This article made me embarrassed to be a writer

There's a piece in the Village Voice by screenwriter Josh Olson (The History of Violence, which I haven't seen, so I'm opinion-less about it) called "I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script" where he rants about friends who ask him to read stuff.

Maybe he's an awesome guy in real life, but, um, doesn't come across in this angry, mean, sad piece.

If no one ever read his stuff, he wouldn't have a career.

I mean, I'm sure tons of people-- friends and strangers-- ask him to read things, and if he agreed to read them all he wouldn't have time to do anything else.  But it takes as long to say no as it does to read half a page, and as he says in the piece, you know after half a page.

And that's the thing-- you know after half a page.  I'll read anything.  I don't mean to open myself up as a volunteer reader or anything, but I've had blog readers-- strangers-- ask me to read things and something has to be pretty outrageous about the request for me to say no.  I'm flattered someone wants my feedback, I read quickly enough that it's usually no big deal, and-- here's the thing-- the idea of being the guy who discovers a great writer, who's able to help in some small way validate what someone has put his soul into and has been trying and trying and trying to get in the right person's hands-- that's a tremendous feeling, and I'll gladly read the first page of 50 pieces of crap to find a gem that I can't put down.

Heck, more than once, on some random writer message boards I read, I've answered someone's post looking for readers-- usually based on some spark in the request itself that made me interested-- and read and offered feedback.  It's not so much that I feel like it's a duty-- although to some degree maybe it should be-- and it's not so much that I'm trying to be nice-- although good karma never hurts-- but I'm genuinely interested to find good writing.

And you would think most writers would be.

So, yeah, of course it's rude to push, or to make people feel obligated to read something-- and it's certainly rude to expect more than what's offered-- I can't slog through someone's terrible screenplay and give them comments-- if I stop reading because I don't like something, I'm done, I'll tell someone what I thought of what I read, but I can't easily force myself to keep reading something I hate-- but I don't think it's all that unreasonable to be polite, and be willing to take a look if you're able.

And it's really disappointing that most of the feedback to that piece seems to be positive feedback.  Really disappointing.  People should be nicer.

That's all.  Rant over.

Comments

[PG]

I admit to being wholly unsurprised that a Village Voice article and most of the comments to it are validating the idea that some people's time is so fantastically valuable that they can't give a few minutes to people who supposedly are friends (not random strangers! friends!).

I'm not a creative writer, nor a professional one, so I generally don't get stuff from friends who are wondering if their creative work has It. I do get a lot of admissions essays and things of that nature, and I like to edit -- it's probably my favorite part of being a lawyer -- so I am happy to help. I've done it even for people I've never met, like when my uncle's former co-worker's son was applying to law school. But I think the desire to do this is more than politeness (I'm not sure that I'm necessarily polite, really); it's a desire to be helpful and useful to people.

[Cyrus]

"But sometimes you find yourself in a situation where the guilt factor is really high, or someone plays on a relationship or a perceived obligation, and it's hard to escape without seeming rude."

at least this piece has helped him overcome his fear of seeming rude

[Cat Rocketship]

The point of his article is that people think he's a jerk for politely turning them down. He says that he does read some people's pieces-- but there are so many asks that he has to limit it to friends.

He also says very specifically that it takes him a long time to give a piece the attention it deserves.

[bbaydar]

Wow, way to completely miss the point of the original article. He did the guy a favour, read the POS script, and then when he gave his honest opinion when the writer begged for exactly that got told essentially "Thanks for nothing."

[Murphy Jacobs]

I'm lucky to have a small group of very smart people as online friends (yes, online, we've not met face to face) who read each other's work. It started because I ASKED. I've been asked to read other people's work and while I think the half-a-page rule has truth in it, my life training makes me go further -- and sometimes I say "I'm just not the right person to help you with this." But I've never said "no" unless I knew there was a time limit and I couldn't meet it. It can take a lot of guts to ask someone to read your work, and that kind of cruelty has something besides self-preservation at its core.

I could envision some few people being incredibly rude and pushy about having someone they really admire and respect read their work. So, perhaps there are situations where a rude refusal is the response of last resort. But that's the last resort for extreme situations, not the automatic response to all requests.

Mr. Olsen may find himself in the lucky and apparently desirable position of having no one around who wants his opinion. I wish him luck.

[Heather (errantdreams)]

I agree with Cat. When I was a freelancer, I used to try to give some of my time to things like reading the pieces folks asked me to. Invariably, I got only anger if I said anything to them other than, "it's great!" After a while, I just refused to read anything any more because I didn't need to open myself up to that kind of abuse, and then I got the "you're a b***h for saying no" crud.

It's a lose-lose situation unless you're dealing with someone who already has some understanding of the writing world and what they're asking of you---and that's a different situation than what he's referring to. I too have had a lot of fun reading pieces for people when they knew what they were getting into, didn't expect a lot, and understood I wouldn't just say they were awesome. But the average person who approaches you out of the blue isn't likely to be one of those people. So I fully empathize with this guy. After all, he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

[twitter.com/paland]

Seems like you got caught up in his tone and delivery and missed his point (which is as much his fault I suppose)

[twitter.com/adamskg]

I can respect Mr. Olson's right to say "no". But there is a difference between being asked politely to help an aspiring member of your profession versus being asked to work for free. And in Mr. Olson's diatribe he comes across as more of an ass than he probably is.

I'm an IT professional, and I hate being asked to fix someone's computer. They have no desire to learn how to do it themselves, they have invested nothing in the attempt. They aren't asking for help to learn the craft, they are simply wanting me to do it for them. And I politely say "no" on a regular basis, directing people to an appropriate support service or help desk.

However, as a professional I am expected to be a mentor to aspiring specialists. Not to "write for free", but to give back to my profession by advising and guiding those with less experience. I may not always like it, and I find it frustrating when it seems like I've helped "ignorant" newbies solve the same problem for the umpteenth time, but it is considered part of my obligation to my profession.

I guess my question to Mr. Olson would be: has no one ever helped him learn his craft? I suppose he could be the ultimate loner, having never received support, guidance, or feedback. But I doubt it.

I suspect that he *does* help others learning the role of writer as well, just without "cold" readings of material. He could be part of a writers support group, or a mentoring committee, or... any number of other things. But instead of saying how he "gives back" to his profession, he tells the whole world of aspiring writers to "fuck off".

It sort of makes me question his own writing abilities.

[Jasmine P]

I think ti has been interesting to see more than one opinion on reading someone else's writing. I'm in no lime light of my own, I consider myself to be an internet nobody, which is cool because then I can just express and not have a whole lot of hullabaloo about it. His side is understandable to a point, not wanted to be ostracized because he gave some one a bitingly honest review of their work, but seeing what you say is just as interesting. Being there and helping someone else.

then again, maybe he wanted attention that he knew he'd receive for posting something so charged on the internet. things aren't so black and white. It seems as if he went to an extreme, that's what people are possibly responding to.

his point and his vehemence about it are intriguing, to see someone so staunch in their opinion of something

[Jim P.]

I'm with you Jeremy. I know how to write, have sine I was in junior high. While I may not have won an Oscar for a contrived, predictable script like Mr. Olson has, I do think that if he's not willing to give five minutes time to scan through someone's idea for a story, he is in fact the jerk of his defensive argument. Now suddenly that he's a sought-after writer, he doesn't have time to bother with amateurs, hmm? Well he'll find no pity from me.
I understand what he's saying--it's like asking someone on their day off from work to take the time to do it anyways as a favor. But the thing with writers--especially those of the big screen is that they have a bit more leeway with deadlines than say a tv writer or a doctor.
If Olson can't take the bad with the good, then perhaps he should find a new line of work. I'll gladly take over whatever pile of favor scripts in addition to the professional stack he needs to review if it means that maybe someone DOES have a good idea in their bad writing--because you never know who has one.

[DoD]

I shall not read or partake of anything Josh Olson has written either. Fair is fair.

[Steven]

As another IT professional, I mostly agree with Kelly. I agree that I have been asked to fix a great many computers by people with no interest in trying to solve the problem themselves. I however understand that these people may not be computer inclined. It's a common failing by many within their craft to beleive that everyone who asks them for help, Should already be an expert, or should have an interest in learning about their craft. If I take my car into a mechanic. I may be delighted to learn how to prevent my car from failing again, but If I have no interest in this, That's my own right. I am paying them after all to fix it, while I understand it's frustrating for someone who understands an art/skill to try and explain something to one who doesn't, and get nothing but disinterest, but it's not their obligation to learn my craft.

However, I still agree with you on the most, And I beleive mr Olson could have come across more diplomatically, but no one forced you to read it, it was his own expression. He didn' guilt you into reading his article, you did it of your will. His problem was mainly (as I perceived it) the people who create the Lose/Lose situation. Where he's a dick if he says no, and he's a dick if he gives you the very criticism you ask for.

I've been asked to review website code (php), computer network designs, and unless I'm pointing out some very minor flaw, and providing a solution, people become defensive and offended very quickly. What's more, they are expecting this for free. Now while I understand that you may "feel" an obligation to help others (and so do I), this does not mean that there is a universal obligation for all in a skillset or craft to help others. That's what we call being kind. Being kind is not an obligation, it's a virtue. It's what makes people wonderful, it's not something we "Must" do. If he wants to be a dick in his delivery of said article, that's as much his right as it is anyones. He didn't give out specific names of people with intent to slander them, he just expressed his frustration with people who create situations where the only way to come out not looking like a dick, is to lie to them, telling them you think their work is wonderful, when in fact you may hate it.

When you earn some credit and publicity, everyone with an idea, a tape of their band recording a song, a copy of a script, some program they are proud of, wants your attention. And when you politely say no, because you either don't have the time, or you have other things you wanted/needed to be doing, you are often viewed as a jerk. If you say yes, you review the work, give them the critique they asked for, and are viewed as a jerk. What he's saying is that he doesn't have the time to read everyone's script, and doesn't want to waste his time only to be viewed as the same jerk as if he'd said no in the first place.

Now while many point out that it doesn't take long to read a script even a simple page in. Take into account that if you don't review someone's entire work, they are often far more offended if you just critique their first page, and to take things to a conceptual level, If he doesn't want to be the person to "discover" the next great writer, he doesn't have to be. That's not a absolute requirement of being a writer. Working in IT, I'm not "required" to source out other IT experts, I can, and often try to, but it's not a "requirement" of the job.

[Jeremy]

Just to respond to some of the comments--

Of course anyone who's on the receiving end of criticism (that they asked for!) should take it in the spirit that it's been given and not be a jerk about it.

And Josh Olson has every right to feel exasperated if he does someone a favor and then they make him feel like the bad guy.

But I read the piece and thought about someone like me, not that long ago (and sometimes still)-- the writer who genuinely wants honest feedback (even if it's negative), and spends a long time agonizing over whether it's okay to ask if someone's willing to read something-- and completely understands if someone says no, and tries his best to return the favor whenever he can.

And then he reads a piece like this and ends up worrying he's a jerk even for asking another writer to look at something-- ever.

I don't think asking automatically makes you a jerk, and I don't think most people are ungrateful or expect unqualified praise.

Maybe I've been lucky, or maybe I just soft-pedal criticism better than I think I do-- but I'm pretty unexcited about most of the things I read, and awfully honest when I give feedback-- and can't think of a situation where someone's made me feel like a jerk for the honesty. I try to be constructive, I try to be clear about what didn't work for me and why, I try to point someone in a better direction--- I don't think most people asking for feedback want to be jerks, are trying to take advantage, or blame you if you criticize, I really don't.

And totally reasonable for anyone to decide what they are and aren't interested in reading. I just didn't see the need for the anger. There are lots of well-meaning writers out there who have enough of a hard time as it is.

Thanks for all the comments, positive and negative-- the reaction did make me think more about the piece and try to figure out why my instant reaction was so strong.

[PG]

Now while I understand that you may "feel" an obligation to help others (and so do I), this does not mean that there is a universal obligation for all in a skillset or craft to help others. That's what we call being kind. Being kind is not an obligation, it's a virtue. It's what makes people wonderful, it's not something we "Must" do.

Yes, this is why instead of saying that Olson "must" do this, Jeremey said, "People should be nicer." He recognizes that virtue is involved; he simply believes that virtue should be more common than it apparently is, judging by folks like Olson.

[JRM]

I'm pretty sure John Scalzi at Whatever talked about this. Scalzi comes across as a good guy (at least, to me) and he sounded really, really frustrated with people who asked his opinion, then got it, then were unhappy no matter what.

The requesters go like this, and this sounds realistic to me:

1. Can you read this?

2. No, you're wrong, it's great.

3. Go give it to your producer friend.

4. You're a dick for not getting me an agent and a movie deal.

I personally am convinced there are a lot of really, really good writers out there (McSweeney's has tons of funny stuff, some terrificly funny stuff.) Most amateur or semi-pro writers lack the discipline to write a book, I think.

I'm guessing the anger, for some, comes from the downside of niceness. Not all start out angry.

(Full disclosure: For a few years, I made my living as a reporter; over the last 15 years, I've probably pulled in a few thousand dollars on a small variety of writing projects. I do not consider myself a professional writer. I have cursorily reviewed two professional writers' works. One bought me a beer in payment; I was likely overpaid.)

--JRM