Feedback, the Beauty and the Bane
I love getting critiques. It makes me feel acknowledged and
important. Someone took the time to think about my work and give
feedback. What a precious gift.
An online writing group is the place to learn how to take and
use criticism in a supportive environment. Criticism is the bane
of every writer, but a novice is much more vulnerable. An
unthinking, harsh review can discourage so badly, the writer may
give it up right then and there. The writing group you choose
should be helpful and nurturing. Criticism should be honestly
encouraging along with being honestly helpful. If you find no
encouragement, find another group as quickly as you can.
Don't be discouraged if you feel you received a negative
critique. If your work were totally hopeless, you probably
wouldn't have gotten a critique at all. The reviewer cared
enough to spend time on you - that's a good sign. A review is
not negative just because it contains a lot of suggestions and
corrections. It is negative only when it contains no
encouragement and doesn't point out the good areas. There are
always good areas, and they should be expounded upon too.
Before revising a second draft, take some time away from your
work, then pull it out and think long and hard about each
comment. Some things that you may have assumed were clear may
not be. Other things may be awkward or incorrect. You are so
close to your work and emotionally wrapped up in it that you
will naturally miss things. Your reviewers have no such ties -
they can help you view your work from a fresh perspective. Pay
attention to recurring comments. If more than one person is
noticing a potential weakness, you know you've more work to do.
Don't be afraid to ask for clarification of a comment. And don't
think you are obligated to use the suggestions. Just be open to
other solutions - they might not be appropriate for one story,
but they might spark other ideas. This is your work, but think
of what's best for the story.
If you are constantly feeling under attack, perhaps you're not
ready for critiques. Is it what they said that upset you, or the
way they said it? Are they using rude words to describe the
flaws or are you just not interested in any negative comments?
Or worse, are the reviews always positive and vague, giving you
no useful information? Perhaps they don't even tell you what you
did right?
If you are looking for only praise from your readers, you may
not be ready for reviews. There's nothing wrong with this, we're
all at different stages in our writing confidence. As your
desire to write grows, you will soon progress to that next
stage, and welcome the feedback. In the meantime, reading and
offering your help to others is the next best thing you can do
for your own writing.
Giving and receiving feedback makes you aware of the basic rules
of good English use. If you think you don't need to worry about
grammar, spelling, punctuation, rhythm, focus, syntax, and
structure, think again. They are the key to clarity. Writers
want to make sense. They want to take the reader into their
fantasy world and make them believe. Learn the rules. Break 'em
later.
The best rules can't be taught or put into an easy list, but you
can learn them by reading excellent writing. If you know what
works, you'll strive to emulate it. It's also good to review bad
writing. You'll find that you're learning and hopefully avoiding
the same mistakes.
Reviewers use their time to carefully read an item and plan
their review. They offer encouragement and helpful advice, but
honest crits can sting. Before replying, think about what was
said. A reviewer who has taken much time reading and writing
isn't going to appreciate being told, "So and So read this, and
his comments are completely opposite yours. I don't think you're
qualified to comment on my work."
How a writer responds to the comments of reviewers will likely
determine how he responds to prospective editors and agents.
Editors aren't concerned too much with your feelings. They will
rarely comment on submissions. If an editor doesn't understand a
story he simply sends a rejection letter.
Think of the reviewer as your future editor, and listen closely
to what they say. They aren't always right on their technical
advice, you need to learn the rules yourself, but their views on
the content are views of your future readers and buyers of your
book. If they are your intended audience, pay attention!
Feedback provides the writer with something he or she cannot get
for themselves: reaction to the piece by someone who doesn't
have these characters and their world in their head, someone who
doesn't know this story inside-out. That's the beauty of
feedback.