Receiving and giving feedback in the writing world

IN the last few weeks I found myself being the source of advice for many persons around me who sought writing feedback on various types of work: school essays, newspaper columns, OpEds and even reports. In my early days, I use to be shy about giving critiques in spite of my own sensitivities about my work. But if it’s one thing that almost six years of writing a novel will teach you: critiquing will never stop and you must learn to take it and give it all the same.

Best-selling author Sidney Sheldon advises that before you look for any feedback on your work, first, become your own critic. Get all your words down on paper during what he calls the “creative phase” then when you are finished, be “ruthlessly critical” with what you have done. This helps you to have a more open mind to where you think gaps may lie so that when third parties start to give you advice on your work, you can match those with the flaws that you may have pointed out on your own.

Receiving feedback
It is not personal.
I had to learn this very early on, and it still took some time. Writing often starts as a personal thing. We jot some notes or poetry down in the pages of our journals and keep them tucked away for personal pleasure or emotional release. It is a part of the writer because of its often-emotional origins, so stabbing at the work is like taking a stab at the person. What new writers need to keep in mind, however, is that the moment you decide to share that work, understand that it is no longer just yours. Opinions will be derived and some of them will be useful, or even critical to your survival and progress as an artist in the public domain. So rather than getting offended, as if they stole a piece of your soul, remember that useful critiques simply aim at making you better while correcting mistakes or revealing blind spots you may not have known you have. In the end, be open and thankful for receiving helpful feedback that can improve your work.

Weed out the good from the bad.
There will be some times when persons do seek to harm you with their feedback, be it out of animosity, idleness or downright trolling in this digital age. As a writer, learn to pay attention to the feedback that matters. Choose your platforms carefully. Rather than falling prey to trolls that are likely to flock on your social media, give your work directly to persons who you know will be helpful and objective.

Compliments are less useful than criticisms.
New writers always seek validation in hearing how good their work is, and fold up in contempt when they hear anything negative. I have learned that it is the negative critiques (from good sources, of course) that are more helpful. I know what my strengths are; I need to know my weaknesses. What have I missed or overlooked? Where can my language be tightened? I want to know how my writing can be better tomorrow than it is today. It is all part of the process.

You don’t have to agree with everything.
At the end of the day, it is your work. You know it better than anyone else. Sometimes critiques miss the mark because people misinterpret what you say. Take all feedbacks openly, then decide what you think is the most useful to your work. That calls for a very open mind. Know where your weaknesses lie and be open to finding out how people see your work from the other side. Then incorporate the most useful bits of feedback into making your work better. You don’t have to do everything they say.

Giving feedback
Be honest, not brutal.
I now realise that my initial dread of receiving feedback as a writer was because I was first introduced to brutal critics who felt that was the best way to make artists better. It is not. I was not looking to be flattered, but I did not want to be battered in the process either. I was looking to learn. When writers ask for feedback on their work, there is no need to be scathing. They need help, so don’t kick them when they are down. Be honest about what works and what doesn’t and move from there. Let the helpful aspect of what you tell them be clear in the gaps that you point out in their work. A truly willing writer will be grateful for it.

Do not think about feelings too much.
On the flip side, I have also found that some persons are too passive and patronising in their feedbacks. That can be just as unhelpful as a brutal critic. The most useful feedback gives areas of improvements more than accolades.

Always include some positives, somewhere.
I attended a writing group while in New York for a few weeks. There, I learned that positive feedback still has its place. So try to fit that in somewhere for a bit of encouragement. After all, your writer is vulnerable the moment they open up to you about their work, so a kind word could go a long way. Sometimes it could be hard to find the positive, but there is always something in there I find to point out that they did well. Then you can go ahead listing everything else they need to improve on.

These are all personal tips I have learned along the way and they have really helped me as a writer and as an editor when giving feedback to other writers. We are all just trying to make it out there, so helping someone along the way never hurts.

Interested in contributing to this column on writing? Email me at thewritemind592@gmail.com

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