Fresh Voices Contest - Feedback?

[UglyShirts]

Anyone else enter this one? And if so, did you opt for the "feedback" tier?

The main reason I ask is that my partner and I are first-time entrants, and we've just gotten back our evaluation. And while we're admittedly pretty green at this (after a number of false starts, we've only committed to really going full-out into the breach for roughly the last year or so), what I'm reading is really encouraging. It's just very apparent that whoever read this did so carefully, and really "got" what we were going for. The positive points were enthusiastically reinforced, and any criticisms made were totally valid, and incredibly constructive in their presentation. It just really seems to me that the reader took his or her responsibility very seriously, and has returned a balanced, and very fair assessment. So much so that even if nothing else ever comes of this, the evaluation alone was worth the entry fee.

Also, even though the cover letter asked us to focus more on the coverage review than the score...I hope I'm reading the numbers right, since if I am, it looks like we may be through to the next round. I'm not entirely sure (since it appears that our sub-categorical scores were done on a 1-10 scale, whereas the FV website says it's a 1-5), but based on my limited math skills, it looks like doubling the recipe across-the-board means we cleared the percentage hurdle needed in order for our script to be "submitted for wider industry evaluation." And though that could mean anything, it's still awesome to hear. To the point where I may need to see my doctor, since I'm rapidly approaching the threshold where it's lasted more than four hours.

No matter what, I know that there are countless contests, just as many opportunities for feedback, and this is just one piece of coverage. So I'm keeping it in perspective. But for a couple of novices with more gusto and book-learnin' than actual experience, we're finding ourselves very bolstered by this. What we tried to do with our story definitely came across to the reader, and that's huge for us. It's a real shot in the arm that couldn't have come at a better time, since we'd already set aside time tomorrow to start the ball rolling on our next project together.

So...thanks mysterious reader, whomever and wherever you may be.

Anyone else?