Meet the Reader: Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is important.

For me, the ability to deal with criticism dispassionately is one of the key elements that separate the professional writer from the amateur. Here are some tips to help you develop such an attitude:

1. Don’t be precious about your work: It is vital you believe in your writing, but don’t become deluded about it. There’s no such thing as a perfect script (even yours) and every script (no matter how hard or long you worked on it) can always be improved.

2. Remember, your script isn’t you: It is important for you to fully invest yourself in your work (for there is no way to create anything worthwhile without doing so), but it is equally important to recognize the finished product isn’t you or even a part of you – it is a unique and separate object, created by you but that stands on its own. When people criticize a script, it is this separate object they are critiquing, not you or your talent or your inherent worthiness as a human being.

3. Keep in mind everyone’s just trying to help: When industry professionals criticize your script, their goal is to make the piece better, not to hurt your feelings. Now, some may deliver their comments in a clumsy or indelicate manner, which can certainly make them feel like personal attacks, but you can take out a lot of the sting if you keep in mind that, even if your reviewer’s manner is inartful, his/her intentions are probably good. Remember, everyone in the industry wants to find or develop a great script – no one’s out to discourage anyone just for fun or to dump on a piece of material arbitrarily.

4. Don’t become defensive: When their work is criticized, some writers react by going on the attack. They will reject every negative evaluation loudly and strenuously, arguing that it is not the script that is flawed, but the reviewer’s opinions — because the reviewer is stupid, lacks taste or good judgment, is jealous of the writer’s superior talent, is out to keep the writer from getting ahead, or simply because he/she “didn’t get it.” Taking a defensive position is never helpful – it can keep you from recognizing input that can help make your work better and, more importantly, it can make people not want to deal with you, which can be a big problem if you’re hoping to build a career.

5. You don’t have to listen: Let’s say that you think a reviewer’s negative assessment of your work, while sincerely formulated and offered, is simply wrong. Okay, fine – then you don’t have to take his/her suggestions. The abilities to discern good advice from bad and to know when to make a change and when to hold fast are also hallmarks of a professional screenwriter. As with all things, the key element in all of this is to keep an open mind – give your material to people whose opinions you trust and value, listen carefully to what they have to say, and then use your own judgment and discernment to determine how best to proceed.

Ultimately, it is probably best to think of criticism in the same way that you think of a pen, paper, computer, or a dictionary – as a tool that, used judiciously, can help you make your work the best it can possibly be.

Go forward and win!

Logline Service

I have been getting a lot of request for loglines. I give different prices . Since I have so many requests for this service, I decided to set a single fix price.

Logline: $5.00 Flat Fee

A synopsis or summery is required. It well be used to form the logline. The logline is just one line.

Screenplays

Critique: $50.00 Flat Fee, Discount fee $42.50

 Includes evaluating the basis elements of a script

•  Introduction
•  Development
•  Climax
•  Conclusion
• Character development 
•  Mid point development

Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 

Payments are made by Paypal or cashier check by mail.


Other services are at regular price.

Query Letters: $25.00 Flat Fee  

Editing: $45.00 Flat Fee

•  Evaluating formatting to industry standards
•  Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Turnaround time:
Editing: 2 weeks
Critique: 2 weeks

Query Letters: 2 weeks

Feel free to contact me at ahicks4298@q.com or ahicks4298@msn.com.

Feel to call me at (360) 696-4298. Ask for Frances.

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