In the creative world, it is very important to get feedback on your work. I find that the things I like people usually think are just okay, and the things I'm not keen on people will love. So you’re usually not the best judge of your own material.

Feedback is one of the most important tools in screenwriting, and Michael Neel and I have given feedback to each other on a ton of projects. I really like Michael’s opinions. We have worked together for ten-plus years now on everything from hip-hop videos to political documentaries to horror films. We have similar interests in film and in life. He speaks his mind and gives honest feedback. So it's easy.

Here are some basic rules for giving feedback on a script:

- Print it out. Personally, I hate reading scripts on the computer, but even if you enjoy it you are liable to miss things if you never read a printed version.

- Make sure you have time for it. Don't try to do it while you are watching a game or in a meeting. Find a quiet place. Make sure that you have time to read the whole script - if you start and stop you won’t get an accurate sense of the flow of the story.

- Write notes in the margins as you go. Make checks for things you like. Make minuses for things you don't. What characters do you like? Do the script need more of something (dialogue, action, gore, etc)? Do it need less?

- First impressions are big, so write down what hits you on the first read.

- If you can let the script rest, do it. Read it again in day or two. You usually get a better sense of perspective when you do.

- Write detailed notes: what you liked, what you and didn't, and why. If something doesn’t make sense or seems out of character, or if you find a huge plot hole, make sure to say so. Now is the time to fix it, not during production or post-production.

- And be honest. Feedback isn’t always easy to hear but if you aren’t honest then you’re not really helping.

For “The Good Luck Charm,” the script was written a long time ago, so I’m not one hundred percent sure about my exact notes. Michael wrote most of this script, while I mainly gave feedback and brainstorming ideas. I do remember that my main point was that Michael needed to make sure the relationship of the husband and wife was right - he was a cheapskate and she was a sweetheart. Their relationship evolved over many rewrites, as Michael mentioned before.

And again, writer - write!