While working on something else, I ran across these "official" critiques of a script I submitted to a contest a few years ago:
"This appeared to be a different take on "Ghostbusters", but it really did not work. The story goes all over the place, so there's no direction and we aren't engaged as there is no reason to care about characters or situations."
"Have you thought about changing the main characters to kids and making this into some type of cartoon for Nick or some kids network? I think the kids would seem cool doing the same thing that adults are boring at and because they're kids, the actions would seem more believable. Right now, the story is flat with no place to go and the reader ends up disinterested."
To be fair, this was a script I threw together on the fly, and while I liked it, I never really beat it into super fine shape or anything. I did some editing, gave it some space, then decided that I liked it well enough to leave it alone.
Now, I can't say whether the criticisms are valid or not. I'm sure they came from two different people, to be sure. But somehow, it's always thrown me that the two different approaches to this were so... different. One person is all, "This didn't work. No one cares." As far as I'm concerned, that's a pretty heavy handed critique. It's just one slam short of being a Simon Cowell dismissal. And hey, I would almost expect as much from some random screener in some contest that probably got hundreds (if not thousands) of submissions.
But on the other side of the coin, the other reviewer thinks it might be cool if kids did it? Really? It doesn't make sense or kick if adults do it, but a bunch of kids might make it more compelling? I actually spent time pondering a rewrite for a day or so before it occurred to me that the kid suggestion was ludicrous and I should just let it go. I can't fathom a world where a child doing something is more entertaining than an adult. The only example I can think of is when people deliberately misplace kids into adult roles, and that's a one-trick pony of a joke that gets tired quick.
Lesson being, it's okay if people don't love your work. But you can't let them get too into your head along the way. Take some criticism. Apply it if you can. But if you can't, then don't lose any sleep over it. I hardly doubt that my submission was Academy Award winning work, but at the same I certainly didn't get a lot of enlightenment from the people that chose to give feedback on it. This is probably why I don't bother with paying extra for feedback when I submit to contests and the like. Sometimes, it's just not worth it.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
My Letter to Possibly Nobody
Because talk is cheap and people always say that they will but often don't, I decided to actually attempt to contact my local legislative representative to express my opinion. This took a great deal of time and personal introspection, as I wanted to express my opinion without sounding overly rude or disrespectful. After all, it makes no sense to share your thoughts if they end getting dismissed as insane ramblings.
That said, here is the finished draft of the e-mail I shuffled of to Rep. Jack Kingston. I share this not to toot my own horn, but because after almost a week of trying to find the right words to express how I feel about this situation, I think I found quite a few of them here:
Dear Mr. Kingston,
I am writing with regard to the current shutdown that is taking place in our federal government. I am not sure exactly why I am writing this, except that I do sincerely feel that you have the right - no the duty - to hear my opinion on current matters.
I have been a citizen of Savannah, Georgia and thus this Congressional district for practically all 37 years of my entire life. I have lived with many things, and seen many legislators come and go. Rarely have I thought to express myself directly to them (or to whomever chooses to monitor things in their proxy), but I feel that this is an important issue, and that it is time.
While I understand the position(s) of you and your party with regard to the Affordable Care Act, I cannot support the actions you are currently taking. As part of the legislative process, I would expect you to respect the process which put the law into place enough to use the systems provided in a positive way. Using a procedural loophole to hold thousands, possibly millions of people's jobs and well being hostage while you jockey for leverage against this law is, frankly, beneath any legislator, especially one as experienced as you.
If you genuinely cared about the many people that are currently without the jobs and/or financial support that they would have if not for your porturing, then you would pass a rider-free resolution to approve a budget for everyone. You ask why your opposition would refuse a piecemeal bill to help sick children. I ask why you feel a handful of sympathetic interests is more important than the good of everyone. The sick children and so many others will be helped when you start the government again, so why won't you consider them as well? Or does it even matter to you?
I have seen several of the posts and images produced by and for you on your Facebook page. And I know that many people will consider you a "hero" and a "patriot" for what you are attempting to do. But respectfully, sir, you are neither to me. I do not support this, and I do not support you. In this regard you are not representing my personal interest, the interest of so many of my friends and family members that have and will continue to be affected by this shutdown, and the common interest of the country in general.
I am embarrassed to have your name associated with representing the interests of my region on a national scale, and come next election cycle, I will do everything in my power to make sure that you do not continue to do so. If every voice counts, then consider my voice counted against you.
Good luck to you, sir. God bless you, sir. And God save us all from the cycle of ego and insanity that you currently find yourself surrounded in. I do not envy the task that you have before you, but I do expect better of you.
Sincerely.
Thomas Houston
I'm unclear whether anyone will actually see it, but I feel better for having tried. I strongly encourage anyone who has an opinion, one way or the other, to do the same. The people who represent us do deserve to know how we feel about them and what they do. And you'll feel a little better for having made the effort.
That said, here is the finished draft of the e-mail I shuffled of to Rep. Jack Kingston. I share this not to toot my own horn, but because after almost a week of trying to find the right words to express how I feel about this situation, I think I found quite a few of them here:
Dear Mr. Kingston,
I am writing with regard to the current shutdown that is taking place in our federal government. I am not sure exactly why I am writing this, except that I do sincerely feel that you have the right - no the duty - to hear my opinion on current matters.
I have been a citizen of Savannah, Georgia and thus this Congressional district for practically all 37 years of my entire life. I have lived with many things, and seen many legislators come and go. Rarely have I thought to express myself directly to them (or to whomever chooses to monitor things in their proxy), but I feel that this is an important issue, and that it is time.
While I understand the position(s) of you and your party with regard to the Affordable Care Act, I cannot support the actions you are currently taking. As part of the legislative process, I would expect you to respect the process which put the law into place enough to use the systems provided in a positive way. Using a procedural loophole to hold thousands, possibly millions of people's jobs and well being hostage while you jockey for leverage against this law is, frankly, beneath any legislator, especially one as experienced as you.
If you genuinely cared about the many people that are currently without the jobs and/or financial support that they would have if not for your porturing, then you would pass a rider-free resolution to approve a budget for everyone. You ask why your opposition would refuse a piecemeal bill to help sick children. I ask why you feel a handful of sympathetic interests is more important than the good of everyone. The sick children and so many others will be helped when you start the government again, so why won't you consider them as well? Or does it even matter to you?
I have seen several of the posts and images produced by and for you on your Facebook page. And I know that many people will consider you a "hero" and a "patriot" for what you are attempting to do. But respectfully, sir, you are neither to me. I do not support this, and I do not support you. In this regard you are not representing my personal interest, the interest of so many of my friends and family members that have and will continue to be affected by this shutdown, and the common interest of the country in general.
I am embarrassed to have your name associated with representing the interests of my region on a national scale, and come next election cycle, I will do everything in my power to make sure that you do not continue to do so. If every voice counts, then consider my voice counted against you.
Good luck to you, sir. God bless you, sir. And God save us all from the cycle of ego and insanity that you currently find yourself surrounded in. I do not envy the task that you have before you, but I do expect better of you.
Sincerely.
Thomas Houston
I'm unclear whether anyone will actually see it, but I feel better for having tried. I strongly encourage anyone who has an opinion, one way or the other, to do the same. The people who represent us do deserve to know how we feel about them and what they do. And you'll feel a little better for having made the effort.
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