Script Coverage, Assessment, Critiquing, whatever the hell you want to call it....

There has been a few discussions out there about the various services available to aspiring screenwriters(like me) where you can send your script, along with payment, for them to review it, and they claim to give you good advice.

The pros seem to say that most of them provide allegedly bad advice, as if they keep getting you to tweak it for further review, they make more money, and I can see what the pro's are on about regarding this.

It very well could be a viscious circle, with the newbie stuck in rewrite limbo, and ends up broke and 73 and never gotten past script number 1(but the structure finally works!)

Anyway, a pro asked a question a few weeks ago whether people like myself would be interested in him/her/mineral taking a look at it for a fee, he/her/mineral seemed to be just testing the waters, but, and I am purposely not using names, as people who read the blog will know, and probably have just as high opinion of him as I do, and since he took down the posts I assume he does not feel comfortable about having that particular blog remain there. Maybe he thinks he will come off looking like some of these "services". I certainly did not think that.

What I wanted to say was, if any of the pros started this service, maybe even on an invitation only basis to regular readers of their blogs, or whatever, I think it would be welcomed.

Well, who are you mister smarty pants to say that?

All these pros and seasoned aspiring screenwriters are already giving people like myself sooooooooooo much information, for free. Zip, nada, nothing. They are already doing that. If anyone is taking advantage of anyone here, it is people like myself, gleaming bits and pieces from these guys and girls.

So, if they then want to earn a little beer money by working their way through 110 pages of this virgins first screenplay, then I don't mind parting with some hard earned dollars to get feedback from someone currently in the thick of it.

Writing a screenplay is creative, you can be artsy fartsy all you like when doing that, but when it comes to selling it, that is business, and therefore all screenswriters are currently business people or aspiring business people. Again, as a business, I would not mind parting with some cash to get some feedback I would respect.

They have nothing to gain, other than a few bucks, which will hardly cover the red pen they will need! ;-)

The biggest thing for me is that I see those aspiring pop stars on Idol...not the ones that are there for a joke, that is fine, bit of a giggle, etc. but you see the ones who can't sing, don't look the part etc, but their parents, friends, etc have been lying to this person that they actually have talent, they then go on national and international tv and make a complete arse of themselves, but most of them are still deluisonal, and think they still have talent, they are just not recognised.

Fuck, am I one of those people, in respect to my writing? That sends shivers up my spine. I talk to a few friends about it, and they are supportive, and normally VERY blunt, and I would expect them to tell me if it is crap.

But, do they?

You are never 100$% sure.

If a pro read it for me, then I could take, "hey, look the dialogue needs work, trim, etc, structure okay, but speed it up in act 3"........whatever.....that is fine, but what I REALLY want to know is ........... do I totally suck at this and am just deluding myself. That is worth money, so that if I do suck, then I can not waste my time or anyone elses.

I could then just blog and get the writing bug out that way.

What do others think?
cheers
Dave.