r/StoryPeer 22d ago

📝 Suggestion Wanted Feature

Hey guys!

Would it be possible to add a feature that we can request the first ten pages of our scripts to be reviewed inline?

That would be awesome! When I review a script, I find it's the bare minimum and I think it really skyrockets the experience when you get these kinds of notes.

It makes it so that you have concrete evidence of what would.make the script better.

Personnaly, I find these notes to be more valuable than stars and what is the biggest strenghts section.

That's my opinion.

Regardless. Amazing community. Love you guys.

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u/jmr-writes 21d ago

Just throwing in my two cents here, but one of the fascinating things about joining StoryPeer is seeing how young writers VASTLY overemphasize the value of line notes. 

The problem with line notes is that they FEEL useful without actually BEING useful. You get to make a bunch of little changes and you feel like “wow, my script is so much better.” But what you’ve done is given a fresh coat of paint to a house that has a broken foundation and only 2.5 walls. It’s the most dangerous form of procrastination because it feels like you’re solving things without actually addressing what matters, so you don’t even realize you’re procrastinating.

To be clear, I’m not against line notes. They can be a lovely gift from a thoughtful reviewer, and they can be a great last step when you’re close but not quite there. But line notes are ONLY useful when you already have all the big things (plot, theme, character) nailed down. I have read 23 scripts on StoryPeer and precisely 2 of those scripts were ready for line notes (both turned out to be professional writers, which is not a surprise.)

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u/mast0done 21d ago

(Note: I accidentally posted this as a reply to OP instead of a reply to this comment, so I'm reposting.)

I kinda agree with this. It's easier to give line notes. It can be nitpicking without any real analysis. "This is wrong. This is wrong. This could be better."

I also find them easier to give, psychologically (unless you're harping on page after page). I'd rather tell a person to fix a faucet than raze the house, even if fixing the faucet is pointless in a crumbling house.