British Comedy Guide

The standard of writing on this website Page 12

Quote: JohnnyD @ July 28 2009, 8:48 AM BST

Are you sure? Didn't he choke to death?

According to one of his roadies, Tappy Wright, he was murdered by his manager as part of an insurance scam. :S

I'll put my hand up to sometimes using a smillie as a Crit comment. That's if it's late or I have no time to give a neg crit (or indeed don't have a neg point - it does happen, believe it or not, some sketches are simply great as they stand) but I just want the author to know I've been there and enjoyed. People like to know it reached an appreciating audience.

Some great sketches have received paltry comments and if people don't post a comment because they have nothing new to add to it, then I don't want the author feeling the sketch had failed when it hadn't - if you get the drift.
:)
I did it again.

Quote: SlagA @ July 28 2009, 10:31 AM BST

People like to know it reached an appreciating audience.

Fact!

Quote: SlagA @ July 28 2009, 10:31 AM BST

I'll put my hand up to sometimes using a smillie as a Crit comment. That's if it's late or I have no time to give a neg crit (or indeed don't have a neg point - it does happen, believe it or not, some sketches are simply great as they stand) but I just want the author to know I've been there and enjoyed. People like to know it reached an appreciating audience.

Some great sketches have received paltry comments and if people don't post a comment because they have nothing new to add to it, then I don't want the author feeling the sketch had failed when it hadn't - if you get the drift.
:)
I did it again.

It would be silly to expect nuanced feedback on everything one writes. It's just such a treat when it's there.

And the occaisonal thumbs up is also nice.

I just get a little miffed at the occaisonal "It's all shit and you know it" kind of comment that pops up.

I do think new writers deserve some feedback and they usually get it.

I see Crit as somewhere I can find something to giggle at.

It can be hit and miss, but that's the same as any sketch show... and I have found some absolute gems in there at times.

I used to post sketches in there, but not really for crit. It was more to swap and share and be part of a community.

Although, I DO remember it served as a good tool for me.
I'd just received a drama back from BBC Writersroom; a script that I thought was good... but it had been rejected!
It got to me bad, as I couldn't find anything wrong with it.
So I put it in Crit and I received some really good advice from the likes of Marc P, Morrace, etc.
They showed me what was wrong with it. Too much text in stage directions, slight mistakes in dialogue, fancy novelistic directions, etc, ... all things I couldn't see myself.
So Crit can be useful.

I'm not a sketch person really so don;t tend to join in so much apart from the odd smilies - it's my equivalent of the Blue Peter badge. That's the one you wear Badge, I wasn't just addressing that to you.

There was talk of a sitcom section where properly formatted scripts could be posted, but I guess that is still in the development stage or has been dropped as an idea. That's the sort of feedback I sometimes don;t mind giving. As Griff said sometimes giving detailed feedback can be quite hard work mind, especially if someone doesn't really want to hear it.

Quote: Marc P @ July 28 2009, 11:04 AM BST

As Griff said sometimes giving detailed feedback can be quite hard work mind, especially if someone doesn't really want to hear it.

Yeah - who'd want detailed feedback from you two successful, prolific, intelligent writers? Rolling eyes

I'm not sure where all the negativity comes from sometimes. I don't read everything on Critique and some threads I don't comment on because they do nothing for me. But that's the same with several successful TV comedies for example and they've done well enough without me pointing out I don't enjoy them.

If something makes me smile I agree with Slag A that it warrants a smiley! There have been some gems and some dire sketches and everything in between. But most of us are just playing around trying to find a writing voice or whatever and the feedback can be useful. I admit to making the mistake of rewriting others' work, which I keep trying not to do! It's an easy section to avoid if you don't enjoy reading any of it.

I don't expect to ever have real success but I've been lucky enough, as have several on here, to converse with people who make a living from producing, directing and acting this year and in my limited experience they'll all been encouraging, constructive or remained silent which is the lead I hope to follow! None of them have said said I'm shit or made personal insults, so I'm not sure how, when that's done in here it's meant to be a reflection of the real world!? If it was I wouldn't bother at all. It's meant to be fun isn't it?

Encouragement and constructive feedback foster creativity not all the negativity that flies about here sometimes.

Rant over.

JP

Quote: Jacob Loves Comedy @ July 27 2009, 3:14 PM BST

I have only posted one sketch, which was very well received a couple of months back. However, some people might have read that sketch, not liked it, and not commented. You just never know.

Over to you......

Hi Jacob.

I couldn't find the sketch you were referring to in Critique.
Do you remember the title?

Quote: Jacob Loves Comedy @ July 27 2009, 3:14 PM BST

It's easy to spot the people with talent on here. I have only posted one sketch, which was very well received a couple of months back. However, some people might have read that sketch, not liked it, and not commented. You just never know.

Does it matter if some people do not like it? Comedy seldom appeals to everyone.

Even if every single sketch in Crit was dreadful, tired old shite, why would that matter? If people get something from posting stuff there, what right has anybody to sneer? Sure, some people might be deluding themselves, but who cares. We all delude ourselves to some extent over things, whether it's our chances of promotion, how good we are at sex, or how attractive our kids are. I can think of far worse crimes than posting substandard material in Crit.

As a tool, I suspect it can be somewhat useful, especially if you respect the people critiquing your work, but you've got to be pretty thick skinned and try not to let the sly jabs and sometimes downright hostility get you down.

Quote: chipolata @ July 28 2009, 12:55 PM BST

Even if every single sketch in Crit was dreadful, tired old shite, why would that matter? If people get something from posting stuff there, what right has anybody to sneer? Sure, some people might be deluding themselves, but who cares. We all delude ourselves to some extent over things, whether it's our chances of promotion, how good we are at sex, or how attractive our kids are. I can think of far worse crimes than posting substandard material in Crit.

As a tool, I suspect it can be somewhat useful, especially if you respect the people critiquing your work, but you've got to be pretty thick skinned and try not to let the sly jabs and sometimes downright hostility get you down.

Where is Chip and what have you done with him?

Quote: Marc P @ July 28 2009, 12:58 PM BST

Where is Chip and what have you done with him?

:D Whistling nnocently

Quote: Fred Sunshine @ July 28 2009, 12:46 PM BST

I couldn't find the sketch you were referring to in Critique.
Do you remember the title?

I couldn't find it either - but if or when I do I'll probably write:

"I cannot believe how many sane, living, breathing, thinking people have actually fallen for this puerile, so-called comedy sketch. I'm entirely stunned."

Quote: Morrace @ July 28 2009, 1:04 PM BST

I couldn't find it either - but if or when I do I'll probably write:

"I cannot believe how many sane, living, breathing, thinking people have actually fallen for this puerile, so-called comedy sketch. I'm entirely stunned."

:D :D Laughing out loud

Not wishing to name names but there's definitely a few writers who got picked up by; BBC open talent, stage shows etc after posting stuff in critique and getting feedback. One particular person wrote 2 piss taking pastiche of my Newsrevue style and then sold them.

I don't know about sitcom success, but I know that my style improved alot from my feedback.

I also put my poor sick and ailing screenplay to bed after thinking through the fair, but negative feedback it recieved.

Share this page