Giving and Receiving Feedback

The following is from my October 2024 newsletter. Sign up here to subscribe and get monthly writing tips and first dibs on my workshops delivered to your inbox.

The notion of a writer toiling away in isolation to produce a masterpiece is largely a myth. Our work improves with others’ input. Even experienced writers can be poor judges of their early drafts. For example, they might leap over necessary transitions, confusing the reader, or overemphasize a character’s fatal flaw, annoying the reader.

I recommend getting feedback on your writing from a trusted critique partner or editor. It’s something I do with all my pieces before submitting them. I’m grateful for my friends’ close attention, which always leads to better work. And I learn as much about our shared craft from offering and discussing critiques as I do from receiving them.

But how do you find someone who’ll give you valuable feedback? And how do you know what kind of comments to trust?

Finding an excellent critique partner or editor can be a challenge. The person best suited to review a modern drama might not be helpful for a children’s book author. In addition, evaluating manuscripts skillfully requires not only a deep understanding of the genre and craft but also honesty, clarity, objectivity, optimism, and generosity.

You might form a writers’ group for sharing work—for example, by connecting with fellow workshop participants outside of class. (It thrills me that at least two writing groups grew from workshops I taught!) Or post a listing on a library or writing center’s community board, such as this one hosted at The Loft, to find like-minded writers near you.

If you want a more formal arrangement, search for writing coaches or editors who match your genre and style. Professionals will probably ask for a sample of your work. They might want to discuss your aims before accepting you as a client.

And then, to get the most out of your critiques:

• Prepare your readers. If you want a certain type of edit or a response to a specific element of your piece (for example, “Was it clear why my aunt had to leave her family at fifteen?”), make your expectations and questions clear to your reader.
• Expect criticism. Understand that you have asked for a critique. It’s tempting to think that your work is so good that readers will simply shower you with praise. You’ll undoubtedly get praise, but you’ll also get comments that might sting or feel unfair.
• Trust your intuition. Take to heart the critiques that ring true to you somehow, as if you would have come to the same conclusions had you given yourself enough time and distance from your piece.
• Recognize your blind spots. If you vehemently defend an aspect of your work that readers recommend changing, you might be too much in love with that part of your writing. It might help to read through the critique(s) and then put away the piece for a time before revising it.
• Don’t take critiques personally. The more you can separate your ego from your work, the more quickly you will improve and get published. Recognize that readers are trying their best to help you.
• Have faith in the process. Spending more time on a piece means making it better. The less your ego interferes and the more welcoming you are to wise suggestions, the faster you’ll advance. In the end, though, each piece will take its own time.