That being said, I have been thinking a lot about feedback lately. I just had a play read by my playwriting peers and then the same play was read as a part of a theatre company's development series I am a part of. This past weekend, I attended a writer's group for a different theatre company. And in May, I'm having another newish play read by yet another theatre company. I also just finished reading a script for a friend of mine who wanted some feedback. And I often lead discussions of new work in classes I teach.
I happen to like notes that are not prescriptive. That is, notes that don't lean toward what another writer would do if they were writing your play. Some brainstorming is helpful to get the mind working, but when you're imagining a whole different approach and you start shaping the script, I think that it crosses a line when it's presumptuous. If you're asking for ideas, then fine. But if you're just throwing out what would be better, it means you're trying to write someone else's script for them.
When asking for feedback, I have a few rules. I can't claim these as original or my own. But I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Gary Garrison, who was a professor of mine at NYU. And I'm sure they weren't original to him, but he passed these on to me, so I am giving credit to him.
- I always have questions: It means that I'm thinking about my piece and that I'm in control. With Gary, it was unacceptable to say that you just wanted "general feedback." No, you had to do the work and look at your material with a critical eye towards what could improve. Or you had to have things you were trying out and you want to see if they work. I was recently with a group of writers who were sharing new work and someone who I thought was fairly established (or at least had been writing for awhile) said that they just wanted "general thoughts." And I immediately thought: lazy writer. Don't make me do your work for you. And that person's material needed direction. The writer should have been asking deeper questions of himself.
- The writer's not allowed to talk: This means that the writer takes notes and is not allowed to defend himself. If it's not on the page, then the audience doesn't get it. And if I'm not responding or explaining, then I can gauge what information the audience needs that I didn't give them. I find it liberating to not talk and just see what hits people.
- I like to know what "popped" out and what an audience wants to see/hear more of. Sometimes I'm not sure what direction to go in and when I hear what people are responding to, then I get an instinct about what direction to go in. It's helpful.
- Limit to 30 minutes of feedback. No more than 45. I can't possibly pay attention if folks are giving me notes that cover so much minutae that I get overwhelmed. My mind starts to melt at the 45 minute mark. That's my personal limit. And that's more my personal rule.
- When giving notes, I like to give notes that help a writer enhance what they have. I don't want to rewrite them or have them make a 180. But I respect their POV and I want them to get to their destination on the road they're on.
- Kindness. I think this is a generally good rule.
I find it interesting when I hear someone ripping someone else a new one. I often wonder why. Is it because they're insecure? Is it because they think they're helping? Is it because they just hate what the person is writing and shouldn't be giving notes in the first place. If I don't know how to give a helpful note or if something's so confusing or doesn't grab me, I generally stay quiet. I'm not someone who feels like I need to give notes to every writer who presents in a group. At this writer's group this past weekend, there were pieces I had something to say about. And others where I had nothing to say. That's not because I thought the writing was bad per se. Sometimes it's because I just need more time to let something digest.
And when I'm writing down notes, I only write down the things that I feel are helpful. I'm always writing in my notebook when I'm getting notes, but sometimes I'm not writing down everything. If they don't fit the criteria I have for myself, then I don't write down that note. I used to feel obliged to write everything down because I didn't want to hurt someone's feelings or seem disinterested. But sometimes I am not interested in feedback if it's mean-spirited or ill-informed. Not all feedback is good and not everyone knows how to give feedback.
When I teach, I am incredibly thorough and I tend to brainstorm. I want to encourage thinking of big ideas. And I'm there to teach. So I try to model good habits of how to give kind, thoughtful, thorough feedback. But I also give them some brainstorming so they have some ideas that trigger more thought. I give heavy written notes. I have students who really appreciate it. I try to be specific and I like to spend time giving notes. My friend Elyzabeth, who is a very accomplished playwright, gave me a play to read over the summer. Or maybe it was the Fall. But I gave her notes and she said they were some of the best notes she had ever gotten.
I only pat myself on the back because I was helpful. I pride myself in that. I love her and her writing. My interest in it was only to give her things to think about and to let her know what I really liked about the play and what my attention was drawn to. It's easier to give someone feedback if I care about the person because I have a personal connection and I only want what's best for them.
Notes are on my mind because I have to start looking at the notes I got from my past two readings a couple of weeks ago. I have a rewrite to start. And I have an idea of how I am approaching this rewrite. I made a little plan for myself. I also wrote out all of the notes I got and put them into one document so that I could start to break them down and prioritize. But also I wanted to try to match up what I was already thinking about.
I am lucky to be surrounded by so many talented and thoughtful writers who offer their feedback with an open heart. My plays and TV and film scripts are all the better for it. I know some really fucking smart people.
I am grateful for the smart people in my life.
I am grateful for the loving people in my life.
I am grateful to have a community.
I am grateful for people who are interested in what I have to say.
I am grateful for theatre companies I'm getting to work with.
I am grateful for opportunity.
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