creative writing feedback comments

How to give constructive feedback on writing that rocks

Knowing how to give great feedback (and also how to spot writing feedback that serves rather than shuts down) is crucial for author growth. Learn more about helpful vs unhelpful feedback.

• Post author By Jordan
• 17 Comments on How to give constructive feedback on writing that rocks

Learning how to give constructive feedback on writing is a valuable communication skill. Understanding the difference between helpful and unhelpful feedback is wisdom you can apply in other areas of life – in relationships; when a friend asks your honest opinion. Learn how to give sensitive, useful critique (plus strategies for taking feedback on your own writing better):

How to give constructive feedback:

Remember the purpose of writing feedback, understand helpful vs not helpful feedback, prioritize your suggestions, use the ‘slug sandwich’ to temper criticism, match critique style to the writer’s level, critique the writing, not the author.

Why give writing feedback to others in a writing group, in a critique circle, or become a beta reader ? Giving feedback:

• Helps others improve their writing so they can reach their goals.
• Improves your own problem-solving (developing critical thinking skills you can apply to your own work).
• Builds rapport with writers that sustains productive collaboration (when given in a tactful and supportive way).

The purpose of writing feedback depends, of course, on its context.

In a classroom, feedback is to assist language learners in developing skills such as composition, clarity, style and general language usage. Feedback helps you see the common languag e or formal errors you make most often, and learn how to avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly.

In a fiction writing group or editing process , feedback provides uses such as having an external sounding board, collaboration, and developing your writing towards a further goal (such as publication).

Helpful feedback is commentary that helps a writer to make a text a better version of itself.

It does not tell the recipient ‘you are bad’ or ‘I am better’. Rather, it is driven by an ethos of ‘let’s make this stronger, together’.

Helpful writing critique tends to provide:

• Comments aligned to the writer’s stated or implicit goals (e.g. if the author is writing romance, an implicit goal is that the story’s central conflicts involves romantic relationships, the conventions of this genre)
• Specific, actionable suggestions (compare ‘this part might be even more interesting if you…’ to ‘this part is boring’)
• Examples – compare ‘Ugh this is full of comma splices’ to ‘you have a comma splice between [two given words]’. The second pinpoints an actionable improvement

Types of unhelpful writing feedback include feedback that uses:

• Mean/unkind tone likely to discourage (e.g. ‘You should give up writing’)
• Sweeping suggestions that lack specificity (e.g. ‘This isn’t interesting’)
• Subjective bias presented as a universal value (e.g. giving a negative critique because the feedback giver does not like the genre, regardless of the writing’s own qualities)

Here is an example of less constructive feedback from the comments section of this article:

This is unhelpful propaganda. Brutal honesty is a kindness. Commentator, ‘Irefuse’

The comment checks all three of the above points:

• Its tone is direct but unkind and discouraging in its use of negative exaggeration (accusation of a defamatory nature – the false accusation of creating ‘propaganda’).
• It makes sweeping claims without examples to back up the argument or further specificity (‘propaganda’ is defined as ‘information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view’).
• It makes the universal yet subjective statement that ‘brutal honesty is a kindness’. The truth is many writers will not experience your brutal honesty in writing groups or reviews as kind. This is where the distinction between a nuanced critique and vitriol matters, the sensitive and empathic versus the excoriating hatchet job. Empathy and intent make a difference in whether people can hear – and act on – feedback.

Critique empowers, or opens up another perspective. Criticism is harsher, the kind of ‘brutal honesty’ that may be unhelpful or counter-productive.

Let’s look at how to give good feedback on writing, given the above:

A great strategy for giving critique is to prioritize your suggestions. George Mason University has a helpful guide to giving feedback that talks about ‘Higher Order Concerns’ (issues such as overall clarity, effectiveness) and ‘Lower Order Concerns’ (minor, sentence-level issues such as SPAG, also known as spelling, punctuation and grammar).

Lead with the most important, standout aspects. First the good elements, then the areas needing improvement.

Our manuscript evaluations are structured this way (the first two sections highlighting standout positives and broad areas for improvement).

This means the writer leads with encouragement they can carry over as ‘buffer’ into any more critical observations. There’s an aura of positivity to tide them over, through any rougher patches.

FINISH YOUR BOOK IN 6 MONTHS

Stay accountable, in a structured program with writing sprints, coach Q&As, webinars and feedback in an intimate writing group.

This is a classic approach to criticism (often, a curse word replaces ‘slug’ – this is the classroom-friendly version).

What is a ‘slug sandwich’ in writing feedback? You:

• Give kudos to or acknowledge the writing’s most effective aspects – what gave you the most pleasure or appeared the most effective.
• Next, you move on to areas that (in your opinion) require further work, preferably with specific, actionable examples.
• End with sincere words of encouragement.

Example of constructive critique

An example of constructive writing feedback using this approach for the classic fable Cinderella:

[The ‘top slice’ of kudos] I enjoyed how you showed the complex family dynamics between Cinderella and her step-mother and mean step-sisters – this rang true of an adjustment phase that often does happen in blended families. [The ‘middle slug’ of suggestion] The fairy godmother could read like a deus ex machina to some – something that comes in and saves the day, making success a little too certain or easy for Cinderella. Is there perhaps a further challenge she might have where the godmother is unable to assist her, like a ‘dark night of the soul’, something that truly tests her and she has to stand alone and ‘figure it out’ for herself? [The ‘bottom slice’ of encouragement] You’ve captured the relationships within the family well. Perhaps consider cutting off the godmother’s support in the rising action towards the end so that the stakes and suspense are even higher. Keep going! Example of three-part, constructive feedback

Common criticisms of this feedback approach (often shared in the business world) are:

• People come away only remembering the ‘bread’ of kudos and encouragement (criticism gets lost in the mix).
• It may seem inauthentic due to having a somewhat ‘templated’ format that can seem impersonal.

These are valid objections to this approach. However, if you keep each part to the point, and strive to fill your feedback with empathy, purpose and tact (authentic connection, in other words), your feedback should still be effective.

It’s better than harsh feedback which shuts down openness and discussion.

In a critique circle or as an editor starting out, you’ll likely find yourself critiquing writers who are writing at all different levels.

In a Critiques Live writing workshop (a Now Novel membership benefit for The Process and other plans), some Now Novel members shared that they ‘didn’t feel qualified’ to critique other writers.

This is where it’s helpful to remember that there is a difference between professional editing and peer review. Every peer has different experiences and may pick up on different elements of the story and contribute an immensely useful perspective (because of their individual field of reference).

Some writers may be ready for publication or have already published. Others might have written or have just started their first ever story.

Match your feedback to where the writer is at. If a writer has stated, for example, that English is not their first language, cut them slack on errors of usage. Rather suggest a general grammar resource they can use for self-study if they wish than tear apart their writing error by error – unless you’ve been hired as a copy-editor for precisely this role. The best critique helps people where they’re at, not where the reviewer thinks they ought to be. Great editing elevates, never condescends.

There are times where you might read work where the characters are objectionable, or the subject matter is unsavory to you.

It is important to critique the writing rather than leap to ad hominem (personal attack).

For example, if an author writes a story where all the male characters are arrogant chauvinists and all the women are simplistic ‘bimbo’ tropes, this could be reflective of the author’s own limited awareness or sensitivity to gender issues.

They could also hold opposing views to their characters or could think they are offering excellent social critique or satire, unaware of how they could be misread .

In giving good feedback, it is thus safest to focus on the text itself. Frame criticism in terms of the writing itself. Critique the writing. It is much more likely to reach an author if you say, for example, ‘The female characters at times seem two-dimensional, as though they only exist to satisfy the male characters’ needs, such as when…’. Compare this to writing feedback that says, ‘Gross, you’re a sexist pig’…

Nuanced feedback opens dialogue instead of shutting down communication (when feedback giver and recipient are open to it). This allows for true improvement and learning.

How to take constructive feedback better

Giving good writing feedback is one challenge. Receiving it without it denting your motivation is another entirely. In a recent open Now Novel writing webinar , an attendee asked in the Q&A portion how to take feedback. You could try:

• Skim for tone. Is writing feedback given with tact, care, precision and purpose? If not, don’t give it too much weight or power over your self-belief. Don’t even read it to the end if it appears mean-spirited.
• Pretend you’re reading editorial feedback for another author. (Active dissociation can help to make it feel less personal.)
• Look for supporting statements: Does your reviewer support any suggestions or statements with examples from your own story or others?
• State the specific type of feedback you’re looking for upfront. For example, if you struggle with detailed description , you could say ‘Please suggest how I could improve my descriptions’. If feedback doesn’t fulfil your brief you then have reason to skip it.

Need constructive feedback? Get a free sample edit when you request a quote for our fiction editing services .

Further resources

Angela Ackerman offers excellent advice on how to handle critiques of your own work: Evaluating Critique Feedback . K.M. Weiland gives succinct pointers on sorting good feedback from bad: How to Get Feedback on Your Writing (and Sort the Good from the Bad) .

Although business-oriented in scope, Scott Halford’s piece for Entrepreneur raises how important it is to create an atmosphere of safety in giving feedback.

What’s the best writing advice you ever got? Tell us in the comments.

Related Posts:

• Writing feedback: How to get helpful critiques
• Giving writing feedback: Improve your craft
• How to find beta readers for final draft feedback
• Tags writing feedback , writing groups

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

17 replies on “How to give constructive feedback on writing that rocks”

This is so timely for me, it’s uncanny. Thank you, Jordan. I had reached an impasse and almost wanted to quit my writing group. Now I see a way forward.

Hi Heather, I’m so glad to hear that. If it’s not a fit with your writing group, I would say you’re completely within rights to seek a better fit. I hope the way forward works out. Thank you for sharing your feedback.

Thank you for this. The key points for me were: a) Make a text better a better version of itself. b) Lets make this stronger, together. Be specific, use actionable suggestions, while encouraging continued writing. Perfect.

Hi Jamie, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for reading this.

Its very helpful.

Thank you for your feedback, Khuzaima. I’m glad you found this article helpful.

This is unhelpful propaganda. Brutal honesty is a kindness.

Hi ‘Irefuse’. ‘Brutal’ and ‘kindness’ are somewhat oxymorons. Calling an article about constructive critique with suggestions on ways to give it ‘propaganda’ is a STRETCH, though. I’m sorry you personally found it unhelpful, next time the constructive criticism would be suggesting ways to make it better, pinpointing the arguments or passages you took issue with and how they could be improved. I’m sure when you find the bravery to share work in the public domain you will have to deal with comments that only seek to tear down and label. Good luck when you do.

Jordan, most exalted kudos to you and your response to “Irefues”. I am not sure how anyone would or could find your article unhelpful unless they were not looking to get potentially useful information relating to critique about one’s own writings or how to give criticism to others on their writings. I will also say that your response was very professional and yet I sensed in your word usage and structure that it was meant as a zinger to illustrate very tactfully your last two statements. Brilliant. Thanks for your article and your response to those commenting on it.

Hi Michael, thank you very much. Everything from the username to the email given (which completed the phrase ‘I refuse to sign up’) had an aggressive/pointed streak which made it clear it was more of a trolling attempt to be unkind than serious critical engagement. I always say to writers it’s best to say ‘water off a duck’s back’ because trolls can be persistent, cruel, and vicious, and you don’t want a negative feedback pile-on or something more nefarious or ‘black hat’. That being said, this duck can be spicy, the water drying before it hits the ground 🙂 I try to turn rudeness/unkindness into a teachable moment (I think I bristled at the false accusation of producing ‘propaganda’ – a real nonsense), and I’m glad that came through. Thank you for reading our blog and I’m glad you found it helpful.

I am sorry but I misrepresented what I need from you. I am writing down information that is true and simply want a few adjustments made to what I wrote. It is not a novel but more of a report from one person to another.

Hi Susan, I don’t see any other communication (regarding what you said about a misrepresentation)? Perhaps you typed a comment on another article but it’s not showing for me. Are you looking for editing services (your reference to wanting adjustments made)? You can request a no-obligation editing quote via our editing services page .

This is clearly a much-needed article! I’m so glad it’s now linked in the feedback section. “Brutal honesty” means nothing in terms of improvement unless it comes with an acknowledgment of what was attempted and how to take next steps. The research is clear.

I really loved how you turned a negative comment on your own work into something that improved this article. Really good use of the examples– they helped strengthen the points about what good or bad feedback sounds like. I remember having a good friend who I shared my work with, and they dismissed it as “cheesy”. I knew they had good intentions and wanted me to improve, but the way they phrased it hurt me. This led me to question how I can share feedback to others without sounding hurtful like my friend. Thank you for this article. It helped me avoid mistakes I might have made.

Dear Mackey, Thanks for your comments on the blog. Yes there’s a way to give feedback that is constructive and helps you improve your writing. So pleased to hear that you have found it helpful.

Good article. There is an art and craft to this. One of the first ‘feedback templates’ I was ever introduced to asked 1) What was communicated? This question alone yields so much useful information to the writer because what they might want to say and do say are vastly divergent.

That’s an excellent question to ask about a piece of writing, Scott. Thanks so much for sharing it. And thanks for reading the blog.

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How to Give Constructive Feedback to Creative Writing

December 14, 2020 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   1 Comment

Sharing is caring!

Do you wonder how to give constructive feedback on creative writing and poetry pieces created by student writers who have put their heart and soul into them? 

I think all teachers struggle with this question to some extent. It is because we care. 

This can lead to indecisive response to student work. We waste valuable time when we lack a plan for response and worry about the emotional reaction to our feedback.

In this post, I’m all about sharing practical strategies that will teach you how to best give constructive feedback. 

I want you to feel as comfortable responding to creative writing assignments as analysis based writing or argumentative writing assignments so that you can help student writers grow without deflating their fragile egos.

Setting the Stage for Writing Feedback

I think that it’s important to remember the feeling associated with having someone else read our work.

When I was a student, it was always a mixture of anticipation and dread . Would my instructor like what I had written? Would my grade reflect the time and effort I had put into the assignment? 

A couple of things before we discuss how to give constructive feedback…

👉 I think that it’s important to be clear with students upfront about the skills you’re looking for in a creative writing assignment. Frontload with exemplars and use creative writing exercises to practice skills. Then, when it comes time for students to write, they will know what they are expected to do as writers. 

👉 At the same time, it’s important to focus on feedback during the writing process . This allows our response to be as readers rather than as evaluators. 

👉 Finally, I think that it makes a BIG difference when you model your own creative process for students. The more I can show students that writing is messy and imperfect, that I go through the same process as them, the more my classroom dynamic shifts from teacher-centered to student-centered and collaborative. If you’re wondering how to give constructive feedback to students, ask them to give feedback to you first.

Constructive Feedback for Students

When it comes to student feedback, less is more. I’ve blogged about this before, but I’ll say it again (and again) (and…again).

Most students don’t care about our carefully-worded paragraphs. They want to be seen and heard , but they also want to be able to understand what they can do to improve. 

This means that feedback should be direct, specific, and actionable .  This means that we need to respond as readers , not evaluators.  This means that we will leave a manageable amount of feedback to build a student’s momentum.

Strategies for How to Give Constructive Feedback

➡️ Only mark the lines you love the most. Highlight them, underline them, put a star in the margin. Choose a couple of these lines to comment on. What did you notice? What did you like/realize/want to know?

➡️ Focus on the skills taught in class. So, if you taught characterization and concrete details, give feedback specifically on those elements. Ask students to revisit resources/screencasts/examples, etc. to review these skills.

➡️ Focus on moments of clarity and confusion. Where did you, as a reader, make a connection or realize something important? Where were you confused? 

➡️ Yin Yang Feedback

• Find something specific that you liked/enjoyed (and explain why/how ). Maybe it’s a bit of figurative language or a vivid image. Pair this with a suggestion for where the writer can continue to work on this same skill. Essentially, this is like saying, “See, here, you did this thing that I liked and enjoyed…can you do more of that over here?” Or, “As a reader, it seemed to me like your intent was x, y, or z when you wrote _________. I’m wondering if you can make this clearer when _________.
• What is the highest level of skill mastery you can observe? Find an example of success and talk about why/how it was successful. What is the most important skill that still needs to be developed? Find a place where the student can begin working on this skill.
• Where were you most engaged/interested in the story. Leave a quick note about what captured your attention. Where were you least engaged/interested? This type of teacher feedback encourages revision.

➡️ Be curious. Read through the draft and ask questions… only questions . This is a kind of constructive feedback students love to hate (because it makes them think ). I ask my students to respond and revise. This strategy rocks because it establishes feedback as a two-way conversation rather than a one-way lecture. 

➡️ Have students direct your feedback by asking you questions about their work. Alternatively, you can ask students to reflect on how/where they have demonstrated the skills you’ve taught in class (or the goals they’ve set for themselves). Then, you simply read through and respond to their comments, sharing your thoughts and suggestions.

➡️ Use a writer’s workshop model in which you conference with students about their work. You can train students to lead in these conversations if you choose the 1:1 model. Alternatively, you can form writing circles in which you provide students examples of constructive feedback before asking students to take turns reading their work out loud and solicit feedback from group members. You can float between writing groups, joining the conversations as needed.

Final Thoughts

I hope that I’ve helped you learn more about how to give constructive feedback to creative writers. 

As we become purposeful in our responses to students, the benefit is that we streamline our own systems and processes which allows us to feel better about the feedback we are giving and also the amount of time it takes to provide this feedback!

Hey, if you loved this post, I want to be sure you’ve had the chance to grab a FREE copy of my guide to streamlined grading . I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m over the moon to be able to share with you some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm.  Click on the link above or the image below to get started!

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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How to Give and Take Better Writing Feedback

by Sue Weems | 40 comments

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A little over ten years ago, I had almost a decade of English teaching experience, a couple years paid freelance writing work, several creative writing university courses under my belt, and a few small publications in poetry and nonfiction. A friend’s mom, Mae,* had written a query letter for her second novel. She asked me to read it and give her some writing feedback. What could go wrong?

When Mae asked, I had not attempted to write an entire novel or a query letter. I had read thousands of novels and a few letters, but I had not studied the structure and requirements of each. I assumed writing was writing. Surely with a degree in English and a little experience, I was qualified to give good feedback ?

Nope. Not even close.

When I Realized I Was Wrong

I didn’t know it until a few years later when I wrote two terrible novels and began researching how to write an effective query letter. I learned that both novel writing and query letters require a specific type of writing skill. One I had not mastered yet. I’m so sorry, Mae .

Yes, my grammar and sentence skills would serve me well, but great grammar does not inherently result in a great story. It enhances a story. It clarifies a query letter, but alone? It’s just grammar.

I read her letter, corrected a few grammar issues and then made several suggestions I hope she didn’t take. *hanging my head in shame*

Mae was so kind. She didn’t tell me I was a raving idiot who didn’t know what I was talking about. She had every right to, but she could probably tell I was full of myself instead of knowing what the form required.

What can we learn from my feedback gaffe? (Please tell me there is much to learn so my shame is not in vain.) Two lessons come to mind.

All Writing Is Not the Same

This is a terrible thing to realize. I can write a hundred-page-long literary analysis paper without blinking an eye, but I feel like a blithering idiot when I am trying to straighten out a plotline in fiction. It means I have to admit that I need to become the student again and again as I master different forms. I have to subject myself to the frustration of failure while I practice.

I have friends who are technical writers by day, pounding out thousands of words, but lament their lack of progress on the novel at night. “I’m a full-time writer!” they say. “This shouldn’t be so hard!”

Humility is the best place to begin. There is an old proverb that says, “You cannot learn if your mind (or ego) is already full.” When I thought I knew it all, I was actually limiting myself. When I finally admitted I didn’t have a clue how to write a novel or query, it led me to research. Research, practice, and feedback made me a stronger writer.

Four Things I Learned From Failing Mae

Be wise like Mae (not like me). Before you give or receive writing feedback , keep these four things in mind:

1. Know your genre and audience. 

I failed Mae because I didn’t understand her genre or audience . What does a reader or editor in your genre expect?

2. Know your purpose. 

If you know why you are writing, it makes the critiques easier to accept, and it can help you sift through the feedback for the most helpful bits.

3. Be specific about what you need. 

If you are asking someone to read your work for the purpose of giving constructive feedback, ask for what you need. If Mae had asked me to check for comma usage, I might have been her hero (or not—I probably would have given the unhelpful feedback anyway—alas).

4. Smile and receive all feedback, but evaluate it against industry standards. 

Every time I teach dialogue, I leave time for the inevitable argument over “said.” Students want to use all the words: muttered, squealed, yelled, exclaimed, replied, and so on (just like me when I began).

I get to tell them another embarrassing story.  One time an editor marked my manuscript with “default to said—too many tags—looks amateur.” Ouch!

Instead of arguing with her, I looked it up. One search online confirmed the industry standards for my genre, and I began choosing my tags more carefully.

Give and Take Some Feedback This Week

Hopefully these tips will help you as you give and receive feedback. If you’ve been hiding your work in files and journals to avoid people like me, I understand (I hid my work once too).

But I also hope you’ll risk a little this week. Share your writing with someone who will cheer you on. If you are really brave, ask for some constructive feedback.

*Mae's name has been changed despite her innocence.

Do you have any tips for how to give good writing feedback? Let us know in the comments .

Today, you have two options.

• Take fifteen minutes to write a short scene using the phrase, “But that’s not how you do it!” (Do I need to add my teacherly warning to the freshmen boys? Keep it clean enough to read to the principal and your mother. HA!)
• Or, choose an excerpt from a work in progress.

Now, share your writing in the comments and ask for some specific writing feedback. Not sure what to ask? Here are some ideas:

“What tone is this scene setting?” “How vivid is my character?” “Am I using commas correctly here?” “Where did you have to reread for clarity?”

Leave feedback for your fellow writers so we can all practice giving and receiving feedback. And one more thing: if you give someone writing feedback in the comments, be gentle and highlight the positives, too.

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

40 Comments

I learned this hard way in a critique group. Sometimes it’s worth it to get professional criticism. Writing advice is like anything else – you get what you pay for.

While I agree with the “get a pro” part, I’ve given a lot of free critique that fellow writers have appreciated. My theory is: when one writer learns the craft better, we all benefit, so let’s help each other. I don’t usually work on a whole novel, though, just try to give a few clear pointers for certain flaws that need to be fixed for a better story. I find “showing AND telling” a common error.

However, you expect pros to be trained and impartial so you put more weight in their advice. A friend or fellow writer may tell you exactly the same thing, but you might tell yourself she’s nit-picking or it’s just not her style. And a good friend is apt to understand just what you mean even though you haven’t said it clearly, so they won’t raise a red flag where there should be one.

I agree with Christine.

I host a monthly workshop specialising in speculative fiction. We have been very choosy about who gets to join (and who gets to remain). We expect certain standards in all critiquing.

But when one of my long-form works-in-progress approaches the point of being ready for submission, I will certainly obtain a professional appraisal. I suspect that, having obtained good advice from carefully chosen colleagues, the work of the appraiser will be lessened.

Definitely, before you publish get a pro. But a good critique group is worth it’s collective weight in gold. It’s finding one that’s the challenge though.

One way of doing that is, when you find a writing colleague or two you can trust, pair up with he or she. Run one-on-one workshops from your home. In our case, there was a seed group of three of us who all studied together in college.

Then as each one of you finds other good workshoppers, invite them to join you.

The group I am currently in started life in a local speculative fiction bookshop. When that bookshop went out of business, we started to hold our monthly meetings in my house. There are five of us now and we have gotten into each others’ workshopping groove. We understand each other and recognise the differences in what each one of us brings to the table.

Sometimes public libraries or bookshops are willing to offer space to workshops. Sometimes they’ll do so for free, or for some nominal charge. Free is good, but if it is a for-profit, be decent enough to give them some custom!

I have a fair number of books on my bookshelf I bought from that bookshop.

Julie, Feel your pain! I think we all learn it the hard way sooner or later. When I work with my students, I tell them to guard against a “know-it-all” or “fix-it-all” attitude (I usually outlaw the word “should” in early workshops). I wonder if it is because it is easier to explain how we would do it instead of asking thoughtful questions that would help the writer clarify it for himself. I have grown so much from the thoughtful comments of writing groups– sometimes my craft gets stronger, and sometimes my skin gets thicker! HA!

I agree though, there is definitely a time to pay for pro help, although even then, it is worth knowing how to engage the feedback you’ve paid for. Thanks so much for commenting.

What are your impressions of the emotion and characterization of this scene? I put the parts that are meant to be in italics between forward slashes for lack of any way to actually use italics.

Shikoba crept through Nilima cavern, a flashlight lighting the few feet around him in the otherwise pitch black. If he feared what might be lurking in the dark, it did not show on what little of his face could be seen. What the boy was doing so deep in the cavern alone, no one knew. Especially not his mother.

She was probably worried about him, Shikoba thought suddenly. A worry which would quickly turn furious once he returned safely home. If he returned safely home. He shuddered and pushed away the thought, creeping onwards.

With his free hand, Shikoba grasped the key on a string around his neck.

/It must be something grand,/ he thought. A thought he had been repeating as he crept through the dank, dark cavern. /Alone,/ brushed the edges of his mind. /Alone,/ it echoed, but he shoved it away uneasily.

For hours he shuffled through the dark, searching fruitlessly.

/What if nothing is there? What if he lied?/ Shikoba wondered. The possibility of it nearly made him furious. He had sneaked off after lunch during his mother’s afternoon nap and it was surely past midnight by now.

If there was nothing… Well, there was nothing he could do about it but suffer the punishment for sneaking off and worrying his mother. It’s not like he could return the key to its original owner. And anyway, he wouldn’t want to even if he could. It was too precious.

Just as his hope was waning and he had resigned himself to turning back if he found nothing in three minutes, Shikoba’s light twinkled off a wall looming ahead. Stopping, he aimed his flashlight higher and caught the rectangular shape of a doorframe. Shikoba grinned, this must be what he came for.

Eagerly he started toward it, abandoning his cautious creeping gate from before. If he tripped now, it would have been worth investigating that door.

/This is it, this is it, this is why he sent me!/ Shikoba sang in his mind, breaking into a jog halfway to the door from where he stood.

The answer to your question is, no, this doesn’t show much in the way of emotion or characterization.

Here’s the thing, emotion comes out of circumstances and there isn’t much in the way of THIS situation that is emotionally evocative. Boy in a cave finds a door.he was looking for. I’m curious what emotions you were going for?

So for example if you want to heighten the emotion sit him down for a second to rest AND DECIDE (see characterization below) whether or not to keep going, using the circumstances that 1) it’s been hours and nothing (frustration and foolishness and Oh yeah, that asswhooping that’s his just desserts) and 2) the flashlight flickers and he still needs it to get back

And characterization shows up in choices made under pressure. His choice to come isn’t on display here; it’s already been made. And we’re not privy (in this snippet) to why it might have been a difficult choice — which it isn’t my impression that it was.

Hope this helps,

Dey, Thank you. That helps a lot!

Alyssa, Bonus points for bravery in posting a work-in-progress. I’m rooting for this little treasure-hunter, although I’m wondering why he isn’t more frightened after hours of searching in the dark. I liked where he clutched the key like he was drawing resolve. His thoughts might grow more frantic as he looks. As Dey mentioned, more conflict would show the character and heighten the emotion– animals, other people or presence, getting lost, hunger, or any number of things would complicate his journey and force him to choose his path. Thanks for sharing and good luck!

I like that Sue includes what she likes, what works in her feedback

Firstly, please let me agree with Sue. Wonderful of you to post something from your work-in-progress.

I am with your character. Overall, I feel you are showing us a clear enough image of Shikoba, arousing empathy and care. Your character, tension and sense of place is working well, but did have one minor issue that is easily rectified:

“If he feared what might be lurking in the dark, it did not show on what little of his face could be seen.”

The problem I see is with: “…it did not show on what little of his face could be seen.”

This indicates that he is in fact being seen, but is that your intention?

From the overall feel of the piece, I sense not.

This is an easy-to-make mistake that I make all too often, but we do need to think through our descriptions!

Hopefully, I won’t have the same problem with the excerpt I’m going to post here once I have been through to see whether anyone else needs commentary.

Cheers, and keep it up!

I had the same “bump” with him being seen.

I don’t think that when I initially wrote that I did intend to imply he was being seen, but now, with a better sense of where the story is going and what he is actually looking for, I can say yes. This implication that he isn’t alone in Nilima cavern is both good and important.

“When I thought I knew it all, I was actually limiting myself. When I finally admitted I didn’t have a clue how to write a novel or query, it led me to research. Research, practice, and feedback made me a stronger writer.”

The most important point in a nutshell, as far as I’m concerned. *hangs head in shame* This has been my year for learning this exact lesson.

On an unrelated note, I think we are kindred spirits regarding your love for parenthetical remarks. 😉 I can’t believe I haven’t managed to use one yet in this comment!

(Wait, maybe that was one?)

Hi Randi! I seem to be learning this lesson over and over. There is so much to learn, and just when I seem to get a handle on something, I realize there is more to it. It’s not a bad position to be in, just frustrating sometimes. The main thing is we keep moving forward! (Always glad to meet another parenthetical enthusiast.) Thanks for reading.

“Humility is the best place to begin.” Excellent. I definitely relate, and actually learned to LOVE all the differences in writing that exist. It means there’s always more to explore in an art I love so much 🙂 One of the things that gets me is people assuming you know how to do a certain type of writing when anything suggestive of writing is in your job title. I faced somewhat of an identity crisis when I, a lover of creative writing, didn’t necessarily enjoy or nail copywriting at the start. Was equally as weird for me when I found I got real joy from technical writing—something I, a lover of creative writing, always assumed was boring . . . funny how that works.

Ariel, Love your attitude– I’ve been slowly learning copywriting this year, and it hasn’t been pretty. I think you nailed the reason why most people would like to write something, but so few actually finish their work. It’s because they expect to be good or enjoy the entire process from the get go, instead of realizing it is a process that can surprise us every step of the way. Appreciate you reading and commenting.

Please let know if the characters’ voices are authentic and where you had to reread for clarity. Authenticity and clarity are important to my writing.

“But that’s not how you do it!”

Every holiday dinner, we ask each grownup to share a favorite dish. My son and daughter don’t take the time to prepare their specialties at home. Sometimes they even ask me if I have the staple ingredients such as flour, salt and pepper or spices. I take a deep breath and don’t say “But that’s not how you do it!”

I get out the pans needed for their dishes, trying to anticipate how much time is needed so the entire meal will be on the table together. Extra spoons come out to the drawers for serving. Then we start the preparation together.

My daughter brings Grandma’s Creamed Spinach recipe and the boxes of frozen spinach. (I make mine with fresh greens.) She knows to use the large pot to cook the spinach first, then she drains it in a colander I provide. The sauce comes next.

Meanwhile my sister waltzes into my kitchen and hands me a grocery store wrapped bouquet of dyed mums and yellow roses. After thanking her, I try to find a vase tall enough to hold those expensive nuisances. (We already had a nice holiday floral arrangement ordered by my son-in-law. It is sitting prettily in the center of the perfectly set table.)

My children know “But that’s not how you do it!” as I have instructed them not to bring a bouquet to a busy hostess unless it is complete or you are planning to arrange it artfully at the house.

Meanwhile, it is time to help daughter make the cream sauce for the spinach. The greens are cooling in the sink and someone wants to wash their hands. (Don’t they know to use the utility or bathroom sink while we are getting dinner ready?) I whip the colander out of the sink and put it on the cutting board where the onions are sitting ready to be minced. Where is my daughter?

Of course, the kids of all ages have started a card game in the living room.

I chop the onions, start the olive oil and butter to heat up in the large pot after drying out the spinach water,

“No! Grandma’s recipe only uses butter, not olive oil!” Carol yells in my ear as she places her card hand face down on the wet counter where the spinach is dripping.

“Okay, it’s your specialty.”

“Mom, don’t you have regular flour, not this Wondra? I know you use it for the turkey gravy, but I need the kind Grandma used for this recipe,” my petulant girl reminds me.

I watch her add the onions, cooking them until they are almost translucent. Now I know she doesn’t need my help any more. I did notice she never properly drained the spinach pushing out the cooking water and capturing it in another receptacle as I would.

Lastly, I watch her add the flour and the milk and then the main ingredient. The combination is pasty and full of liquid. Even though I know “But that’s not how you do it,” I hold my tongue. It is her specialty, but whenever the whole family is together, there are distractions for all of us.

My son has just started to make the appetizer. “Mom, where is the big bowl to mix the guacamole?” My tongue hurts from all the pressure from my teeth, holding back the words on the tip—my brief advice is kept inside.

The words “But that’s not how you do it” will have to wait for another day.

I’m of mixed emotions and thoughts on this.

“Mae was so kind. She didn’t tell me I was a raving idiot who didn’t know what I was talking about.”

Should she have told you? Critiqued your critique as it were.

See I mean it when I say, I’m of mixed reactions to this.

I have deleted excellent (imho) feedback I’ve given to a writer who decided he wanted to “defend” his work to me. It pissed me the heck off to have the writer respond to me that he “knew” all the stuff I was telling him and that it didn’t really apply because (even though he had posted in a forum for feedback) it was just zero draft. To which I say bs; if he “knew” then he’d have done it.

On the other hand.

I have also received so much crappy advice. For example: I was told that the “Tone” of my story was off because two entirely different characters had two entirely different voices. Oh the horror! Seriously, I wanted to ask the critiquer what the heck? But how do you do that, tell someone they wasted their time and yours when they were doing you a courtesy?

*best paragraph deleted to be used elsewhere for better purpose*

Thanks for reading my vent.

I hear you, Dey. I meant that I think Mae handled it well and used what was useful and discarded the rest (I tend to use a bit of hyperbole– sorry if it didn’t come through clearly). I’ve been on the receiving end of those “defenses” as well. I wonder if they are just a coping mechanism because it is hard to hear criticism. I don’t know the answer. I do know that both giving and sifting through received feedback has made me a better writer because it forces me to know why I am discarding some advice. I don’t think it is always wasted time. Readers do the same thing in misreading work sometimes, so it is valuable to hear how others interpret what we write. I loved your *best paragraph deleted*… I hope I’ll run across it one day! Thanks for chiming in. I know many writers will resonate with your viewpoint here.

Dey, I recently had the experience of reviewing and editing a book. One piece of advice I gave, based on my experience with the content (it was non-fiction), turned out to be incorrect. I”m so glad the authors dug a bit deeper and asked me to do the same before they incorporated my advice into their book. None of us are infallible. It is so important to enter into dialog over any advice that seems not to be on target. All parties can then learn from the experience.

The following is the latest portion of one of my current works-in-progress. This is from Chapter 7 and shows a young character having to kill or be killed for the first time.

I am particularly interested in whether I have succeeded in showing the conflict her character feels.

ORANGE SUN CHAPTER 7: JOUST

The smaller deerpig bowed its head, cantering left then right. The sultry, alien air shimmered as the beast’s sonar blast struck its larger companion. The loser shuddered and struggled to get up, ribs protruding from its breast like some bizarre arrangement of flowers.

Presently, the victor turned to face Taryn. She stepped back, the gravwand suddenly heavy in her hand.

“Taryn,” screamed the Captain, “You must fire!”

The thick air grated on her throat as the young midshipman adjusted the weapon to Concussion Mode — Light. Surely pushing the animal away would be okay…

“May I too exist,” she muttered, “In order to live, in order to serve, in order to help dispel the miseries of the worlds…”

Midshipman Taryn Zoë Schacht felt, not heard, the crack of the beam as it violated the air before it. The air and the flesh. The deerpig blew asunder like so much smoke caught in a gust of wind.

Taryn’s gravwand struck the ground in time to collect her tears.

Davidh, Congrats on a scene full of conflict. You show the external conflict in the physical battle and then reveal the internal conflict through a few carefully placed details such as the heaviness of the wand and the catch in her throat. Depending on what comes before and after this, she’s had to make a choice that has cost her. Thanks so much for sharing a work in progress!

Thank you, Sue. I was concerned about that.

And yes, there are a number of things she’s had to deal with described in earlier scenes. This also foreshadows a later scene in which she must take command of a group of ratings (equivalent to ‘seamen’ or ‘able seamen’) and non-commissioned officers when large animals attack and start killing the crew.

You have this written in omni, where her actions and thoughts are explained to me (the reader). It’s very distant and not emotionally engaging. Words like sultry, presently, as the young midshipman, Midshipman Taryn Zoe Schacth felt, and the entire last sentence, serve to push reader out and away from the action.

So while there is life or death conflict, I’m not “feeling” it. The only phrasing that hints at all that she has a conflict with kill or be killed is the line “May I too exist…” but to my ear that sound like a colloquialism or prayer, rather than fear or regret or any particular emotional response.

If you want to show that the choice to kill is difficult for her, the reader needs to know why. Now this may be knowledge that was laid down prior, but it’s not on the “page” here. She doesn’t hesitate, or waffle or look to hide or any of the things I would expect a person to do if they were torn about doing something.

Thank you for this, Dey.

There has been a lot of set-up in earlier scenes, and you are right in that it is not on this page. Perhaps that was a problem with my choice of piece!

I think that is one problem with workshopping long-form fiction piece-by-piece.

You are also right to pick up on her prayer. It is a common Buddhist prayer, and her use of it is an attempt on her part to steady herself. It is also ironic given that the prayer is one that recognises the Buddhist notion that all sentient beings — including animals — are equal.

I will think about your suggestion on the use of the omniscient POV. I wanted to be able to show her attempted removal from emotion whilst simultaneously showing how hard it is for her. Further, as Taryn’s focus is on the deerpig and on her gravwand, I wanted a POV that would allow me to show the involvement of the Captain.

So thank you. You have given me an awful lot to consider. And that is always a wonderful thing!

This is my first post. I’m wondering if it is OK to use an overworked phrase as a jump-off point for my writing. I have found poetry easiest, but am trying other genres also.

Manly Men Manly men love trucks and cars and danger and lots of speed. They love the thrill of risky moves. It really seems a need.

Manly men are vulnerable when others take the lead. They’re threatened when they lose control. Leaders they are indeed.

Would it be better to title it “My Many Man” and make the appropriate changes? Would love to hear some feedback.

kudos for sharing poetry. Did you really mean “My Many Man” or did you intend it to say, “My Manly Man,” or “My Many Men?” “My Many Man” doesn’t appeal or make sense to me. I don’t have a problem with an overworked phrase or cliche as a title, but one needs to give new insight, a new perspective to a cliche or overworked phrase to make it really work. So that is my feedback on the questions you ask, and from Sue post here, I’ve learned to withhold other thoughts than what the writer has asked for. Thanks Sue!

I meant to say, “My Manly Man”. Thanks for the feedback. All comments are welcome.

Hi Barb, Thanks for sharing a work in progress. I like the hard strong sounds in the first stanza followed by the softer second stanza. I think overworked phrases can work if they are presented in unusual ways (as Sheila stated so well). Here it seems to reinforce the accepted meaning if I’m not mistaken. I’m wondering about the last two lines though and how they work with the established “manly men” from the first stanza. The opening seems to be in praise of them, but “they’re threatened when they lose control” seems to be a negative followed by “Leaders they are indeed”– I’m wondering if the last line is meant to be ironic (meaning they are not good leaders). Might be able to clarify with an image that shows what “lose control” looks like in this case? Thanks for being brave and sharing your work.

I belong to a writing group that has been meeting for years. We have very good guidelines for giving feedback, from which we sometimes stray. It does help immensely when someone ask for specific feedback, as Sue Weems suggests. But if we limit the request and that request is honored, we can miss feedback that might alert us to some major problem in the writing. Our guidelines for feedback are to say what our initial overall impression of the writing conveys, what feelings or images it left on us. And then back that up with specifics of language use in the writing that support our impressions. Finally we share any problems we had with the writing, shift of tense, word use that struck us wrong, chronology, etc. I once gave the feedback that a piece left me confused, and was informed that I was supposed to say what I liked about the piece. That was a flashback to when we had a formula we called a feedback sandwich where we said what we liked, what “bumped” us and possible fixes, and return to some form of encouragement for the writer. Some in our group felt that approach pulled punches and was a little too soft pedaling if writers were serious about their work. Sometimes people get too deep into the story or emotions of the story or express how they want more of one thing or another or even the direction they want the story to take. I prefer to stay with the writing as written, and state if it leaves me wanting or longing for something else, such as “I wanted to know more of the characters emotional reaction to the action,’ or I wanted to see more of the color and texture of the narrators experience.” But I think it’s important to be careful not to suggest direction for a piece. Often those giving feedback say they want to know this or that, want more detail, more information, more emotions. It is as if they want the writer to do all the work for them. I believe that the writer’s job is to stimulate the imagination of the reader, to write in such a way that the words evoke images, emotions, memories, identification, or curiosity in the reader, but not to literally answer every question the reader may have. I prefer to have something left to my imagination so that reading is more like have a conversationw ith the writier.

Sheila, Great point about missing feedback. In a well-established, safe group, I would feel more comfortable leaving it open to anything the group sees/questions. (Finding and maintaining such a group is an absolute treasure!) I wonder how many writers are in such well-managed, respectful groups? If a writer (especially a new writer) is not in an invested community like yours, getting feedback requires both guts and a little savvy to sift through what is helpful. I tend to think writers at all stages need and benefit from the positives and encouragement, as well as the questions and weaknesses a text raises. Thanks for sharing your group’s process! I use a similar one with my students, but I always love seeing how others are operating in effective ways. So appreciate you joining in this conversation. Sue

I run a small press ezine and try to leave personal feedback with every rejection. Usually it’s just two comments, first what they did well, and second, why I’m not accepting the story.

But for longer critiques, I find it most helpful to look at the big picture and note any glaring plot holes, unresolved problems, and what I would do to improve the story. I would stay away from correcting grammar errors or rewriting sentences.

I once has another writer “critique” one of my stories by simply rewriting the entire thing in his voice. Never do that 🙂

Jason, thanks for chiming in. What a gift to leave feedback with each rejection. So often it is a form letter. I completely agree with your comment on longer critiques. Donald Graves (a writing teacher) once shared a great analogy about writing and golf. He said when someone learns to play golf, the instructor will have the novice hit a bucket of balls. The instructor immediately sees a hundred things that are wrong– the grip, the back swing, the feet, etc, but a wise instructor also knows he can’t share all of them at once. So he points out one thing and has the golfer hit another bucket until that ONE thing is mastered. Then they move to the next thing. As a writing teacher, that resonated with me. Your advice to look at the big picture and choose the most glaring holes to address reminded me of Graves’ analogy. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Thanks for sharing. Great analogy.

Fantastic post, Sue. I have really enjoyed the discussion.

I loved the information in this article. As an editor, I look back at advice given in the early years and realize how “wrong” I was.

The writing prompt didn’t take me there – instead this emerged.

But That’s Not How You Do It

“You need to hold the screw driver straight – otherwise you will cross-thread it.” I thought I was holding it straight, after all I was the one on hands and knees replacing the metal cover over the motor on the back of the refrigerator. I swallowed those words and said only, “I think it is straight.” “Oh, get out of the way and I’ll do it.” I struggled to my feet and moved from in back of the refrigerator, knowing it was useless to protest.

Why was I the one trying to put the panel back in place? After two knee replacements, he has difficulty getting on hands and knees. I was so hoping the screw wouldn’t go in for him, but, of course, it did. Maybe I wasn’t looking at it as straight on as I thought I was.

I do know how frustrating it can be to watch someone complete a task the “wrong way,” while I know (as the observer) what should be done. Our roles switch when he is on the computer and asking me to “help” resolve a question. I so want to just ask him to move and let me do it – maybe next time I’ll try that and, if he protests, I’ll remind him of the “refrigerator job.” How many years does it take in a relationship to iron out these bumps? Or, is that not the point. Is it rather to learn to appreciate each other’s strengths – no matter how irritating they may be in the moment.

Hello Sue and hello everyone!

I have been reading the Write Practice e-mails and posts but I didn’t take the time and I didn’t really have the courage to post something,but since I have a story I’ve finished these days,I would love to share and receive some feedback. I have to mention,I am not a native speaker,I am a romanian who has been living in Chicago for one year now but who grew up singing songs in english :). I’ve been thinking for a while whether I should write in english or not knowing that there are so many words,idioms and language subtilities I don’t know yet and that writing requires a rich vocabulary.

But this is it, this is a piece of my 3 pages story that I wrote in english :).

“22 years old,life seemed good and steady.After graduating,Harmon got lucky, as others might say and found a job in sales and marketing assistance in a firm, he thaught that would bring him more money than writing and would give him the wild and glamorous life he dreamed about. It felt so right at the beginning, like he found a purpose,a new challenge, he would work hard and thrive and party on weekends in the blues bars of Chicago with his girlfriend and his colleagues,but lately he started to feel lost and sad,like everyday was the same, a race where he had to pull up the charts, to help the firm sale more and more products, fast and aggressively,things went south in the firm and he suddenly felt dispensable. Life has slipped by so quickly lately,not enough time to spend with the woman he loved,same routine every day,same charts,same questions,same doubts,same pain, it was like a weird dream repeating itself. Harmon woke up early in the morning, grabbed his coffee from Starbucks and then spent there nearly two hours studying products,numbers and ideas for the new campaign then he walked to the office unaware of his surroundings like the sea of people around him rushing as well to get to work,this was a regular day for him,until one Monday. Another Monday in Chicago, it was 9:20 am,as he was walking down the crowded Wacker street with the coffee in his hand he felt drained of energy,lifeless and conflicted,his thoughts were chaotic and his heart was in pain,the air was humid and heavy and the noyse of the city was nearly unbearable,he stopped at the red light,as he stood there waiting, a silhouette caught his attention, on his right at 10 feet away an old man with wore off clothes and weary eyes was combing his gray hair looking in a coffee shop window, his moves were slow and he looked like he was a homless person living on the streets of Chicago,he had two big bags at his feet as if they were all that he had. Harmon missed the green light as he was all of a sudden mesmerized,he hadn’t seen this man before,but he looked so familiar to him.”

This is a piece of my finished story that never got published (if you exclude the fact that I posted it on one of the sites available for reading to those who find it interesting).I would like an honest feedback about the feeling of this particular scene, the flow of it and the vividness.You can critique my grammar too since i’m not a native speaker. The story is about time travelling, particularly only male members of the family can do it and it’s carried through generations from father to son.This particular scene shows the main character’s condition after successfully travelling back in time to prevent his lover from getting murdered:

Seoul, sumer of 2016

He jerks up with a gasp. The rapid motion leaves him feeling as if he were drowning, managing to free himself seconds before he was suffocated for good.And it’s familiar, the relief that washes over him like a summer downpour, tense muscles relaxing, breaths evening out into a series of steady inhales and exhales. ‘I did it.’ The feeling of alleviation only warms him up more, reducing the dread that’s been crunching in his stomach nonstop. He blinks, shakes his head and checks the alarm clock on the bedside table.Dim light flickers through a slot on the door, reflecting against the digital device making the red numbers blink up at him. 1:31am With a sigh, he lets his fingers glide over the crumpled sheets, mind still slightly disoriented and detached from the surroundings.White fabric pulls over his flushed skin almost sensually making his body irrupt with goosebumps. ‘Wait.Flushed?’ He lifts the sheets from his lower body with a frown and…of course.Of course he’s naked.Why wouldn’t he be? He remembers this clearly since it hadn’t occurred a long time ago.And even if it had, he certainly wouldn’t be able to forget the feeling of smooth skin, as pale as the sheets, underneath his callused fingertips and all those erotic whispers against the shell of his ear.But more than anything else, he definitely wouldn’t be able to forget the overwhelming heat traveling through his veins like a drug, igniting every nerve in his body in flame. With one last distressed sigh, he tangles his hands into his hair, fingers digging into the scalp with a force to bruise. ‘This I can deal with.’ Physical pain he’d take anyday over this horrible ache that dissolves his heart to pieces as if poured over with acid. ‘But I did it.’ The realization clings to him like second skin, soft breeze from outside ruffling the strands of hair that have fallen into his eyes without him even noticing.

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Writing Feedback Mastery: 8 Tips to Triumph

Table of Contents

Writing feedback is a crucial tool. It’s the hidden key that can unlock the full potential of a manuscript, an article, or even a simple blog post. Every writer, regardless of experience, encounters moments of uncertainty about their work. That’s where feedback becomes invaluable.

Whether you’re penning a novel or drafting a business report, writing feedback serves as a guide, offering direction where there’s doubt. But beyond just the validation or criticism it provides, feedback paves the way for growth, enhancing skills and refining ideas. As we delve deeper, we’ll see why feedback isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential.

The Profound Essence of Writing Feedback

Writing feedback, at its core, is a mirror reflecting a writer’s strengths and weaknesses. It provides an outside perspective, highlighting overlooked errors and offering praise for the elements that truly shine. But it’s not just about spotting mistakes; it’s about understanding why they are mistakes in the first place.

For budding authors, feedback can be a rite of passage. It’s their introduction to the world of literary critique. Every piece of advice, every constructive criticism, molds them, chiseling away the rough edges. As they absorb this feedback, they learn, adapt, and evolve, inching ever closer to mastering their craft.

The feedback process is like a dance, a delicate balance of give and take. For the writer, it’s about learning to separate the wheat from the chaff—identifying which pieces of feedback will elevate their work and which might lead them astray. Ultimately, with the right feedback, a decent draft transforms into an impeccable final piece.

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Tips for Writing Feedback

Effective feedback is a crucial component in the writing process. When offering insights on someone’s writing, it’s essential to approach the task with a balanced perspective, highlighting both the strengths and areas of improvement. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Begin on a Positive Note : Recognize and highlight the strengths in the writing. This lays a foundation of trust and ensures the writer remains receptive.
• Share Personal Reactions : As you navigate through the content, share your immediate responses. For instance, “This sentence made me think about…” Always encourage a dialogue by posing questions.
• Address the Content, Not the Author : Always focus on the work itself. Instead of making it about the writer’s skills, discuss the content, like “This section might benefit from a clearer alignment with the main topic.”
• Be Detailed in Your Feedback : General comments can be ambiguous. When discussing aspects like flow or coherence, always provide specific examples from the text.
• Hierarchy in Comments : Address the major concerns first, such as the argument’s clarity or the overall structure. Subsequently, touch upon finer details like grammar or punctuation.
• Conclude with a Summary : Offer a succinct recap of your observations. Instead of rewriting segments for the writer, provide concise remarks that they can refer back to during the revision process.
• Empathy is Key : Offer feedback with kindness and understanding, reflecting the kind of constructive critique you’d appreciate receiving.
• Acknowledge the Writer’s Voice : Every writer has a unique style. While offering feedback, ensure you’re not pushing them to conform to a standard template but helping them refine their authentic voice.
• Suggest Resources : If you notice recurring challenges, recommend articles, books, or courses that might help the writer overcome those specific hurdles.
• Offer Encouragement : Remember to highlight the potential you see in the piece. A little encouragement can make the revision process feel more like an opportunity for growth rather than a chore.
• Avoid Overwhelming with Details : Too much feedback can be as detrimental as too little. Strive for a balance. If there are numerous areas of concern, prioritize them, ensuring the writer doesn’t feel swamped.

Offering constructive feedback is an art. By adhering to these guidelines, not only can we help fellow writers hone their craft, but we also foster a supportive community that values growth and collaboration.

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The Weight of Professional Critiques

In the world of writing feedback, professional critiques hold a place of reverence. These aren’t just off-the-cuff remarks from casual readers. They are structured analyses from individuals steeped in the industry’s standards and nuances. Their words carry the weight of experience.

When a manuscript lands on the desk of a seasoned editor, they don’t just skim through it. They dive deep, assessing not just grammar and syntax, but theme, pacing, character development, and more. Their feedback is holistic, addressing both the macro and micro elements of a piece.

For writers, such professional feedback is golden. It offers a roadmap, pointing out the bumps and detours, but also highlighting the scenic views worth lingering on. It’s a collaboration of sorts—a melding of minds, with both parties working towards the shared goal of literary excellence.

It’s important to note that while professional feedback is invaluable, it’s not infallible. Every editor, every critic, brings their own preferences and biases. So, while their feedback provides a solid foundation, the writer’s voice and vision must always remain at the forefront.

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Navigating Online Feedback Platforms in the Digital Era

The dawn of the internet has reshaped the writing feedback landscape. Platforms like Medium, Wattpad, and others have surged in popularity, offering writers instant access to readers and, by extension, their feedback. The barriers have crumbled, and now feedback flows freely, unbounded by geography or status.

But with this newfound access comes a challenge. The digital space is vast, and feedback here can range from insightful critiques to mere trolling. For a writer, this means developing a discerning eye, learning to differentiate between genuine feedback and mere noise.

Genuine feedback, even when it stings, offers value. It sheds light on overlooked flaws, suggests improvements, and sometimes even sparks fresh ideas. On the other hand, superficial or malicious comments offer little beyond momentary frustration. For writers navigating this digital terrain, the mantra is clear: seek depth, not just volume.

But there’s a silver lining to this digital feedback flood. It offers diversity. Writers now get a global perspective on their work. They understand how readers from different cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies perceive their narratives. This diverse feedback, when harnessed correctly, can elevate a piece, making it universally relatable.

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The Unsung Value of Peer Reviews

In the vast landscape of writing feedback, peer reviews hold a unique and significant place. Unlike professional critiques, peer reviews come from individuals who are often on the same journey as the writer—struggling, learning, and growing. This shared experience creates a bond, making their feedback more relatable.

When a fellow writer offers feedback, it’s grounded in empathy. They understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into crafting a piece. Their critiques aren’t just about the technicalities but often delve deeper into the heart and soul of the narrative. Their insights can pinpoint nuances that a professional might overlook.

Engaging in peer reviews also benefits the one giving the feedback. Analyzing someone else’s work hones analytical skills and provides a fresh perspective that can be applied to one’s own writing. It’s a symbiotic relationship, with both parties gaining valuable insights.

However, it’s essential to approach peer reviews with an open mind. Every writer has their own style, voice, and vision. The goal isn’t to mold someone’s work in your image but to help them refine and amplify their unique voice.

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Writing Feedback in Academic Settings

In academic environments, writing feedback plays a pivotal role. Whether it’s an essay, research paper, or dissertation, feedback guides students in aligning their work with established standards and criteria. But it goes beyond mere grades; it’s about molding scholars and researchers.

Instructors and professors don’t just look at content; they assess structure, logic, coherence, and argument validity. Their feedback becomes a roadmap for students, showing them areas of improvement and strengths to build upon. It teaches them to think critically, not just about the subject matter but about their presentation and argumentation.

It’s also in these academic settings that students first experience the rigorous process of revision. A first draft is rarely the final one. Feedback drives multiple iterations, each refining ideas, sharpening arguments, and enhancing clarity. This iterative process, guided by feedback, lays the foundation for academic excellence.

But the significance of writing feedback in academia isn’t just confined to grades or graduation. It instills a discipline, a rigor that students carry forward into their professional lives, whether they venture into research, teaching, or any other field.

Recommended Article: Imagery in Writing: 7 Secrets to Captivate Readers! 😍

The Ghostwriting Connection: Feedback’s Silent Partner

Ghostwriting, the art of writing on behalf of someone else, often thrives on feedback. It’s a unique relationship, where the ghostwriter must capture another’s voice, tone, and perspective. And to achieve this, writing feedback becomes the guiding light.

When a client provides feedback to a ghostwriter, it’s not just about corrections or edits. It’s about alignment—ensuring that the written piece resonates with the client’s voice and intentions. Every piece of advice, every suggestion, is a clue for the ghostwriter, guiding them closer to the desired outcome.

But this relationship is a two-way street. Experienced ghostwriters also provide feedback. They advise on structure, flow, and content, leveraging their expertise to enhance the piece’s quality. It becomes a collaborative dance, with feedback being the rhythm that keeps both partners in sync.

The ghostwriting realm underscores the universality of writing feedback. Whether you’re writing for yourself or someone else, feedback remains the bridge between intent and execution, ensuring that the final piece is not just well-written but also authentic and resonant.

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Feedback in the Digital Age

The digital age has revolutionized the way we seek and receive writing feedback. Platforms like blogging websites, social media, and online writing communities have opened up a world of possibilities for writers. Now, feedback isn’t just confined to a closed group; it’s global.

Writing in the digital age means that your work can be read, critiqued, and appreciated by someone from a different continent. This broadens the horizon for writers, exposing them to diverse perspectives and critiques. Feedback from different cultural, social, and individual backgrounds enriches a writer’s growth, making them more adaptable and versatile.

However, with this global audience comes the challenge of filtering feedback. Not all online feedback will be constructive. It’s crucial for writers to differentiate between constructive criticism and plain negativity, using the former for growth and ignoring the latter.

Moreover, digital platforms provide instant feedback. Unlike traditional methods where writers had to wait for days or weeks, now it’s a matter of hours or even minutes. While this instantaneity is beneficial, it also requires writers to be resilient and not get swayed by every piece of feedback that comes their way.

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The Future of Writing Feedback

The landscape of writing feedback is continually evolving. With advancements in technology, AI-driven feedback tools are making their way into the writer’s toolkit. These tools, equipped with advanced algorithms, offer grammar checks, style suggestions, and even content critiques.

While they offer efficiency, it’s essential to remember that writing is an art—a blend of intellect and emotion. Machines can catch grammatical errors or suggest structural changes, but the soul of writing, the emotional depth, is a human domain. Feedback from fellow humans will always hold unmatched value.

The future might see a blend of human feedback and AI-driven insights, each complementing the other. AI can handle the technicalities, while human feedback will delve into the depths of narrative, character development, and emotional resonance. This balanced approach can redefine how feedback shapes the writers of tomorrow.

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The journey of a writer is filled with highs and lows, and writing feedback is the compass that guides them through this odyssey. Whether it’s a simple grammar check, a deep dive into narrative structure, or understanding the emotional undercurrents, feedback shapes, refines, and often redefines a writer’s work. Embracing feedback, be it from peers, mentors, or even AI tools, is the key to growing and evolving in the vast and ever-changing realm of writing.

Takeaway : Writing feedback isn’t just about corrections or affirmations. It’s the mirror that reflects a writer’s strengths and vulnerabilities, pushing them to rise above their limitations and craft stories that resonate, inspire, and endure.

Click here to contact The Writing King to discuss your project today!

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16 thoughts on “ Writing Feedback Mastery: 8 Tips to Triumph ”

Great tips and a very informative post. Love the tips on giving feedback and how we can do it. Thank you for sharing!

I think acknowledging the writer’s voice is so important! I’m a freelance writer and have had major outlets take out my voice, and I feel like it just falls flat.

These are great tips and I love how you highlighted that it is important that we address the content and not the author. This is most significant, especially during negative feedback. I agree with you that we must also offer this with kindness and understanding. Think of the end goal which is to help the writer improve his work — not to attack or bash. 

Your article on mastering writing feedback is a goldmine of insights. The 8 tips provided are practical and well-explained, offering a clear roadmap for improving feedback skills. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone aiming to enhance their feedback-giving abilities.

Oh yes, Richard. Thank you for these tips! I try so much to receive and give feedback because without it, growth is always hard!

Brilliant post! I am currently getting back into my creative writing and loving it so, so much!

Feedback is key with a writing journey. I learned so much from critiques of college papers from both professors and fellow students.

Very informative article and a very helpful one also for all of us looking for writing feedback. Like in any craft, one should ask for feedback and advice from an experienced and proven craftsman.

Best tips are here for aspiring wordsmiths and keyboard warriors! I’m always here eager to learn some wisdom 

Its so true that t he journey of a writer is filled with highs and lows. Its not always glamour and we need expert tips from others from time to time. Thank you for your article!

This is such an artful way to provide feedback! I especially love starting off with commendation and also providing suggestions.

My boys both dislike writing more than any other subject in school right now. I try to help them with their writing homework but don’t always know how to give feedback, this is so helpful!

Fantastic information! I can see these tips applying to feedback on just about any topic, not just when leaving feed back on a written piece.

Richard, as you know I am not a writer, just dabbling in blogging but I am always amazed at the depth of your posts and learn so much from you every time I visit a blog post.

Yes, I regularly ask for feedback on my blog, what people think, to get some insight into what they wish to see, and to me, it’s very useful to hear from various bloggers their views and insight as this does help me to grow and expand and be there for the readers.

Agreed! Feedback is always a good idea because it can really add to the individual as well as their writing. When you don’t know what you have to improve on, it can be hard to trudge forward. Plus, who doesn’t want to get better with their writing or craft?

Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com

Feedback is one key thing that communicates back the feeds from a writing. I think mastering it is crucial. Thanks for the tips.

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How to give better feedback on writing: 10 top tips

How to give feedback on writing: A guide to transforming this challenging task into a successful collaboration that leaves writers inspired.

November 23, 2022

Ever heard of Maxwell Perkins ?

Probably not, but you should have. He was the editor responsible for launching and nurturing the careers of authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Thomas Wolfe, to name a few.

If you ever find yourself doubting the value of a good editor, do yourself a favor and look into the editorial relationship Perkins had with the writers in his stable. Celebrated works like The Great Gatsby certainly wouldn’t have been the books we know today if not for Perkins’ insightful interventions.

Now, of course, not all of us are editors at publishing houses. But if you find yourself in a position where you have to give feedback on writing and need a hand to do a great job, you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’re

• A marketing lead giving feedback to content writers
• A content manager giving a freelancer style tips
• An editor giving a journalist a detailed critique
• A beta reader who’s helping an author improve their novel
• A teacher giving feedback on student papers or writing assignments
• An academic supervisor/advisor helping a student fine-tune their thesis
• A member of a writing group giving other writers suggestions, or
• A tutor, coach, or writing instructor teaching writing skills —

We’ve got you.

Keep reading for our top tips on how to give feedback in a way that’s not only effective but actively inspiring.

10 Practical tips for giving effective feedback on writing

Good feedback can transform writing from just OK to memorable and share-worthy.

There are few things more inspiring and gratifying than the experience of co-creation, and when you get it right, the process of giving a writer feedback and watching their work develop can be immensely rewarding.

Here are our top tips on giving writing feedback, so you can experience this feeling too.

1. Understand the level of feedback required

There’s a big difference between editing, proofreading, and giving constructive feedback , and not just in terms of the amount of time each takes.

The level of feedback you’re giving will depend on:

• The type of content — Is it a blog post, a novel, a friend’s creative writing project, or a piece of student work ? Is there a rubric or handout to follow, or are you on your own?
• The context — What is your relationship with the writer? Is your aim to correct the writing, or to provide constructive criticism to develop the writer’s potential? Do you have an existing editorial relationship and feedback “shorthand,” or do you need to explain every suggestion? 
• The content’s stage of development — Which stage of the writing process are you in? Are you reviewing an early draft, or are you polishing a “finished” final draft for publication? Are they seeking writing advice or thorough proofreading?

Having a clear understanding of the level of input expected of you (and how granular your feedback should be) can save a lot of time and effort — there’s no point doing a fine proofread if you’re critiquing an early draft that will still change a lot.

2. Give feedback in context

When providing feedback on writing, make sure your suggestions are easy to understand (and find) by providing them as close as possible to the copy in question. It’s easy for feedback to get lost or forgotten when it’s removed from the context to which it applies — or not recorded at all. 

Margin comments are good, but electronic feedback is far superior to scrawling notes in ant-writing on a hard copy.

Most word processing tools let you highlight text and attach comments, making them better-suited to giving feedback than, say, a CMS (content management system) used for publishing blogs to a website. As a result, it’s generally good practice to use these for content approval workflows and then upload the copy to the CMS.

Also, don’t sleep on the various markup settings available in word processing tools like Microsoft Word and Google Docs. You can choose between “Edit Mode” and “Suggestion Mode” and toggle on “track changes” so the writer can see (and resolve) every change you’ve made or suggested. This helps them learn more than if you’d made the changes yourself. On this note, consider enhancing the effectiveness of your feedback by recording a Bubble . This approach allows you to not only annotate the work but also deliver a more personalized and clear response. The visual and interactive nature of a Bubble can better illustrate your suggestions and advice, potentially motivating the recipient to implement the recommended changes more effectively.

3. Approach feedback with the right mindset

Be empathetic and respectful when giving writing feedback. Put yourself in the writer’s position and follow the golden rule — treat others as you’d want to be treated. Remember, you’re here to help the recipient of your feedback, not break their spirit.

Sadly, some writers need writing classes, not an editor — but that doesn’t mean you can’t offer them useful feedback. Tailor your feedback to the writer’s proficiency or level of development, and avoid giving feedback that punches above their writing weight class.

A good framework for approaching scenarios in which you have to give any kind of feedback is Kim Scott’s Radical Candor philosophy, which focuses on finding the sweet spot between “caring personally” and “challenging directly” — basically, providing feedback that is clear and specific while being kind and sincere.

4. Start with a readthrough or two

Before you start commenting, read through the piece.

Make notes of any major issues (and less major ones), but resist the urge to start word-vomiting all over the copy until you’ve assessed the appropriate level of input to provide, and which pointers, if acted on, will have the biggest impact.

If you’re giving feedback on things like flow and punctuation, reading the piece out loud is a great way to find the bits that need a comma, period, or surgery — like those paragraph-length run-on sentences and unpronounceable polysyllabic words.

5. Begin with higher-order feedback

Start by addressing the bigger issues that impact whether or not the writing achieves its purpose before moving on to lower-order feedback.

Here’s a quick overview of what constitutes higher-order and lower-order feedback:

Higher-order concerns

Overall effectiveness — Does the piece of writing achieve its goal? Is the point clear? Are the tone and language suited to its audience?

Clarity of communication — Is the structure, organization, and flow of information logical and cohesive?

Credibility — Are claims backed up with quality, relevant evidence?

Conciseness — Is the piece as concise as it can be?

Reader-friendliness — Is the piece easy on the eyes? (headings, paragraph breaks, bullets, short words, and short sentences, etc.)

Lower-order concerns

SPAG — Spelling, punctuation, and grammar issues

Syntax issues — Individual sentence structure, specific phrasing, etc.

Minor stylistic issues — Word choices, wordiness, use of passive voice, etc.

Pick your battles, and unless you’re specifically doing a proof or you’re an actual editor, don’t sweat the small stuff.

6. Give specific and actionable feedback

A mountain of feedback, no matter how constructive, can be overwhelming. Pick your battles and choose a handful of key changes the writer can make for the biggest improvement.

For each suggestion you offer, be as specific as possible and explain why you’re suggesting each change. Whenever possible, offer an example or parallel to help illustrate your point.

Make sure your feedback is actionable, ie. that each comment gives the writer a specific objective to achieve. Avoid making vague comments like “this doesn’t work” or “elaborate” — explain precisely what isn’t working, why , and how the writer can make the text more effective.

7. Point out what works

Don’t just offer critique. Only receiving “negative” feedback can be disheartening for even the most seasoned writers.

Make a conscious point of sincerely complimenting on what the writer did well, but don’t do that sh*t sandwich thing where you wedge your critique in between two compliments. Pretty much everyone agrees that that doesn’t work because human brains tend to latch onto the compliments and forget the criticism.

8. Don’t be too prescriptive

Avoid being too prescriptive. It’s their writing, not yours — so don’t try to make it read like your own work. Your goal is to help them develop their own writing style and use their own voice more effectively.

Think about your gut reaction to the copy in question, try to identify what prompted this reaction, and then ask yourself whether this helps or hinders the writing’s overall effect .

For example, if a sentence makes you pause as a reader, identify what feeling accompanies the pause. If you feel confused , it could be because the sentence structure is placing emphasis on the wrong part of the sentence, or because a word choice is creating ambiguity.

Depending on the context, this could have a positive or negative impact. Making the reader do a double-take might be useful in the context of an advert but in other contexts, this can negatively impact the clarity and effectiveness of the message. 

You might also ask yourself whether the copy that made you pause is a legitimate error or a matter of individual writing, and how other readers might experience and interpret it.

9. Ask leading questions

When you’re giving writing feedback with the intent of helping someone become a better writer, it can often be more effective to ask questions that prompt them to find a solution themselves than simply telling them what to do.

For example, if a piece’s cohesiveness and clarity need some work, you might say “Reading this, I felt confused at times about how some of the information is relevant to the main topic. Could you find a way to make it clearer how it’s all related? Could adding some connecting phrases/sentences ease the transitions between paragraphs?”

This way, the writer has a clear problem to address, but they still need to take another, more critical look at their own writing and work out the best solution for themselves.

10. Make it a dialogue  

It’s pretty uncommon to get a bunch of feedback and not have a question or two — or simply wonder whether the way you’re addressing a suggestion aligns with what your reviewer meant.

Or perhaps you’ve read a note and thought either “I’m an idiot” or “Jeez, they really hate my guts.” ( It’s OK, we’ve all been there! )

Turning the feedback process into a dialogue softens the blow of “criticism” and makes the revision process feel more like a team endeavor ( we’ve got this! ), instead of an uphill climb with a scary editor/feedback giver slowing you down.

That’s one of the many reasons feedback should be an open, constructive two-way conversation. More on that below.

Why writing feedback should be a conversation

Writers’ workshops and one-on-one discussions are invaluable environments for sharing and receiving truly productive writing feedback.

What makes them so much more effective and conducive to those inspiring “Ah-ha!” moments than most other feedback formats is the fact that the shared context of real-time interaction simply enables clearer communication . Miscommunications or lack of comprehension are generally easy to spot and correct, making it easier to identify which points to clarify.

Plus, bouncing ideas around (or “brainstorming” or “workshopping”) can have an incredible effect on creativity and problem-solving. In these scenarios, each party is feeding off and building on the other’s input and responses, resulting in a larger, more diverse pool of ideas, increasing the likelihood of those evasive really good ideas getting sparked.

On the other hand, text-based feedback (comments, edits, etc.) leaves so much room for misinterpretations. Not to mention it can be isolating, alienating, and discouraging — Hell, even infuriating. Who among us hasn’t felt a twinge of resentment when seeing what we view as an unwarranted revision to our beautiful writing?

Two-way conversations around feedback make it easier to get on the same page (heh) by exploring each party’s creative choices — and the perspectives behind them — creating opportunities for both the writer and the reviewer to learn and be inspired in the process.

Let’s get practical: How to give two-way feedback 

For all the productivity benefits of conversational feedback, what does this look like in practice?

At first glance, the obvious downside of this feedback approach is that nobody has time to have actual real-time chats every time they need to offer or solicit feedback — never mind in-person meetings.

With the rise of remote collaboration , flexible schedules, and globally-distributed teams, finding a mutually convenient time for a meeting or call is only getting more challenging. Studies have shown that constant meetings and task-switching are massively disruptive to getting deep, focused work done.

Luckily, we live in the age of asynchronous collaboration . There’s a growing number of amazing technologies that make working together asynchronously not just as effective as collaborating in real-time, but more so.

Allow us to introduce Bubbles , the perfect async collaboration tool for giving feedback in context and turning that feedback into a productive two-way conversation.

Bubbles is a free collaboration tool that lets you make screen recordings and annotate time-stamped comments using text or voice or screen recordings (with or without a webcam).

This means you can make a video where you scroll through your feedback and highlight key points, explain your suggestions in more detail , and ask the writer questions you didn’t feel like typing out — all with the benefit of being able to use your voice and facial expressions to convey your tone.

The writer can then watch the video and respond in context by annotating comments to the relevant part of the video, and you can respond in turn, creating conversation threads that are nicely contained and easy to find and reference going forward.

And as we mentioned, with Bubbles, you can leave comments using text, voice, video, or screen recordings. This means you can tailor the format of your feedback conversation to your needs (and level of comfort).

Use bubbles to turn giving writing feedback into a conversation

Sign up for bubbles today and start providing more effective and creatively inspiring feedback on writing by turning every copy review into a two-way conversation.

Our signup process is so quick we refer to it as “nonboarding” — it literally takes seconds to get started.

Make your meetings matter

Use AI to record, transcribe, and summarize meetings into actions. Bubbles is your home for after-meeting collaboration.

Collaborate better with your team

Get your point across using screen, video, and audio messages. Bubbles is free, and offers unlimited recordings with a click of a button.

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• Writing Tips

How to Handle Feedback on Creative Writing

4-minute read

• 19th December 2022

As much as we can benefit from it, receiving feedback on our creative writing can be challenging. After all, writing requires both courage and vulnerability. Getting readers’ reactions to our works-in-progress is valuable, but it requires extra bravery and vulnerability. In this post, we’ll go over how to handle feedback on your writing so that you can use it constructively.

Maybe you read your work aloud to a regular writing group, or perhaps you send a copy home with a fellow writer friend to review. In either situation, capturing the exact feedback you receive in writing is good for a few reasons:

●  Taking notes captures a reliable record of the feedback. Heightened emotions (i.e., fear or excitement) can affect your real-time interpretation of the comments, and we all know that memory can play tricks on how we recall events. If comments are written down, we’re less likely to misinterpret them later.

●  Scribbling down the feedback gives you, the writer, something to do while you’re in this delicate position of having your work reviewed.

Say “Thank You” (And Leave it at That)

Thanking your reviewer acknowledges the effort they’ve put into reading your work and sharing their impressions. Whether their comments are positive, negative, or somewhere in between, you may feel tempted to respond. But restraint is wise here. Going on the defensive, justifying your decisions, or worse, arguing with the responder is not only a waste of time, but it may also lead to future reviewers censoring valuable feedback.

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In some cases, those giving feedback may be fellow writers. Writers generally treat your work with the same care, honesty, and respect for the creative process that they’d like their own to be treated with. Of course, some are better at this than others; others are like bulls in a China shop, leaving you feeling as if you’ll never write again. In any case, feedback should never be seen as verbal abuse. If you feel a critique has strayed into a personal attack, it’s okay to indicate that you’ve heard enough.

Keep an Open Mind

Feedback is an opportunity to capture specific responses from real readers and learn which parts of your writing are coming through clearly and which parts need a different approach. We all have blind spots, and receiving feedback with an open mind can help you see your work in a new light. Sift through the readers’ comments with gratitude, consideration, and a healthy grain of salt. A one-off negative comment may reflect more about a particular reader than your work, but similar observations raised by four or five readers may indicate something you need to address. So, consider all your feedback, hold it lightly, keep what serves you, and let go of what doesn’t.

Remember Who’s Boss

Who’s in charge? You are – this is your creative work. It’s humble, wise, and gutsy to test it out in the real world. After all, writing is both solitary and social. Feedback is part of the process, and it can strengthen your writing. But ultimately, your goals are your own, and you make the final decisions. So, make sure you strike a balance between consulting others and trusting your own instincts.

Editing and Proofreading

Hopefully, these tips help you enjoy the process of receiving feedback on your creative writing while keeping feedback in its proper place. Once you’re satisfied with the ideas and content of your writing, you’ll be ready to tackle the editing and proofreading stages of getting your work into the world . Our professional editors are here to help. You can even submit a free sample of 500 words.

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Fostering Creative Writing Feedback Based on Strengths, Not Weaknesses

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• Help Articles

Writing Feedback: An Actual Sample of Comments 

The sample writing feedback here is an abbreviated version of a manuscript evaluation, printed with permission of the author, but with the character names and some other revealing details removed to maintain the author's privacy. A full evaluation normally consists of roughly  6 to 10 pages of writing feedback. 

i. General writing Feedback

I imagine that you poured your soul into the writing of this piece, and the authenticity shows. You provide a gratifying social context that illustrates both the sad reality of young people forced by events to live in an environment of fear, and also the disquieting vulnerability of expatriate life in another country during a time of political unrest.

Your writing is accomplished and I found your story both moving and fascinating. The protagonist, possibly still somewhat roughly drawn at this point, manages nevertheless to create a strong impression.

At no point did I find him unbelievable, and I found myself rooting for him whenever he encountered any opposition. You handled the dialogue well, and you used speaker attributions sparingly and with skill, while also managing to write natural-sounding dialogue.

You demonstrate Character A's strength well, through both actions and dialogue.

The story could, however, be enhanced through deeper characterization, and by creating more tension throughout the story. As the narrative is not plot oriented and has no strong story question (something we can work on), increased tension in the writing will help to pull readers forward all the way through to the end.

II. Content

A. Organization

The writing loosely follows a conventional short story structure, but the focus is on character more than on plot. Nevertheless, you have unified the elements through the use of the school year, and through your characters [called A, B, & C to preserve the author's privacy].

The result is what editors call a "quiet" story, which really means that there is not much plot activity, though the hockey game provides good potential.

This quietness is unlikely to cause literary editors a problem, as long as you have very compelling characters, which you do. However, you could strengthen the story by introducing more conflict and tension between the characters. 

The hockey game strikes me as a missed opportunity because you could crank up the tension in the game, and do slightly more with the dodgy win that A orchestrates when he gets the goalie disqualified.

The trouble at the end of the story will have more  impact if you highlight that action. Don't overdo it, but readers need to experience A's elation with the win to feel the corresponding disappointment when B doesn't acknowledge him after the game.

I also wonder if you might introduce B and his motivation earlier in the story. He comes in on page five now, and you will create a unifying effect if you introduce him around the same time you have A in a hockey meeting on 9/11. 

B. Characterization

You've done a fine job with characterization so far, but you could do more. A and C stand out as memorable characters, but too much about them is told in summaries of their action, rather than shown.

If readers experience more of the sensory details as the characters experience them, the characters will be more compelling. Also, character B gets a bit lost in the story. Part of the problem with B is that readers may be confused about who he is. 

Is he the chemistry professor? If so, shouldn'’t you call him Professor B? For too long I wondered if he was the third rate player (mentioned only once) who now owns a store. Much later in the story, I learned  that  man is the unnamed coach.

For better clarity, all the characters need names, so unless you have a good reason not to, make it clear the first time you mention the third rate player that he coaches. Once that is all cleared up, Professor B will seem to play a larger role, and indeed can play an even larger one if you show what is currently told in summary.

C. Dialogue

You don't use much dialogue in this story, but when you do, it is crisp and authentic.

You have chosen to summarize, rather than to show through dialogue, and the story would benefit more if you reversed the current balance so you have more dialogue and only occasional summary. Please see where I have provided examples of how you might do this in the margins of your story.

You also write strong internalizations or inner monologues, which are and interest and depth to the characters.  However, consider changing how you introduce these internalizations. I've demonstrated this in marginal comments in the text, but you needn't write: A wondered if he'd want to go to college in the U.S., given the opportunity, or if he would prefer to go back to Canada.  

That tells the reader what A thinks, when you might instead give readers access to the thoughts themselves.

The immediacy of that approach will add power to the piece and is in keeping with the third person limited POV. So the old adage s how, don't tell applies here . For example, you might get the same thought across more directly by writing something like: Did he want to go to the outside college? Probably not. Not even if it meant a hockey scholarship. Not even if his parents thought he should. Especially if they thought he should.  

Where you do show character thoughts, you sometimes put them in quotation marks. This is unnecessary. (Quotation marks are reserved for dialogue, so don't use them when characters are only thinking.)

The setting is largely missing in this story. I recall only the description of the ice rink, with its wall of tall glass windows. You could do much more with this. Before you do, ask yourself what mood you wish to get across. Fear? Inner turmoil? Or vulnerability? Whichever fits, make your setting contribute to that overall feeling. 

For example, if you wish to convey fear, you might place shadows, have dark corners, or creaking floors, anything that will contribute to an atmosphere of fear. You might have him park around back where everything is eerie, rather than in front of the rink, where the bright lights feel safer.

To portray vulnerability, brainstorm fresh ideas. Solitary items may suggest vulnerability, in certain circumstances. Someone staring him down while simultaneously crushing a soft drink can might suggest vulnerability, as might the big empty rink, or wide, barren fields. 

Much of the story focuses around the hockey rink, so I found myself wanting a sense of the effect the rink has on the characters. 

E. Believability and Research

I never once questioned the authenticity of the story. All the historical details feel right, and the characters respond to each other in believable ways. 

The ending is rather abrupt, however, and I am surprised when A says B knows "dick" about hockey, as A has not come across as an angry person anywhere else in the story. Still, just as when he says he doesn't care about the war, his response is entirely appropriate in the situation, and here it serves to remind readers that he is only seventeen. 

F. Point of View

The POV is one element that is inconsistent. Initially, I believed you wished to write in the third person limited POV, limited to everything A experienced or thought.

Then, with the introduction of this line: "He had an uncanny ability to produce only sufficient marks to ensure his freedom to play ball hockey after school," I believed you wanted to write in the omniscient POV, with an external narrator, as A would not think of himself as having "an uncanny ability."

The summary also suggests an omniscient third person narrator. However, in other places in the narrative A, or occasionally C, tells the story from a personal perspective.

To correct this, make a conscious decision about which POV you will use, and work to remain consistently in that perspective.

G. Topicality

This story is particularly topical at the moment, and you handled the subject matter well with C, who is at first supportive, but toward the end seems more suspicious and confrontational with A. 

The themes of the story—struggle, nationalism, fitting in, living in fear—all of these are archetypal in nature and always of interest. Many students have similar experiences today.

My one caution here is to decide what you want readers to take from this story.  A conventional plot structure arranges the story events so the reader sees, through the setup, the story world in its normal state first. Then something happens to change that status quo and present a problem that the character, with difficulty, sets about trying to right. Before he rights his world, he experiences many complications that thwart his attempts to get back to normal. Then, when something big happens to test him,  he must act. This action leads to the resolution of the problem, either to his satisfaction or not. 

Considering these conventions may help you determine what would make the purpose of this story clearer. In the conventional narrative, when things go awry initially, and the character makes some decision about how to right his world, it is that decision that creates a story question. If A decides he wants to prove himself as a hockey star, then the story question becomes, "will A succeed and become a star?" 

Of course the question is often much subtler than this, but readers need something to wonder about. If you don't give them that, you have to give them something else to draw them through the story. So the events you have chosen, and the ubiquitous nature of hockey in Canada, make good choices, as they tap into cultural interests. And you pull it off. The story is indeed engaging and worthwhile reading.

III.  Writing 

A. Technical Ability

You exhibit much technical proficiency, as outlined above, and you use the elements of fiction to advantage except where noted. In particular, more tension may be necessary. But you write strong scenes, dialogue is captivating and believable, and  themes are strong,

Your writing style is accomplished. The characters are all easily distinguishable, every one different from the others. The overall voice of the narrator is unique and draws readers in. Sentences are varied in length and appropriately short or long for effect. The writing is lively and fresh. You use no cliches or archaic phrases. In short, this story is very well written.

My only stylistic concern is that you write somewhat passively, so this "telling" may be better rewritten to make the language more active. I have noted many places in the text where you might work on that, and provided examples where I thought they would help. You use language skillfully and have no grammatical concerns, so if you focus on showing rather than telling, your style will be even more engaging and readable than it already is.

IV.  What to do

To recap, you will most improve the story if you give the following areas priority:

• Rewrite to "show" rather than summarize so readers can have the same sensory and emotional experience the character would have
• Expand your characterization by putting characters in situations where they must react, and then show that reaction
• Make the protagonist's purpose clearer
• Add a new layer of meaning to the story by detailing the setting

This process of evaluating your writing necessarily focuses on suggestions for improvement, but I hope my writing feedback also reflects how much I enjoyed this piece.

I admire your ability. You managed the narrative well, with great subtlety. The story made me think, and your characters remain with me, particularly C, as you gave him such an interesting quality by making him a devil's advocate and by having him turn or change slightly at the end.

I wish you much success in your rewrite, and in further writing, and I hope this feedback provide ideas that spark your creativity.

For Your Own Writing Feedback,  Please  CLICK HERE  To Contact Me

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How to Give and Receive Feedback About Creative Work

• Spencer Harrison

It requires a special approach.

When it comes to creative projects, giving and receiving feedback in a way that’s actually productive can be tricky. In this piece, the author offers two research-backed suggestions: First, ask for broad feedback out of curiosity around how you can improve. Second, offer feedback based on subjectivity. Importantly, managers need to understand that their opinions provide only  potential trajectories  a creative worker might try — not the “right” road to take. With these guidelines, both managers and their employees can improve process of sharing feedback on creative endeavors.

Feedback is crucial for learning and improving, but it’s rarely fun to be on the receiving end of it when it’s critical. Many people have a negative reaction to feedback, especially feedback on their creative work. In a study of seven companies and 11,471 days of creative work, researchers found two striking patterns: First, getting feedback was incredibly rare, indicating that people seemed to avoid it; and second, when people did receive feedback, it generally left a negative emotional residue.

• SH Spencer Harrison is an associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD. He grew up drawing cartoons, invents stories for his kids, likes using the word “puzzle” as a verb, and researches creativity and how people connect to their work. You can follow him on Linkedin @curiosityatwork.

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How to Give Positive Feedback on Student Writing

If your corrective feedback is very detailed but your positive comments are quick and vague, you may appreciate this advice from teachers across the country.

“Nice work.” “Great job.” “Powerful sentence.” Even though I knew they wouldn’t mean much to students, these vague and ineffective comments made their way into my writing feedback recently. As I watched myself typing them, I knew I was in a rut. My critical comments, on the other hand, were lengthy and detailed. Suggestions and corrections abounded. I realized that I was focused too much on correcting student work and not enough on the goal of giving rich positive feedback.

As a writer, I know how hard it is when the negative feedback outweighs the positive. We all have things to work on, but focusing only on what to fix makes it hard to feel that our skills are seen and appreciated. My students put so much work into their writing, and they deserve more than my two-word positive sentences.

I wanted out of the rut, so I turned to my favorite professional network—teacher Twitter—and asked for help . “What are your favorite positive comments to make about student writing?” I asked. Here are some of the amazing responses and the themes that emerged from more than 100 replies from teachers.

Give a Window Into Your Experience as the Reader

Students typically can’t see us while we’re experiencing their writing. One genre of powerful positive comments: insights that help students understand how we responded as readers. Teacher Amy Ludwig VanDerwater  shared these sentence stems, explaining that “commenting on our reading experience before the craft of writing is a gift”:

• This part really moved me.
• I laughed out loud when I read this line.
• Your writing makes me think...
• You opened up a door in my mind.
• Now I am questioning...
• Now I am connecting to...
• Now I am remembering...

On a similar note, Virginia S. Wood  shared: “I will tell them if I smiled, laughed, nodded my head, pumped my fist while reading their work, and I’ll tell them exactly where and why.”

I used Wood’s advice recently when I looked through a student’s project draft that delighted me. I wrote to her, “I have the biggest smile on my face right now. This is such an awesome start.”

Giving students insight into our experience as readers helps to connect the social and emotional elements of writing. Positive comments highlighting our reading experience can encourage students to think about their audience more intentionally as they write.

Recognize Author’s Craft and Choices

Effective feedback can also honor a student’s voice and skills as a writer. Pointing out the choices and writing moves that students make helps them feel that we see and value their efforts. Joel Garza shared, “I avoid ‘I’ statements, which can seem more like a brag about my reading than about their writing.” Garza recommends using “you” statements instead, such as “You crafted X effect so smoothly by...” or “You navigate this topic in such an engaging way, especially by...” and “You chose the perfect tone for this topic because...”

Similarly, seventh-grade teacher Jennifer Leung suggested pointing out these moments in this way: “Skillful example of/use of (transition, example, grammatical structure).” This can also help to reinforce terms, concepts, and writing moves that we go over in class.

Rebekah O’Dell , coauthor of A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts , gave these examples of how we might invoke mentor texts in our feedback:

• “What you’re doing here reminds me of (insert mentor text)...”
• “I see you doing what (insert mentor writer) does...”

O’Dell’s advice reinforced the link between reading and writing. Thinking of these skills together helps us set up feedback loops. For example, after a recent close reading activity, I asked students to name one lesson they had learned from the mentor text that they could apply to their own writing. Next time I give writing feedback, I can highlight the places where I see students using these lessons.

Another teacher, Grete Howland , offered a nonjudgmental word choice. “I like to use the word ‘effective’ and then point out, as specifically as I can, why I found something effective. I feel like this steers away from ‘good’/‘bad’ and other somewhat meaningless judgments, and it focuses more on writing as an exchange with a reader.”

Celebrate Growth

Positive feedback supports student progress. Think of positive comments as a boost of momentum that can help students continue to build their identity as writers. Kelly Frazee  recommended finding specific examples to help demonstrate growth, as in “This part shows me that you have improved with [insert skill] because compared to last time…” As teachers, we often notice growth in ways that our students may not recognize about themselves. Drawing out specific evidence of growth can help students see their own progress.

Finally, I love this idea from Susan Santone , an instructor at the University of Michigan: When students really knock it out of the park, let them know. Santone suggested, “When my students (college level) nail something profound in a single sentence, I write ‘Tweet!’ ‘Put this onto a T-shirt!’ or ‘Frame this and hang it on a wall!’—in other words, keep it and share it!”

These ideas are all great starting points for giving students meaningful positive feedback on their writing. I’ve already started to use some of them, and I’ve noticed how much richer my feedback is when positive and constructive comments are equally detailed. I’m looking forward to seeing how these shifts propel student writing. Consider trying out one of these strategies with your students’ next drafts.

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Mindful communication

The dos and don’ts of giving creative feedback

By Jenny Thai

“Can you dial up the punchiness?”

“Make all the buttons bigger.”

“Why don’t we jazz things up a bit?”

Ask any designer or copywriter on your team, and chances are, they’ll shudder in exasperation recalling similarly bad creative feedback they’ve received in the past. Or perhaps these are things you have said yourself in a creative review. (It’s okay, we’ve been guilty of it too.)

Whether you’re working on a design overhaul or writing your brand narrative, there comes a time in every creative project when stakeholders are tasked with giving their input. But giving good creative feedback can be tricky when you’re not a designer, copywriter, or otherwise creatively inclined. You may not always be aware that you aren’t speaking the same language as your creative teammates—and end up giving feedback that’s both lofty and vague, or worse, overly prescriptive.

To help you become more effective at giving creative feedback, our marketing and design teams came up with a few strategies drawn from our own experiences. Hopefully, this list will help you avoid asking anyone to “punch up copy” or “make the colors pop more.”

Do give feedback you’re uniquely suited to give

When you’re working on a big project with lots of moving parts, you may feel obligated to give your two cents on everything that comes your way. Especially when it comes to the most visible part of the project: the creative. To prevent the feedback process from getting bogged down in a quagmire of endless back-and-forth comments, remember to stay in your lane when giving notes.

If you’re a marketer or salesperson, for instance, don’t try to be a designer or copywriter. Trust that your teammates in creative roles know what they’re doing. They have specialized skills and experience that you (probably) don’t, so try not to assume that you know better than they do about color theory, or kerning , or the Oxford comma.

Instead, give feedback that draws from your area of expertise and unique perspective. If you’re leading the project, you likely have a deeper and more nuanced understanding of its business goals and requirements. Or maybe you’ve come across market research or customer feedback that’s particularly relevant. It’s better for the project—and everyone involved—if you stick to what you know. And trust that there are enough diverse voices on your team to provide feedback on things you don’t know as well.

Don’t forget to explain why

Giving good creative feedback goes beyond calling out all the things that you don’t like, or that need to be changed. It’s just as important—if not more important—to explain why these changes are necessary. Context leads to better understanding of a problem, and hopefully, a more creative solution.

Refer to your project plan (or creative brief) as you review designs or copy concepts. Ideally, you spent some time clarifying the objectives and nailing down the requirements—target audience, channel, timeline, etc.—of your project before your creative team started executing on designs and copy. So when it’s time to give feedback, you’ll have something to refer back to. The more reasons you can give explaining why an illustration or headline isn’t working, the greater likelihood that your feedback will get across.

For example, if some copy doesn’t align with your project’s goals, you might say: “Our goal is to increase signups, but the CTA says ‘Explore more.’” Or if a design doesn’t really work for your audience, you might say: “Our target audience is narwhals, but the imagery in this design features mostly unicorns.”

It also helps to reference data like past campaign performance, for example, when reviewing creative. Just be sure that the data you’re referencing is accurate. The last thing you want is to initiate yet another round of design changes because of bad data.

Context leads to better understanding of a problem, and hopefully, a more creative solution.

Nobody likes being around a negative Ned or Nancy at the office. But what is it about reviewing creative work that brings out the critic in all of us? Psychology has a lot to do with it: our brains are wired to focus on the negative more strongly than positive information. Too much negativity, though, can leave your teammates feeling frustrated by setbacks rather than excited about the progress everyone is making together.

So what can you do? Be the (positive) change that you want to see. If you love something about a design element or copy option, say it out loud. A little praise goes a long way to helping teammates feel appreciated for their hard work. And over time, these small acts of daily kindness can add up to a strong culture of gratitude .

When you do have constructive criticism to share, be mindful of how you’re conveying the feedback. Resist the urge to simply state the solution. (“Change the button color to blue.”) You’ll come off as too prescriptive, and run the risk of alienating your creative teammates. State what the problem is instead, and explain why (see above) your suggested change is desired or necessary. (“We did some testing that shows blue buttons perform better.”) Providing good reasons for your criticism feels kinder, facilitates discussion, and makes the feedback easier for teammates to understand.

Don’t confuse different kinds of feedback

On especially big projects—like a major website redesign or advertising campaign—you’re likely fielding feedback from multiple stakeholders across your team or company. If you’re the project lead, the ball is in your court to consolidate everyone’s feedback and make it digestible for your creative team.

As you do this, it’s important to distinguish between blocking feedback and advisory feedback. The former are changes that must be addressed before something goes out the door. This might be a design interaction that doesn’t align with your goals or written content that doesn’t meet legal guidelines. The latter kind of feedback includes things that would be nice to have, but aren’t critical to the success of the project.

Make a call on how to prioritize any feedback that isn’t blocking and communicate your recommendations to the designers or writers who will be implementing them. If you decide not take a piece of advisory feedback, be sure to explain why so that people feel heard.

Do trust your judgment

As with any set of rules, allow yourself to break them every now and then. One of our company values at Asana is to trust judgement over following rules and incentives too strictly. The data may support one design approach, for instance, but your gut says that another approach will result in a better overall experience. Remember that intuition is just as valid and valuable an input as hard data or logic. The key is knowing when and how to balance intuition and reason to help your team accomplish its goals.

There may also be times when it’s necessary to give more prescriptive feedback instead of engaging your creative team in a dialogue. If your project is at risk of missing an important milestone or budgets are starting to balloon, then it’s perfectly fine to spell out the creative changes required to get things back on track.

If there’s one thing to take away from this list of dos and don’ts, it’s that giving effective feedback takes mindfulness and empathy for the designers and writers on your team. Ultimately, it comes down to one overall “do”: give creative feedback that will empower your teammates to be more effective—and move your project forward.

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In this interview, Dr. Andrey Ostrovksy discusses how technology transformed Concerted Care Group into a thriving, impactful business focused on achieving its mission: ending the opioid epidemic in the United States.

Inclusion starts on day one: 10 ways to build an inclusive onboarding experience

By Sonja Gittens-Ottley

There are many ways to build an inclusive onboarding process, from the company level to the team and individual level. Here are a few ways you can make employees feel like they belong from day one.

How to coach teammates: A key responsibility of effective leaders

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Coaching is key to helping your team accomplish its goals. Asana co-founder Justin Rosenstein shares advice on effectively coaching teammates in 3 areas: problem solving, goal setting, and performance improvement.

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Teaching Resources

Commenting on Student Writing

Resource overview.

Instructors who require their students to write papers dedicate many hours each semester to reading, commenting on, and grading student writing, and they often wonder if the time they have spent translates into improvements in their students’ writing skills. For their part, students want constructive feedback on their writing and often express frustration when they find their instructors’ comments on their papers to be mysterious, confusing, or simply too brief.

Tips to improve and help you respond to your students’ writing:

These tips focus on the process of writing comments on students’ papers (whether on rough drafts or final drafts), rather than on the process of grading papers. Grading and commenting on papers are certainly interconnected processes. However, while instructors often think of writing comments on papers as simply a means to justify grades, that purpose should be secondary to helping your students improve their writing skills.

These tips are organized into four categories:

Course Planning

Writing comments in the margins, writing final comments, what else can you do.

Before the course begins, think about what kind of writing you will assign, and how you will respond to that writing.

• Design each writing assignment so that it has a clear purpose connected to the learning objectives for the course. Craft each assignment as an opportunity for students to practice and master writing skills that are central to their success in the course and to academic achievement in your discipline. For example, if you want them to learn how to summarize and respond to primary literature or to present and support an argument, design assignments that explicitly require the skills that are necessary to accomplish these objectives.
• Sequence your writing assignments to help students acquire skills incrementally, beginning with shorter, simpler writing assignments to longer, more complex papers. You might also find it helpful to develop a sequence for writing comments. In other words, decide ahead of time which aspects of the writing you will focus on with each assignment. For example, you may decide to focus your comments on the first assignment on the writing of the thesis statement, then focus comments on later papers on the success with which the students deal with counter-arguments. Sequencing your comments can help make the commenting process more efficient. However, it is essential to communicate to students before they turn in their papers which aspects of the writing you are going to focus on in your feedback at which points in the semester (and why).
• Develop and communicate clear grading criteria for each writing assignment. These criteria will help you be as consistent and fair as possible when evaluating a group of student papers. Developing and using criteria is especially important when co-teaching a course or when asking TAs to grade papers for the course. Distribute the grading criteria to students (or post the criteria on the course Web site) so that they will know how you will evaluate their work. While there are shared criteria for “good writing” that apply across academic disciplines, each discipline also has certain standards and conventions that shape writing in the discipline. Do not expect that students will come into your class knowing how to write the kind of paper you will ask them to write. For example, a student who has learned how to write an excellent analytical paper in a literature course may not know how to write the kind of paper that is typically required for a history course. Give students a written list of discipline-specific standards and conventions, and explain these in class. Provide examples of the kind of writing they will need to produce in your course.
• Develop a process for writing comments that will give students a clear idea of whether they have or have not achieved the course’s learning objectives (and with what degree of success). Students should be able to see a clear correlation among 1) written comments on a paper, 2) the grading criteria for the assignment, and 3) the learning objectives for the course. Thus, before you start reading and commenting on a stack of papers, remind yourself of the grading criteria, the learning objectives, and which aspects of the writing you want to focus on in your response.
• The first time you read through a paper, try to hold off on writing comments. Instead, take the time to read the paper in its entirety. If you need to take some notes, do so on another piece of paper. This strategy will prevent you from making over-hasty judgments, such as faulting a student for omitting evidence that actually appears later in the paper. (In such cases, it may be appropriate to tell the student that you expected that evidence to be presented earlier–and the reason why). While you may expect this strategy to take more time, it can actually save you time by allowing you to focus your feedback on the most important strengths and weaknesses you want to bring to the writers’ attention (see “Writing Final Comments,” below).
• Respond as a reader, not as a writer. Do not tell students how YOU would write the paper. Instead, tell them how you are responding to each part of the paper as you read it, pointing out gaps in logic or support and noting confusing language where it occurs. For example, if a sentence jumps abruptly to a new topic, do not rewrite the sentence to provide a clear transition or tell the student how to rewrite it. Instead, simply write a note in the margin to indicate the problem, then prompt the student to come up with a solution. This strategy is especially important to follow when a student asks you to respond to a draft before the final paper is due; in this case, your aim should be to help the student identify weaknesses that he or she should improve and NOT to do the student’s thinking and writing for them. Of course, in some instances, it is necessary and appropriate to give the student explicit directions, such as when she or he seems to have missed something important about the assignment, misread a source, left out an essential piece of evidence, or failed to cite a source correctly.
• Ask questions to help students revise and improve. One way to ensure that your comments are not overly directive is to write questions in the margins, rather than instructions. For the most part, these questions should be “open” rather than “closed” (having only one correct answer.) Open questions can be a very effective way to prompt students to think more deeply about the topic, to provide needed evidence, or to clarify language. For ideas on how to phrase open questions, see Asking Questions to Improve Learning.
• Resist the temptation to edit. Instead, mark a few examples of repeated errors and direct students to attend to those errors. Simply put, if you correct your students’ writing at the sentence level, they will not learn how to do so themselves, and you will continue to see the same errors in paper after paper. Moreover, when you mark all mechanical errors, you may overwhelm your students with so many marks that they will have trouble determining what to focus on when writing the next draft or paper.
• Be specific. Comments in the margin such as “vague,” “confusing,” and “good” do not help students improve their writing. In fact, many students find these comments “vague” and “confusing”–and sometimes abrupt or harsh. Taking a little more time to write longer, and perhaps fewer, comments in the margin will help you identify for students exactly what they have done well or poorly. Information about both is crucial for helping them improve their writing.

Here are some examples of specific comments:

Rather than  “vague”

• “Which research finding are you referring to here?”
• “I don’t understand your use of the underlined phrase. Can you rewrite this sentence?”
• “Can you provide specific details to show what you mean here?”

Instead of “ confusing ,” “ what? ” or “ ??? ”

• “I lost the thread of your argument. Why is this information important? How is it related to your argument?”
• “You imply that this point supports your argument, but it actually contradicts your point in paragraph 3.”

Rather than “ good ”

• “This excellent example moves your argument forward.”
• “Wonderful transition that helped clarify the connection between the two studies you are summarizing.”
• “An apt metaphor that helped me understand your argument about this historical metaphor.”
• Begin by making positive comments; when pointing out weaknesses, use a descriptive tone, rather than one that conveys disappointment or frustration. Give an honest assessment, but do not overwhelm the writer with an overly harsh or negative reaction. For example, do not assume or suggest that if a paper is not well written, the writer did not devote a lot of time to the assignment. The writer may have in fact struggled through several drafts. Keep in mind that confusing language or a lack of organized paragraphs may be evidence not of a lack of effort, but rather of confused thinking. The writer may therefore benefit from a few, targeted questions or comments that help them clarify their thinking.
• Limit your comments; do not try to cover everything. Focus on the 3-4 most important aspects of the paper. Provide a brief summary of 1) what you understood from the paper and 2) any difficulties you encountered. Make sure that whatever you write addresses the grading criteria for the assignment, but also try to tailor your comments to the specific strengths and weaknesses shown by the individual student. While you may think that writing lots of comments will convey your interest in helping the student improve, students–like all writers–can be overwhelmed by copious written comments on their work. They may therefore have trouble absorbing all the comments you have written, let alone trying to use those comments to improve their writing on the next draft or paper.
• Distinguish “higher-order” from “lower-order” issues. Typically, “higher-order” concerns include such aspects as the thesis and major supporting points, while “lower-order” concerns are grammatical or mechanical aspects of the writing. Whatever you see as “higher” in importance than other aspects should be clear in your grading criteria. Whatever you decide, write your comments in a way that will help students know which aspects of their writing they should focus on FIRST as they revise a paper or write the next paper. For example, if a paper lacks an argument or a main point in an assignment in which either an argument or main point is essential (as is usually the case), address that issue first in your comments before you note any grammatical errors that the student should attend to.
• Refer students back to comments you wrote in the margins. For example, you might comment, “Your argument loses focus in the fourth paragraph (see my questions in margin).” You might also note a frequent pattern of mechanical error, then point them to a specific paragraph that contains that type of error.
• Model clear, concise writing. Before you write final comments, take a moment to gather and order your thoughts.
• Provide opportunities for revision. If you want students to improve their writing, give them an opportunity to apply what they have learned from your comments to a new, revised draft. Note: You should decide before the course begins whether you will allow students to revise their papers and, if so, when such revisions must be turned in (e.g., one week after papers handed back) and how you will grade the revision (e.g., average the grade of the revision with the grade earned on the original paper). If you decide not to allow students to revise papers, consider rewarding improvement from one paper to the next (e.g., the grade on the second paper is worth a greater percentage of the final course grade than the grade on the first paper).
• If students are struggling with their writing, suggest a meeting during office hours. Often, students who are struggling to write clearly are also struggling to clarify what they think about the course material. Ask questions that help them figure out what they think and how to put those thoughts into a well organized, effective paper.
• Recommend that students seek tutorial help at The Writing Center. At  The Writing Center , students can meet with writing tutors who will read their papers and provide feedback. Writing Center tutors are trained to provide students with feedback on the clarity of their writing in a general way and will not necessarily be familiar with the criteria you are using to grade papers, unless you or the student have shared those criteria. However, seeking such feedback can be very helpful to students as they learn to write for academic audiences.

Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Gottschalk, K. and K. Hjortshoj (2004). “What Can You Do with Student Writing?” In The Elements of Teaching Writing: A Resource for Instructors in All Disciplines. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies  in higher education ,  31 (2), 199-218.

“Responding to Student Writing.” (2000). Harvard Writing Project Bulletin. The President and Fellows of Harvard College.

Straub, Richard. (2000). The Practice of Response: Strategies for Commenting on Student Writing. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

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