Heres my latest Writing Advice Blog Post. Up this time? The importance of getting feedback. Enjoy and have a great weekend everyone! ---------------------------- Writing, by definition, is a solitary pursuit. But it’s also really hard to do well without reaching out of the void and sharing your work with others. After all, eventually the goal of most writers is to have an audience of some kind. It’s helpful to know in advance how your work will be perceived–or misperceived–so that you can course correct as necessary. When in your own process to share something is a really personal question, however. For instance, I’m never ready for feedback until I have a really solid, complete draft–usually draft three or four for me. Until, I’ve essentially made all the changes I can think to make. To engage with an audience earlier than that would really interrupt my process. If someone were to make suggestions about how to finish something before I had taken my own stab at it, I’m not sure what would happen. But I do know it wouldn’t be good. But I know other writers who like to have feedback as they’re working on something (it makes me break out into a cold sweat just thinking about it). But they like feedback to inform their writing process while it’s still ongoing. Never mind that I think that’s insane, it works great for them. In addition, to deciding when you want to get feedback, I think it’s useful to think carefully about who you want feedback from. This can change depending on when you’re getting the feedback. Sometimes you don’t want insightful notes. Sometimes you just want–need even–someone to tell you how great you are. This can happen when a book is already on submission and there’s nothing you can do to make it better anyway. In this case I recommend a spouse and I recommend telling them EXACTLY what you want to hear. Otherwise, they’ll have no idea. Especially, if they’re not a writer. I promise, it’s not obvious. You can ask my husband. Other times, you’ll need real feedback on improvements that can be made before submission. In that case, try to find a trusted critique partner or writing group. It helps if these people are good at giving feedback, because it’s a true skill to be honest and helpful without injuring the writer’s feelings. There are lots of people who are good at criticizing instead of critiquing–they are actually two totally different things. If you don’t think you know the difference, you do. They feel totally different. One will make your writing better while the other will just make you want to go hide under the bed. Good feedback also helps you turn your piece into the best version of what it is. It does not try to change you into a different writer or make your book into a different kind of book–it respects what you are trying to do. A critique group–several people–helps protect against unhelpful feedback if only because of the number of opinions. But beware of group think. I have seen an entire writers group cave and fall in line with one person’s opinion until someone else disagrees. Also, be sure to read between the lines. Oftentimes, even those who are excellent at providing insightful feedback will sometimes be wrong about what it is exactly they don’t like–they’ll just know they don’t like something. Listen to what they say the problem is, but sometimes its in the subtext that the real problem lies. Whoever is critiquing you–writing partner, professor, agent, editor–ultimately you need to ask yourself whether the feedback resonates and be willing to stand your ground when it absolutely doesn’t. At the same time, you have to recognize when you are holding blindly and stubbornly to something for all the wrong reasons. Trust me, you’ll know that difference in your gut, too. Not that I do. Because I’d never do that. You can ask my husband. kimberlymccreight/wp/index.php/writing-advice-the-importance-of-feedback/
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 13:00:29 +0000
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