The primary reason I joined Stage 32 was to find like-minded writers willing to swap scripts and act as free beta readers. I quickly found three scriptwriters who seemed to fit the bill and screenplays were exchanged. I read all three and provided detailed critiques and encouragement. (I’ve beta read for dozens of established and new novelists and worked with many professional editors so I have experience.) One of my new partners kept his end of the deal and gave me his promised feedback. We then had a lively, friendly and beneficial exchange of ideas. A second reader received my feedback and seemed to appreciate my comments. He promised to quickly get to my script, but never did. The third simply ghosted me after getting my critique. (Which wasn’t negative.)
My plea is that anyone who agrees to act as a beta reader should follow through, especially if the other person has already kept their promise. If you don’t like the script and don’t want to continue with it, at least let the writer know. I found it a struggle to get through the script from the person who ghosted me, but I plugged away and was encouraging in my comments.
At some time in the future I’ll likely be looking for beta readers again. Hopefully my gentle reminder may remind other writers that promises of providing a respectful critique should be kept.
3 people like this
Barry McDivitt yeah, it definitely happens from time to time and I've been burned on script swaps in the past. But I still do them because they are generally a pretty honest exchange when you find like-minded writers who get what you're trying to write. So over time, you've just gotta maintain the relationships with those folks who show up and have good feedback. Let the rest roll of your back. When you get ghosted, the only thing you really can do is just be the bigger person. When you have your notes on the other person's script, send them over. And that's pressure enough. If they ghost, that's too bad. but from there it's easy to just never go to them again. There's a lotta writers out there, so keep fishing!
2 people like this
Ask them, to go first. Withhold your feedback.
5 people like this
Great post, Barry McDivitt. I may add, if you commit to giving someone feedback, give them honest feedback. No one benefits from nice, they only benefit from honest.
3 people like this
About 100 members have sent me networking requests since I became a member almost one year ago. And since I have a finished script, I have asked most of those people to read. Basically I have suggested "you do me a favor and I do you a favor.
1 / 4 did not answer.
1 / 4 said no.
1 / 4 promised to read but didn't.
1 / 4 have read. Some of these were very ambitious, others were the very opposite.
A few persons promised to read my screenplay if I first read theirs. In those cases I sent my comments after a few days.
I leave it for you to guess which I have deleted from my network. Respectively which I want to continue communicating with.
1 person likes this
I look at 10 page selections from scripts every week on my YouTube channel.
Let me know if interested.
2 people like this
I've done several. Most were positive. A couple were really bad. One guy's script was all talking heads and over description, and nobody could tell him it didn't work as a screenplay. The other guy cussed me out because I said it was boring. It started off good but fell flat all the way to the end after that. The best one I had, I mentored for a few months before she got the hang of it and started doing her own thing.
2 people like this
Hi Barry, I’m happy to read and exchange critique - in my view I can learn from other people and I wish to keep learning. I’ve been runner up several times in a number of competitions - but never the winner. So I’m almost there - I’m also fascinated and generally inspired by other people’s interpretation of the craft. Warren
2 people like this
I would also add that I have only improved as a writer as much as I have because other people took time out of their day to provide me with their insights on my work. They put more in than they took out. I feel as a point of personal honor I should do the same.
2 people like this
My wish is that readers would give constructive criticism. Not be rude. I've had some mostly bad experiences. I can take criticism, but not ripping me apart.