Back in the day I used to post stories for critique on Critters, a website devoted to Sci-fi/fantasy/horror writers. You could post your work and get critiques in exchange for critiquing other peoples' work. Here are some snippets from a critique I received back in December of 07 (Sad but yes I still have all those old emails to reference):
I don’t like the main character one bit. There is nothing noble, ormothe
even good about him that makes me care. He is a violent, murdering,
SOB that gets off on killing and desecrates the dead. He needs to
rot in hell for his actions, yet you give him new life at the end as
a wolf. There are no righteous ramifications for his actions, no
consequences. Am I missing some hidden theme here?
Glorification of violence may win you some admirers, but not me.
It’s all very 300, a movie which I though laughable.
The ugly, fat wife is interesting. To bad she was axed.
(Here I go again.) As a mother - and a human being for God’s sake -
I couldn’t read the disturbing details of the children’s and wife’s
deaths. It is tactless. I skimmed through that part. Like I said,
I absolutely would have stopped reading this if it was in a magazine
or book. But it was for critters, so I persevered. I’m curious if
other critters thought this way, or just me. I am simply one person
so you can trash my critique, burn it, flush it, whatever.
I thought, overall, the critique was a little harsh and that the reader took the story a little too personally.
But here is my reply, cut directly from the email I sent her:
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my story. I appreciate your critique and will take all your suggestions to heart for my second draft.
Granted, the first draft of the story she reviewed for me wasn't so hot, LOL.
I think it's easy to get personally involved in something you've created. I'd like to think that I put a little bit of myself into everything I write. When someone doesn't like a story you've put your heart into it's easy to make the jump and take it as a personal stab. But I think you have to be thick-skinned and take it objectively. Sometimes critics are lame-brained but when I write a story and get feedback I think of myself as an architect. Just like an architect should be aware of any structural weaknesses in a building they've designed I should be aware of inherent weaknesses in my story.
I agree with the writer of that article. If that other guy was serious about writing good screen plays instead of saying, "That's your opinion" he could've asked for suggestions on improving his writing and asked what he could've done better for next time.