how you would feel if it was your work coming back peppered with negative comments. There's always something good to say about a script -- even "I liked the main character's name" can be an ego boost. But it's not all about ego either. Notating the positive is useful not only because it makes the negative comments easier to receive and follow, but also because it means the good scenes won't get cut in the editing. Once a writer takes scissors to his or her script, anything goes -- but if there's a scene that's particularly good, the writer will keep it in. Mentioning the positive can also give the writer an idea of what works, and what the rest of the script should look like. If the dialoge is perfect in one scene, but atrocious everywhere else. pointing out the good scene will provide a framework for what the rest of the script should look like in a rewrite.