Hi everyone,
I recently finished my very first script ever — literally the first time in my life I’ve tried writing a script — and I decided to be brave (or crazy) enough to submit it to a major competition with paid feedback included.
The feedback came back and honestly, it sounded more positive than I expected. They called it a high-concept project with prestige TV potential, praised the atmosphere and the slow-burn identity mystery, and even compared it to shows like The OA, The Returned, The Killing, and Bloodline.
They also pointed out flaws, which is fair and expected, but now I’m left wondering — how much of this is genuine encouragement, and how much is there just to keep new writers motivated to submit again?
I’d love to hear your experiences — do you trust competition feedback? Has it actually helped you grow as a writer, or do you take it with a grain of salt?
Would love to hear your stories, especially from those more experienced. Cheers and good luck with your projects, everyone!
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Congratulations on finishing your first script, Mateo Montehugo!
I've entered some competitions, but I haven't gotten feedback from them (I didn't have the money at the time). I get feedback from trusted readers, and I ordered a Stage 32 Feature Script Read + 30 Minute Talk with an Executive. The feedback helped, especially the first paid feedback I bought and the Feature Script Read + 30 Minute Talk.
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Hey Mateo Montehugo What a thoughtful question, and congratulations on completing your very first script! That alone is a massive accomplishment that many aspiring writers never achieve.
Your skepticism about feedback is actually a sign of good instincts. The reality is competition feedback exists on a spectrum- some is genuinely valuable, some is formulaic encouragement designed to keep writers writing.
Red flags for generic feedback:
- Vague praise without specific examples
- Compliments that could apply to any script
- No concrete suggestions for improvement
- Overly effusive language that feels manufactured
Signs of legitimate feedback:
- Specific references to scenes, characters, or plot points
- Targeted comparisons (like your OA/Bloodline comps) that show actual engagement with your story
- Balanced criticism with actionable suggestions
- Genre-appropriate insights that demonstrate understanding of your market
The comps they gave you (The OA, The Returned, The Killing, Bloodline) are quite specific and suggest they actually engaged with your material. That's not a random list - it points to atmospheric, identity-driven, slow-burn storytelling.
My recommendation: Take the praise with cautious optimism, but focus intensely on their specific criticisms. That's where the real value usually lies, regardless of how the praise was calibrated.
The bigger question: How did YOU feel about your script before submitting? Your own instincts matter more than any single piece of feedback. Sometimes the criticism reveals more about the feedback quality than the praise does.
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Hey Pat Alexander,
Thank you so much for such a thoughtful and structured response. I really appreciate the detailed breakdown of how to recognize the difference between generic and legitimate feedback — that list of specific criteria was extremely helpful.
Thinking about it now, your message actually made me realize that the feedback I received wasn't generic at all. They clearly pointed out both the strengths and the flaws, referenced specific scenes, and even noted the exact page numbers along with quotes from my script that need improvement. The critique was targeted and gave me a clear direction on what to work on, which I now see as a positive sign.
As for the second part of your question — how I felt about my script before submitting — that's such a good point. Honestly, I had very similar thoughts to what the feedback reflected. I believed in the core idea, I knew it was original because I spent a lot of time thinking it through, but I also knew the execution wasn't perfect.
This is actually my first attempt ever at writing a script, and I've never used screenwriting software before. I'm entirely self-taught, and within four months, I tried to learn as much as I could on my own. So I was aware that my script would likely suffer from technical imperfections, structure issues, maybe formatting — but I still wanted to take the risk and get professional eyes on it.
The critiques I received are fair, and I will absolutely work on those areas. But I was honestly happy to see that alongside the flaws, there were also specific parts of the script that got praised — which gives me hope that, even as a self-taught beginner, I'm on the right track.
Thanks again for your valuable insight, it really helped me put everything into perspective.
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You're smart to consider that it's all designed to keep you coming back.
Keep in mind, it's far cheaper and more efficient to learn via the books.
In today's world, I wouldn't trust any form of anonymous feedback at all. It's far too likely to be AI generated.
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I have been getting feedback and recommends several times. Nothing has happened because after you get recommends you can't contact on this platform. It is very frustrating and I am thinking about getting an agent. My Pilot has been called Succession meets Gossip Girl with International appeal. I am also almost done with a Christmas movie but I don't know if I should submit it here.
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Plus, every production house says they do not accept unsolicited material. Every pitch I did , they wanted to read my script. Frustrating