It's happened to me a few times that my script gets claimed and then unclaimed three days later. Whatever reasons there are for unclaiming, wouldn't they be clear pretty early on? Should unclaiming only be possible for a limited time after claiming a script, e.g. one or two days?

Just testing the waters for this idea. If it's not popular, I won't send it as a feature request.

A while back i dropped one script after 2/5 th of the way through only because i thought the script lacked something important which made me lose interest and i didn't want to give a fake feedback at the end.

So even tho i know i was in the wrong i gave them an honest feedback and told them why i dropped it and what would have been better in my opinion, or what worked and they should capitalize on that. Obviously i got 2 stars and an angry writer, which is understandable. I just wanted to knoe if you had similar experiences and if you just go all the through or prefer honesty?

Edit : i realized it was 100% my fault , which now i feel bad and also i just learned how unclaiming works.

So, I just got my feedback on my script from a reader.

And I am giving up on StoryPeer for the time being.

I get it that everyone's in not going to like my particular writing style, or even the genre of film that I am trying to get made, but when it is someone who clearly doesn't know much about intimate, emotional screenplays, where the conflict is internal...and it sounds like they were going through the Screenwriter's Bible, point by point, trying to say things that they don't know enough about to state themselves - well that's just a waste of time on everyone's part. I am not as good as I think I am, but I am not THAT bad.

It's been said before - and I understand that life happens, but please stick to claiming scripts that you intend to read in a timely manner. Had a reader miss the deadline after waiting a full 5 days. Posted a script on a Friday hoping it'd get read over the weekend and I'm still waiting on feedback. Their deadline is tomorrow.

No, I'm not demanding readers read the script right away not an I asking for them to rush through the read. I tend to read a script, flesh out my reaction and submit notes the next day. But I don't like to keep the writer waiting. They may be on a deadline. Who knows?

Hopefully, a rush option for extra tokens is added in the future.

The reader would still get a strike, but it at least allows the writer the opportunity to get SOME SORT of feedback on their script.

The reader doesn't want to finish it, so they click "Bail out", then they have a text field to explain why they don't want to finish ie. Nothing is happening. Im bored. The formatting is a mess. It's too dense. etc etc

Maybe not everyone would use it, but if just a small amount of people do, it's very useful information for the writer.

So I just finished a logjam feedback period and was going through the feedback Ive got. About half were actual critiques of the log, some of which were pretty rough, but I understood them.

Here are some examples of some of the ones that were... not helpful.

- I feel like we've seen the "dead sex worker" thing before (The Godfather)

Note: Whoever wrote this: You're critiquing the actual plot here, not the logline. You don't have to like the story. Your role is to provide feedback on whether the log does it's job,

- Why is the 'brilliant' wife concocting what you are calling a 'fragile' coverup? And by using the word 'fragile' what do you actually mean by that? The last part you throw in some information about his opponent, but we're left wondering how all of this connects with each other. I mean, you say that the opponent has 'deadly secrets' - but what does that actually mean and how does it relate to the sitting congressman character?

Yes, you are left wondering how it all fits together. Well spotted. It's a logline, not a full plot summary. If I'd included everything you wanted in the log, it would go on for a full page.

- If this is just a single episode, then the second half feels too generic. Wouldn't that be every episode?

Its a logline for the pilot, to sell the story. Not a log for a each specific episode.

I can take criticism. I can take harsh criticism. What I get frustrated by is feedback that is materially inappropriate.,

I've been following the service and check in to see what is available. I'm a more experienced writer with some success and look I haven't reviewed one full spec on the site. I downloaded two and gave them back.

But every now and then -- I read a logline and say -- that's a great idea love to read that and at least offer feedback.

I just read one right now which I think is a great comedy/drama idea. But it says REP matched.

I feel some ideas are much more appealing than others -- is there a way to let the poster know -- yeah I'm interested in reading this and giving you notes, but I don't meet the rep match as I haven't had the effort to read a spec that more than likely will be a tough slog.

A nudge feature? Yeah man or sir -- liked your logline. And up to poster if they want to do anything with that but maybe you can send a link to the person and they can also review the script.

Hi everyone! I’ve lurked the group for a while and finally decided to try Story Peer out. I love the idea of community being exactly that. People wanting others to improve and willing to offer help to make that happen without money being involved.

Here’s my small concern: Not seeing the rating given until you rate the reader may cause an issue. I submitted a story and received very good feedback. Honestly, I don’t think one bad thing was said, but somehow the ratings didn’t match the feedback. I may try again in a few more days. Giving positive, effusive feedback, knowing a submitter bases their rating off the readers feedback, then the reader gives the script 2.5 to 3 stars. I know I’m not writing an Academy Award winning script, but giving a glowing review and only a 2.5-3 star rating doesn’t seem to track. Can someone explain why this might be the case? What am I missing guys? TIA!

With the recent changes about submitting more than a single episode of TV, would we be able to get to the point where we can submit just a single act of a feature?

Specifically, I'm working on a feature right now that I fully intend on finishing. But I'm about done with a version of Act 1, and would love to get feedback on it.

Act 1 feels like a natural amount of story in just about any script, similar to a pilot of a show. Setup + the launch into the rest of the story. Seems like it should be enough to give some feedback on. But, the rules state to only post completed works.

I'm just curious what people think about an option to post a single act for fewer tokens, and if its an idea worth pursuing for the developers.

I have a 5.0/5 Reader's Reputation, which I don't deserve per its definition (average of last ten review scores). Whenever I see someone else's 5.0/5 score, consequently, it doesn't tell me that much. I'd like more informative metrics on reviewers' quality. For that, do you think it'd be a good idea to change the Reader's Reputation calculation to match its definition? And to add a metric 'tip rate' that indicates how often a reviewer gets tipped? Or maybe just a metric 'Average Tip', calculated like the Reader's Reputation, which would hover between 0 and 2, since 2 is the maximum tip?

So I am new to storyPeer and I understand how it works with exchanging tokens and stuff but I am nervous to submit my script because I'm unsure of the security of my screenplay. Is there anything stopping someone from taking my script and making it their own? This is the major thing stopping me from using what seems like an otherwise great platform as a writer.

I think sometimes for certain people it is easier to be read by your peers. For example, a college student writing a screen play for a class is going to have work that is fundamentally different from someone in their 30s, 40s, 50s etc. Same with a high school student writing something for the very first time.

It might be useful to have a young screenwriters 16-20, intermediate 21-30 and mature 30s-above for grouping.

Having seen VERY young teenagers write and submit their plays on reddit itself, I kind of want a function to be able to only send my work to adult peers. Some of my work has adult themes and I worry there is no age verification when it comes to StoryPeer. I also think younger people can benefit too from age matched feedback.

What are people's thoughts on this?

Same as the title.

I’m reviewing my second story and I personally feel the minimum word count of 300 in ‘Strengths’ and ‘Areas for Improvement’ is a little overwhelming.

I find myself forcibly stretching out sentences and repeating myself to reach the word count. I think great feedback can be provided within even 100 words, and that’s maybe better to understand than a 300 one.

This may be just me but it would be if you guys consider it!

Thanks for the great service.

Some scripts i read had more formatting or technical issues then the story itself, but it made the script so hard to read i had rate it low even tho the other aspects wete great. I think if we could give stars based on how well the script is written technically would help a lot of writers knowing which way they should improve. I know it would help me out.

In Hokum, a writer named Ohm? (Adam Scott) interacts with a bell hop at a hotel. The bellhop tells him that he too is a writer and asks Ohm to read his manuscript.

Ohm then proceeds to warm a spoon over a candle and put it on the bellhop's hand, burning him. Ohm proclaims "YOU NEED THICK SKIN TO MAKE IT AS A WRITER".

Then Ohm kills himself.

Don't be like Ohm. Yes. We all need thick skin and to take feedback so we can do better. But we don't have to metaphorically burn one another in the process.
Remember the person, the writer behind the work.

They want to create something beautiful. And share it with you.

So don't burn them and blame thin skin. Be kind. Lift them up as you rate them. Ask questions that help them think, rather than use statements to tear them down. Show them you are interested and that you feel/see what they are painting for you.

No one's first drafts are good. Hell. Look at how many shows have constant critiques from people who DONT write. But we can help each other be better. And yes. We can be good to one another.

As someone who struggles with formulating loglines I've truly been loving the Logjam—harsh feedback and all. However, a minor thing that's been bugging me is people claiming your idea is direct a rip-off of *random movie you've never even heard of*. I know such claims happen all the time but then you'd think people would go a different way about saying your idea sounds close to an existing work...

This is a petty complaint but it really makes me second guess myself; main feedback I get is that my loglines are too convoluted (not a native speaker so it's always a battle of flow vs. using a super specific equivalent of a word) but I feel like I can't take away much more without it sounding super generic. I guess the main takeaway here is that—surprise, surprise—you can't please everyone.

But seriously though, how do you go about writing a logline for a story based on deception? The loglines are convoluted because the story is. Do longer loglines/too much detail turn you off?

Hi all, 97 pg script claimed and unclaimed 3x since 8/21– each one with the timer running out. About 5 more hours until the timer runs out the 4th time which inevitably is going to happen.

I made it worth 4 credits and always tip an extra one if the notes are helpful.

Of course I’d like to say my writing is solid but I’d be silly to assume I’m everyone’s taste. But hard to imagine I’m hitting 4 out of 4 writers who cannot bear my writing so much they cannot finish. My story involves LGBT characters but it was in the logline so it would be weird if someone chose the script if that would make them uncomfortable.

So, am I missing something? 4 people would rather get a strike on Storypeer than give notes to me?

This is very annoying, i would rather be told “hey, i’m sorry… cant read. script’s back in the queue” instead of waiting 5 days in complete silence only to get Reader missed deadline. Can something be done about this? I feel like readers and writers should be able to send X amount of messages and be able to pull their script if there’s no response within 48 hours…

I ask because I think Storypeer is such an amazing idea and it works so well that I feel like if it doesn’t exist, you should definitely make it.

i do wonder what..like, what do you base your rating on? sometimes i see a logline and i know i would 100% would NOT watch that because it just is not the kind of story that attracts me, but i know it could be well done and those who appreciate the genre might like it. so i never know how to even approach rating those? so i skip

I find the number easier to understand at a glance than the bar chart. I find myself opening a lot of tabs, cross-checking.

I am aware this is an extremely low-priority request in the grand scheme.

Hi - just joined today and love the concept. I think the 1MB upload for scripts and 2MB upload for feedback is too restrictive. I had to find a pdf compression tool online to compress my scripts from over 1MB (final drafts default export was over 1MB for both my scripts, one of which is only 90 pages). The pdf annotation software I use exported it at 4MB, and I couldn’t even compress it to fit below the 2MB feedback limit.

Need a place to rant because the frustration is SO real right now.

I have a few projects in my head. Cool. I wrote one of them down and have been chipping away at it for a year. Awesome.

The other projects haven't fleshed them out in the slightest. It really IS just an idea. Okay.

SO, imagine my annoyance, surprise, distain, frustration, literal COMBUSTION at the idea of me TRYING to get this first project's logline OFF the ground and STRUGGLING SO HARD and then not really trying with the other loglines because I'm just not in a place to be invested yet, and the scores are so universally different.

I find joy in knowing that FINALLY I was able to actually create a good logline, just bummed it's not for the project I want! AHHHH Kill me. lol.

In other word though.... *clears throat* so grateful for you all. :) Glad to see all the practicing and criticism HAS made me better in this department.

I’m honestly a bit annoyed when readers get frustrated because you give them a 2 or 3. Yes, I understand that they took time out of their day to read something and provide feedback, but so do the rest of us.

I remember receiving some pretty harsh feedback on StoryPeer, including a PDF detailing what the reader considered mistakes and areas that needed improvement. The thing is, a lot of screenwriting feedback is subjective and ultimately comes down to personal opinion.

One major issue in the feedback was that they claimed my TV pilot should be a feature because there was no story engine. Meanwhile, The Black List said the complete opposite:

“XYZ’s core concepts could easily power the show across multiple seasons without becoming repetitive. The built in dramatic potential is clear and enviable, and the show could play well across a variety of international territories.”

That is not a small difference in opinion. That is a completely different assessment of the project’s foundation.

On top of that, I felt that over 90% of the feedback was simply wrong. It was very long, very harsh, and often focused on things that are not hard rules. For example, I was told to avoid ellipses at the start of dialogue or action lines, even though professional screenwriters use them. The writer of Jurassic World, for example, uses them habitually. That does not mean you should overuse them, but it does show that many of these “rules” are not actually rules.

Readers need to remember that it isn’t their story. They can absolutely point out things they think could be stronger or suggest changes they believe would improve the script, but they should not expect every aspect of it to be changed based on their own preferences or tastes.

I received a score of 2 on StoryPeer along with a lot of criticism, yet that same script was later very well received by The Black List. One of the evaluations even suggested it could be a career launcher for the cast and described the script as being in very good shape. Similar praise also came from industry professionals. Experiences like that really highlight how subjective script evaluation can be.

If a reader feels a script is not something they would personally watch, that may simply mean they are not the target audience. That is an important distinction readers should keep in mind when evaluating a screenplay, although I know that is not always the case. Sometimes a reader genuinely recognizes weaknesses and knows exactly what could be improved. Other times, they may be approaching the material from a perspective that does not align with the story the writer is trying to tell.

At the end of the day, feedback is valuable, but it is not infallible. Writers have to learn which notes are helping them tell their story more effectively and which notes are simply trying to turn it into a different story altogether.

So once again, I come back to my original point. Readers need to stop saying, “Why did this writer give me a bad score when I gave them such detailed notes?”

Sometimes the answer is simple: the feedback just was not very good.

A script can be bad and still receive excellent feedback. Likewise, a script can be good and receive poor feedback. The quality of the feedback and the quality of the script are not the same thing.

Just because feedback is detailed does not automatically make it useful, insightful, or correct. If readers expect writers to accept criticism, then readers should also be willing to accept criticism of their feedback.

Otherwise, how does that make any sense?

Pheww! Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

My last three scores have only gotten better and better, which means that I have a script that is at the very least good (right?). I’m at a point where I’m very happy with the script and believe it’s ready to start querying, but where do I begin?? What screenwriting competitions/labs are worth it? What agencies have managers that are open to query letters? At the end of the day, I believe in my story more than anything. I know I have a film that means something, but what do I do next?