British Comedy Guide

How do I respond to people who Critique my work? Page 3

Remember that any critique offered is only that one person's opinion, and humour is very much a personal thing.

What they might like or find funny, you might not. So if someone tells you something is rubbish, take it with a pinch of salt. Maybe ask how they would have improved it, see if they can offer any constructive suggestions you can take into your next piece of work.

I usually go for structure etc.

So I may praise stuff that don't seem funny to me, but they're well written etc.

Some stuff just isn't funny off the page, but you can see how it would work.

Quote: Jennie @ August 9 2013, 10:28 AM BST

Someone, can't remember, who, or in what context said 'there is truth in every critique. Consider it, evaluate it, and take what you want from it.'

My thought process is as follows:

1. They have read and commented on my work. They don't have to do that. They have done me a favour. So I am always grateful for every piece of critique. Even if it's expressed in a rather blunt manner.

2. There must be a reason why they said what they said. I try to get to the bottom of that.

3.Do I agree with all of it / or some of it? Ultimately it is my work, and my judgement.

People thinking, talking, discussing, critiquing, being rude about my work- all of it is valuable, all of it it is relevant.

Because if I ever got commissioned, that is what people will be doing at home.

I disagree, Jaicee. I have had nobody option my work, I have written precisely one script my entire life. I am very very inexperienced, but I think hard about my critique and try to make it honest and helpful.

Whilst my word isn't gospel, I like think I occasionally give writers something to think about. Same for newbies who have commented on my work.

Thank you Jennie, you are great.
What I'm getting is that I should accept all critiques and take what I think is helpful and use it, the rest just take under advisement, which is very good advice,

May I say a massive thank you to everyone who commented on this, you words of wisdom are a great help to me.

Thanks

Tony :)

Quote: Tursiops @ August 9 2013, 11:31 AM BST

but simply telling the person who has taken the trouble to comment that they are wrong is probably not a good move. And it is never worth getting in a flame war with someone who just posts to comment that it is shit.

Thank you Tursiops,

Everyone is heading in the same direction of "Just Ignore the comments you don't agree with" and thank and get into dialog with the people you think can help. and that sounds like great advice to me,

Those of you who have said this forum is full of talentless people should reread some of the work I've read in the last few day, personally I think there are some very talented writers on here and like many musicians not all writers will get the recognition and have the level of success they deserve. doesn't mean their opinion is not important

Anyway, a massive thank you for your comments, I wish I could reply to all of the people who have given their input as I know its nice to get a reply back when you bother to post but I've had so many I'm going to just say a big thank you to you all in one go!

Thank you

Tony

The ones you don't agree with.

Don't reject out of hand.

If someone's an idiot, then its worth remembering idiots like Mrs Brown Boys, jokes in the Sun and Micheal McIntyre

e.g. there are millions of them.

Worth remembering its worth playing to the larger audience sometimes.

Quote: sootyj @ August 9 2013, 10:29 AM BST

And Jennie you're a good writer whose getting better.

Kinda proof of how critique works.

Thanks Sooty :)

Quote: Jaicee @ August 9 2013, 9:21 AM BST

Tony Take it all with a large pinch of salt.Most people on this site have zero talent , skill or aptitude for writing.What these ones do have are massive over-inflated egos which are a sure sign of desperate insecurity.Your opinion about your own work counts for far more and , of course , anyone who offers you any kind of contract and money.First question you should ask of anyone on this site is - have you had anything optioned? ie. Is anyone interested,impressed or enthralled enough by something you've hacked out, to offer you money to use it.If the answer is no then figure it out for yourself.Don't let the bastards grind you down.

I think you may have a point. You're better off joining a writers site and getting advice that way. You're allowing yourself to be critiqued by people that you don't know if they even write or how much experience they have.

Letting people critique your work without any proof of their writing experience can be damaging to your morale.

Quote: paul ivey @ August 10 2013, 9:34 AM BST

You're allowing yourself to be critiqued by people that you don't know if they even write or how much experience they have.

Yes but despite that everyone has a sense of what works for them on a gut level whether they write books or whether the only writing they do is to the council about the potholes.

BCG can be a bit ripe at times, but I think it is harsh to accuse it of causing moral damage.

I think it is a given that anyone who visits Critique is a writer of some description, or a masochist.

In any case dedicated writers are generally self-obsessed, back-biting churls, and probably the last people you should be listening to.

I stumbled upon BCG after fleeing a well-known writers' site; by comparison this was an oasis of polite and sane discussion.

Quote: paul ivey @ August 10 2013, 9:34 AM BST

I think you may have a point. You're better off joining a writers site and getting advice that way. You're allowing yourself to be critiqued by people that you don't know if they even write or how much experience they have.

Letting people critique your work without any proof of their writing experience can be damaging to your moral.

Are you still pissing and moaning?

You'd be surprised by the amount of experience in the people who dissed your sitcom

Write a better one or at least show some better extracts

Stop trying to f**k the life back into a dead cat

Quote: sootyj @ August 10 2013, 10:16 AM BST

Stop trying to f**k the life back into a dead cat

Like I said, an oasis of polite and sane discussion. :)

Quote: Tursiops @ August 10 2013, 10:14 AM BST

BCG can be a bit ripe at times, but I think it is harsh to accuse it of causing moral damage.

He may have meant 'morale' but I'm not the spell checker so I'll shut up Pleased

I don't know what happened last night! but when I woke up this morning I had fur on my knob and my Cat is alive again?

There's nothing like a typo to ruin the meaning of a sentence.

Quote: Jaicee @ August 9 2013, 9:21 AM BST

Most people on this site have zero talent , skill or aptitude for writing.

I find that statement a little odd, as most of your responses to work on here seem to be "You're a genius, mate, keep on being improbably amazing".

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