On Giving and Receiving Feedback


Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with another what we wrote is to risk. Some of us are more hidden than others, some of us tolerate risk better than others. When you critique someone's work you don't know where on this continuum the writer stands.

In order to offer feedback, one needs to be prepared. First you must respect the writer. He (or she) put his soul into the work and probably cares about it more than he thinks he should.

Secondly, you must respect opinions, tastes and ways of navigating the world that differ from your personal preferences.

This respect for the writer leads to understanding the writer. Now you are ready to offer feedback.

1. First of all, tell the writer what works in her story. What did you like? What moved you, intrigued you, made you think, made you feel? Where does the writer's strengths lie? In description, humor, drama, dialog?

In my 14 years of teaching creative writing, I have noticed that writers grow more from focusing on developing their strengths than trying to fix their weaknesses. This does not mean that we should pretend that writing weaknesses do not exist. When the strengths expand, however, they crowd out the weaknesses. The more one writes, the more one can intuitively fix the writing up as she goes along.

2. Do you feel that something essential is missing? What do you wish was in the story?

3. Technical assistance: Were there parts that you didn't understand?

Try to critique your own work also, following these guidelines.

To receive feedback also takes some preparation. Were you appreciated? Misunderstood? Did they find the one spot that you knew was weak, but you told yourself no one would ever notice? Was the part you loved the best the part they thought should be eliminated? There are two important points to remember:

1. Without honest feedback from others, how will you grow and improve as a writer?

2. Don't give feedback-givers power over your writing, your self image and your emotions. Whether to accept their points and make actual changes based on them, is always Your decision.

If you find that feedback from others discourages you from writing, then stop seeking out feedback.

Esther Susan Heller is the director of The Jewish Writing Institue which offers email courses in writing, including poetry, comedy, creative nonfiction and fiction. She is a freelance editor creative writing teacher and magazine feature writer. Visit her website: http://www.jewishwriting.com/

MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
The Blank Mind
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer screen and wait for inspiration with a feeling of hopelessness. That white page or screen is always a struggle to fill, and it probably will always be for most writers.
The Demon Fear
You have a great idea for a poem, a story, an essay, an article, a book, or a novel, but you hesitate to write it. Why?Fear is the key to a writer's procrastination, hesitation, and dawdling.
7 Weapons to Conquer the Giant Procrastination Keeping You from Your Book Dream
Have you been guilty of procrastinating on your book project, lately? Like the author, many writers get hung up with wrong thinking about writing and completing their books. They feel like a loser because they have stopped and started countless of times over the years.
Why Every Freelance Writer Needs A Website
What do you mean, you don't have a website yet? Websites these days aren't just for businesses and people who want to share their obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the world. These days, websites are one of the most important tools for writers.
Fight The Fluff!
The first and final rule of quality writing is this: what doesn't strengthen your writing, weakens it.There are no neutral words when you're trying to be persuasive - every word must be doing real work and every sentence must be necessary.
Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of English, and How to Impress a Publisher (2)
The tiniest things can be so useful when you come to consider the nuts and bolts of writing. The comma is one of them.
Childrens Stories - The Essentials
There is no specific formula for children's fiction. There are, however, some necessities.
Business Writing Tip: Question & Answer Format
Traditionally, business writing uses the "one thing after another" format, which usually means a plain recitation of the facts, circumstances, or whatever else needs to be said.But, we have a number of other options, and some of them may provide more responses or better responses.
Writing Secrets You Must Know
Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more important for business communicators.
Why Researching Is Good, And A Failure To Do So Is Not
What a lack of research could do to you.When creating an ebook how well do you research the topic before hand?It's absolutely crucial that you research what problems your target market is having and what they're spending money on.
What Nationally Published Columnist, Cindy Laferle Has To Say About Writing & Journalism
Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel and bookpleasures is honored to have as a guest, the nationally published newspaper columnist and author, Cindy LaFerle. Cindy recently published a book entitled, Writing Home, a collection of essays focusing on home, family and motherhood.
Rules for Getting the Story Down
1. Write it fast, fix it later.
How to Outline your Book and Chapters with Mindmapping
Mindmapping is better than linear outlining because authors can use flexible thinking and relativity in writing their book. One can add and subtract a thought or phrase from a mindmap easily.
From Book Notes to Book Reports
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane of high school and college students' existence. It seems that no matter how hard you work to stay caught up, there is always a paper due tomorrow.
Making Freelance Writing Niche Types Fit: A Few Niche Types by Definition and Description
Our Freelance Writing Needs DefinedWe must make freelance niche types fit our needs, wants, values and lifestyles, and we also must make ourselves fit freelance niche types. Of our waking hours, we work more than we do anything else.
Novel to Screenplay: The Challenges of Adaptation
ADAPTATION 101Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing the rights to adapt John Doe's fabulous, but little known novel, Lawrence of Monrovia, to screenplay form. Suddenly, panic sets in.
Imagine The Imagination
Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's mind before it was poured out onto the pages of the book.Imagine all those words are words we all know and use but one person takes those words and arranges them in a certain way in the mind; the person fuses these words to form a story.
Writing Styles for Fiction: Which Voice to Use
I recently set up a website to promote a new suspense novel. Once it started receiving hits I began getting questions about why I chose to write in third person.
Idea Mining for Writers 101
Want to write an article or book, but are stuck for ideas? Here are a few practical ways to awaken that muse.- Keep a writer's journal.
Trying Too Hard
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear your desk, and if you hate your computer, then you are trying too hard.If the thought of writing makes you feel guilty, makes your heartbeat quicker, and makes you sweat, then you are trying too hard.