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Home » How to Give Feedback on Creative Writing – The Ultimate Guide

How to Give Feedback on Creative Writing – The Ultimate Guide

No matter what kind of creative writing – fiction, non-fiction, or poetry – you’re working on, it’s important to learn how to give feedback. While it’s always great when your writing wins awards and gets picked up by literary journals, nothing truly matters if you can’t improve in the future. The key is in the feedback itself. If you want to become a better writer, it’s a must that you learn how to give feedback effectively.

The Difference In Quality

When you’re first learning how to write, it can be hard to pinpoint the difference in quality between one piece of writing and another. After all, they all seem the same at first. While there’s a bit of a difference in each piece of writing when you compare one to the next, the overall quality is mostly the same. This is largely thanks to the guidance of seasoned writers who are willing to help newbies along the way.

The Importance Of Correct English

Nowadays, the usage of language has changed a lot. While it was once acceptable to write or speak incorrectly, these days, it won’t fly. When you’re learning how to write, it’s crucial to learn how to write correctly. If you want to become a better writer, it’s important to master the art of English. With the ever-changing world of social media, it’s also important to stay up to date with the latest trends and words people are using. Never be afraid to ask for help from an expert. However, sometimes mistakes are unavoidable, and you’ll have to live with them. 

How To Give Feedback Effectively

To get the most out of your writing, it’s important to learn how to give effective feedback. Just like with any other aspect of your writing experience, learning how to give effective feedback can be a difficult but interesting process. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the sky is the limit for the ways you can help your writing to improve. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. Here are some of the best tips on how to give effective feedback on creative writing:

1. Find The Bad

Even when your writing is good, there will always be room for improvement. This is particularly important with creative writing, where it’s easy for the quality to vary greatly from one piece to the next. To find these areas, it’s important to look for the bad. In most cases, the bad will be obvious. There will be spelling errors, or grammatical errors, or awkward sentences that don’t flow well. The trick is in finding these areas, and addressing them directly. Instead of worrying about whether or not your writing is good, fix the bad first, and the rest will follow.

2. Use The Triangle Method

To figure out what changes you need to make to improve the quality of your writing, it’s important to use the triangle method. First, look at what you have to work with now. Next, make a list of everything that’s wrong with it. Third, work through the list, and either fix these issues or explain why they cannot be fixed. Don’t be afraid to be brutal here. If you’ve exhausted all options, move on to the next step.

3. Be Prepared

When you’re beginning your writing journey, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and anxious about whether or not you’re going to be able to pull off whatever it is you plan on writing. This is particularly relevant when it comes to giving feedback, where you’re asked to offer harsh criticism. The truth is, no matter what, you will never be able to please everyone, and that’s a fact. What you need to do is prepare for this, and make sure that when the time comes, you’re ready to give an honest response. Practice, practice, practice. If you want to be able to give effective feedback, you have to be ready to do it. If not, you’ll end up sabotaging your own writing rather than helping it grow and improve.

4. Expect Resistance

Often, when you’re learning how to be a better writer, regardless of whether or not you’re writing for pleasure, you will inevitably be faced with resistance from those around you. No matter what kind of writing you end up doing – fiction, non-fiction, or poetry – people will have an opinion about what you’re doing, and it won’t always be positive. This is completely normal, and it’s also completely unavoidable. What you need to do is expect it, and prepare for it. If your writing is serious, you should have no trouble receiving positive feedback. However, if it’s a bit of a hobby, and you’re looking for serious acclaim and recognition, you might face some resistance from those around you. In this case, it would be best to keep quiet about what you’re doing until you’ve reached a level of proficiency that warrants your efforts being acknowledged.

Where Do I Start?

As a writer, it’s your responsibility to inform yourself about the basics of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. These are the building blocks of any piece of writing, and if you want your writing to be taken seriously, you have to learn and use them properly. When you’re first learning how to write, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused as to where you should start. There are so many rules and regulations that can trip up even the most seasoned writer. Here are some simple but effective tips to help you begin your journey to writing greatness:

Start With The Basics

One of the simplest but most effective ways to improve your writing is by starting with the basics. Before you begin your creative writing journey, it’s important to brush up on your grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Without these, nothing else you write will make any sense. When you’re starting out, there will be plenty of opportunity to practice and improve. Once you’ve gotten to a point where you feel comfortable enough, begin to add more complex structures and sentences. From there, you can move on to explore other topics and themes that interest you.

Take Care Of The Paper You Write On

When you’re working on your writing, regardless of whether or not you’re writing for pleasure, always make sure you’ve got a nice, thick surface to write on. If you’re using a notebook, make sure to keep it in good condition by using a dry erase marker to remove all the previous writings. After you’ve erased something, don’t write on it again until you’ve restored it with a fresh piece of paper. Using a ballpoint pen might also be a good idea, as the point is being sharp, and not dull like a rollerball pen.

Avoid Clutter

When you’re writing, avoid as much as possible any kind of clutter. While it might be tempting to grab any available surface to write on, that might not be the best idea. Instead, look for a quiet, dedicated space away from any distractions. A cluttered workspace can lead to a lot of distraction, and that doesn’t do anyone any favors. When you’re starting out, it might be a good idea to set up an area on your desk, or in a closet, or even your bedside table for your writing. This will help you avoid all distractions and make it easier to get into the right mindset for writing. Once you’ve got your space arranged in the right way, you can begin to work on your writing.

The More You Do It, The Better You’ll Get

While it might be difficult to learn how to give feedback effectively, it’s important to remember that the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. There are a few key tips on how to give feedback on creative writing that can help you get started:

  • Look for the bad
  • Use the triangle method
  • Be ready to offer criticism
  • Expect resistance
  • Start with the basics