Feedback

"If you can't take it, don't dish it out!"

Feedback can be a tricky thing. It can be difficult to know whether to send a note to the author about a story of theirs that you've just read. For one thing, you never know how your note is going to be received by that author. Personally I've had some who have been very gracious about it and others who see anything that doesn't place them on a pedestal as the greatest writer of all time as flaming.

A couple of things to remember whether giving feedback on or off list:

1. Critique the story, not the writer.

2. Don't retell the story and definitely don't give away the ending. Some people will read the feedback before plunging into a story to read it.

3. Be honest about what you see as the positives and negatives which leads into ...

4. Provide examples. Don't just say "The characterization was off." Provide a direct example from the story to show where the characterization was off with an example from the show itself with which to compare it.

5. Admit your biases. This will go a long way towards helping other people who want to read particular stories, who first read the feedback/critique/review of a story.

6. Remember the old saw, "Seeing is in the eye of the beholder." What you see in the show, might not be what others do.

7. If you aren't sure whether to send your notes to the writer personally or post them to the list, ask the writer first.

This isn't to say that a simple one-liner can't be sent.

A note to the writers of fan fiction: Remember that just as your fan fiction is a personal accomplishment for you, the writing of a review or critique is just as much a personal accomplishment for that writer.

I like to give positive feedback to people, even if the story isn't my cup of tea. If I don't like it doesn't mean it's not good. And even if there are problems with it, I try not to discourage people by just pointing out the bad and none of the good. Whenever I felt the story was pretty decent overall and needed more of an overall review, I used this format (which is in a MSWord file on my computer so all I have to do is copy and paste):

My first impressions of your story:
The plot:

The characters:
The action:
The dialogue:
The overall story:
The technical details (spelling, grammar, scientific or historical details), etc.:
What I loved about this work, and why:
What caused me problems, and why:
Final comments:

And other times, when I was either away from my laptop or felt the story needed more technical work than anything else, I just went through and picked out things that I spotted that I didn't like and things that I did.

No one takes it personally and they are taught never to make snide comments or say anything derogatory about anyone. Critique is confined to making the story better, not saying anything negative about the reporter.

Example of good feedback:

A student might not have done the necessary research for the story. It is weak and poorly written.

Editor: "If you did some more interviewing of the principal, your story would be better."
Or "You need more facts about what happened at the dance on Friday night"

Bad feedback:

Never say: "You did a lousy job on this story. Where was your brain when you wrote it?"

The feedback can be strong, but it cannot be a personal attack on the writer.

Guidelines for Providing Constructive Feedback

Establish a climate of trust in which learners welcome and invite feedback. Feedback should be given in the spirit of caring and concern.

Time your feedback well. Don't give it during stressful times (e.g., post call), when either party may be rushed or interrupted, when either party may be angry, or at a time when the learner is not ready/able to receive feedback for a particular reason. In some situations, you may want to say, "I have some feedback for you. Would this be a good time to talk?"

Make sure learners understand that you will be giving them regular feedback in addition to more "formal" scheduled feedback meetings. Given the parameters listed in # 2, feedback (positive and negative) is most useful if given as soon after an event or behavior as is practical.

In addition to day-to-day feedback, feedback meetings (usually held part way through a rotation and at the end) should be arranged. These meetings should be pre-arranged so that each party can think about them ahead of time, and should be undertaken in a private setting without interruption.

First, ask the learner for their own perspective of their performance, what they feel they did well, what they feel they need to work on, how they feel things are going. Also, connect your feedback to the learner's stated learning goals.

Feedback should be descriptive rather than evaluative. Focus on behavior and performance rather than making generalized judgments. For example, instead of "lazy", state "in your last few work-ups, Iíve noticed that you took shortcuts that seemed to save you time and effort, but caused you to miss important diagnostic information."

Be- as specific as possible, using nonjudgmental language. Provide concrete examples. For example, commenting, "nice job" is a pleasant compliment, but it does little to reinforce a learner's specific behavior. It is more helpful to state "l noticed that when you acknowledged and addressed the mother's concerns about how her child could have acquired pneumonia, she appeared relieved and less likely to blame herself."

Avoid overloading the learner with feedback. Select the highest-priority issues to start with. Time and space are needed for integrating feedback.

If you need to give feedback about a particular incident or conflict, be sure to have all the facts and/or both sides of the story.

Be supportive when giving feedback. The learner will be better able to hear your feedback, and to value and integrate it if they feel you are a supporter, even in the face of a problem, rather than if you seem indifferent or critical.

Help learners turn negative feedback into constructive challenges.

Provide follow-up to your feedback. Ensure the learner has a plan for dealing with any problems identified; arrange a way to monitor progress.

Check to ensure clear communication. Feedback is often subject to distortion or misinterpretation. You may want to ask the learner to rephrase what he/she has heard as well as to talk about his/her assessment of issues you have raised. Summarize the important issues at the end of the session.

Think out solutions to issues and problems beforehand Ask the learner to offer solutions and be willing to negotiate a plan with the learner for resolution. Meet again soon to assess progress.

Guide to Giving Feedback

Fanfiction writers don't get paid for their work. One of the best things that you, as a fanfic reader, can do is to send feedback. This will show your appreciation, help the writer to understand how others perceive her work, and encourage her to write more.

A couple of myths about feedback:

Well-known writers don't need feedback.
Not true. Unless a writer specifically asks that you don't send feedback, she almost certainly would appreciate it. Additionally, sometimes everyone assumes that big name authors don't need feedback, so they end up barely receiving any.

I don't have anything to say.
Yeah you do. Even a "Thanks! I enjoyed reading this story" is better than nothing. It helps just to know that people are reading. Of course, if you have more to say, that's even better!

Writers don't want constructive feedback.
Good writers want to improve their work. Constructive criticism helps. If you're not sure whether it's appropriate, send them an email first and ask if it's okay. But generally, unless an author specifically requests that you don't send constructive criticism, you're encouraged to send it (politely).

How to give constructive feedback:

Be polite. Don't bash. Give examples of what you're talking about; don't make a general statement unless you can back it up. Mention specifially what works and what doesn't. Temper negative comments with positive comments.

For example:

BAD: Your dialogue sucks!
GOOD: Your dialogue often feels stilted and out-of-character. For example, I doubt that Buffy would use a word like "objurgate" in a typical sentence, and I can't picture someone as uptight as Giles calling people "dude." However, I did like ...

BAD: Your plot is awful!
GOOD: Your plot doesn't make sense. I don't understand how Spike could be an international arms dealer when he doesn't even have a telephone. And why doesn't anyone remember that Riley ran away after Buffy discovered his addiction to vampire whores?

BAD: You suck!
Don't even bother. This is bashing and will be deleted. Criticize the writing, not the writer.

BAD: This story rocked! It's so much better than all your other stories, which suck.
GOOD: This story rocked! Your writing has shown an immense amount of improvement. Your dialogue often seemed stilted in your previous stories, but it flows perfectly here. Your prose has also gotten much more sophisticated. For example, ...

BAD: This story is great, but why isn't it Spike/Buffy? Spike and [other character] are wrong together!
This is a matter of taste, not criticism. Don't try to dictate your tastes onto someone else. If you don't like the pairing, stop reading. You have no right to demand that someone else write to your desires.

BAD: This story would be great, except all the sex is gross!
Oh, for heaven's sake. If you're that much of a prude, skim the sex scenes, or don't read the story. Don't try to inflict your repressed "morality" on the rest of us.

BAD: This story is great! It's so much better than all the other crap on this site!
Why anyone would think this is an appropriate comment is beyond me. Just don't.

BAD: Post more!!! Now!!!!!!
GOOD: I love this so much. I'm eagerly awaiting more. I'm really hoping you update soon!

Seeking & Receiving Feedback

"A bad book is as much of a labour to write as a good one; it comes as sincerely from the author's soul." -- Aldous Huxley

by Christopher Meeks

Critiquing is the most difficult and tender area in writing. In many ways, it's the Rorschach test of being human. You've just spent hours, days, weeks, months, or even years writing a piece (or creating a web site!), and now you want feedback. You are in a vulnerable position.

Of course, you want to hear you're successful, but you want it to be an honest opinion. I've heard writers say, "Please read this. You can be brutal." They don't expect (or want) "brutal," and I certainly don't want to be the instigator of making someone feel diminished or demeaned. Brutal gets few people anywhere. What they are saying is they want feedback to be as honest as possible—with strong hopes that you'll say, "This is great!" as large and definite as the faces on Mount Rushmore.

Everybody loves somebody sometime: Show your work to many people to find out what the majority of them likes about the work.

How to find people to critique: Search the Internet, join a writer's group, and consider your friends whose opinions you respect.

How to give criticism: Be honest, but don't be brutal.

How to take criticism: Take what you find useful, store other points for consideration, and ignore the rest.

Everybody loves somebody sometime

First off: You will never get everyone to love something you wrote. Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, John Updike, Maya Angelou—no great writer has a lack of critics. Writing is subjective. Don't expect to touch everyone's soul.

You want at least a majority of people to love your writing, which is not an outrageous goal. It can happen. Just don't expect it to happen every time you sit and write.

So, how do you get a majority to like your work? You have to write and show it to people. When you get a sense of what works, write more like that (but make it different). When you get a sense of what doesn't work, don't write like that again.

(Ha! And you thought the process was complicated!)

If you intend your work to be read by many others—and to be published or produced or appear on the Internet—then seek critiques. Other people may help you catch both silly mistakes and unintended bloopers. The best criticism dives into meaning and the subtleties of language.

How to find people to critique

To be critiqued, you might ask those people you know and respect—and people to whom, if they don't completely glow about your work, you can still listen and not be hurt. (Be sure to say thank you.)

It's getting harder and harder to find people with free time, though. Between home and office phone calls, answering machines, e-mail, cell phones, pagers, letters, notes left on desks, and the occasional surprise visit, we're all feeling the pressures of the information age. People do want to help their friends, and they often say "Sure!" to your question of "Do you have a spare hour or two to read this?" But, "as soon as possible" is not always soon. Hence, you might have to ask two or three people for help to get one or two timely responses. People mean well—they just don't always have the time.

If you're writing fiction, remember that many people these days don't read fiction. People who do not read fiction may not be the best critics of your work. Two of the best ways to find help with fiction are to join a writer's group or to take a workshop or class in fiction. Local colleges have extension classes, and high schools often have adult education. Writer's groups are often word of mouth. Start your own if necessary.

The Internet can also be useful—groups gather there, too, and you can join. The best way to find an on-line group or a chat room is to use a search engine and try the search words "fiction writers groups." I found several, such as www.4-writers.com. If you're an AOL member, type the keyword writers and see the many offerings in the Writers Club. Here are some links to writers' sites.

How to give criticism

You may be asked to consider someone's work. How do you respond? In the writing group I'm in, we actually formed a few rules. We skated without rules for a few years, but when a potential member was trying us out, and he heard our criticism, he said, "You people are ruthless!"

What we discovered at that moment is that we had slipped out of the habit of commenting positively. We seemed to have assumed that everyone knew we liked and respected each other; what was good was self-evident. Unintentionally, we only focused on the sections that needed work.

We relearned to be positive by developing these rules. Do not assume everyone knows what's good. We all need lovin'.

Here are the rules we developed. Feel free to use them for your own group.

1. Allow everyone a voice. Go around the room in order, starting with whomever wants to start first. We'll move clockwise.

2. Before starting the critique, the author should introduce the work and even offer his/her goals or questions for the piece. The author then listens attentively but silently to criticism. (This avoids interruptions and explanations and allows the writer to see how people have been interpreting the work.) The writer should be writing notes to bring up later when it's his/her turn, at the end.

3. Remember that there are no "bad ideas," just "poor implementations" of those ideas. So don't say someone's basic premise is bad, just that the approach needs work.

4. Start with what you like about the work and then offer comments intended to help the author revise the work to improve it. Ways of revising the weak spots should be suggested: "Here are the text's strengths—keep them—and here are the weaknesses—try to work on these."

5. Criticism must be honest—but with tact. "Supportive" doesn't mean giving a series of sweet nothings, but writers do need to know what works and what is strong, as well as what needs improvement.

6. Talk about the most important things first. Any minor points should be written in the manuscript. Get in the habit of having a pen or pencil in hand to circle typos and make points that might be too small to bring up to the whole group. In comedic material, making a check on the side at lines or sections that are funny can be particularly helpful.

7. Be as brief as possible. If someone has already made the comment you were going to make, then simply say you agree with that person. Don't nitpick. You should have circled or corrected the smaller points on the work before the session.

8. Criticism always refers to the work and never the person. "This script is weak" is acceptable. "You write weak plays" is not. (Our group has never had a problem with this—and doesn't want to.)

9. In the initial round, whoever is speaking has the floor. Other critics should avoid jumping in—debate can be saved for after everyone has spoken.

10. Don't ask the author questions unless it can be answered yes or no. If you have more complex questions, write them on the work itself or save it for the open discussion at the end.

11. After everyone has spoken, anyone can bring up a point for debate. This is often the best part. If someone feels strongly about having flashbacks, for instance, and other people disagree, this is a time to discuss the issue. Again, the author should be generally silent to allow debate and to see what people are finding important.

12. After any debating, the writer should be allowed to direct questions to people or to the group as a whole. He/she can initiate topics for discussion. The writer can also offer a summation of what's been said, to see if he or she has a good understanding.

How to take criticism

No one is the voice of god. You do not have to take someone's advice. You only have to be polite and thank them for their time. Do not defend yourself or tell people they are lousy judges of writing or that their work sucks so no wonder they can't see great writing when it's before them. You do not have to go off and change your work. It's your work. Take what you find useful, store other points for consideration, and ignore the rest.

It's good to take notes, particularly if you're in a group situation. You will not be able to remember everything. Some people record their critiques to listen to them more closely later when they are alone and more emotionally unattached.

While the above paragraphs prepare you for possible disappointment, many writers nonetheless assume their work will be a hit—and, perhaps, as ageless as Shakespeare. Thus, when people don't see you as brilliant as you are, disappointment can descend as quickly as a scythe. Not everyone can keep the disappointment from his or her face or vocal cords. Do the best you can. Again, do not defend. Stiffle the desire to attack. If you are not good at taking criticism, then perhaps you really don't want to know what people think—which is fine. Don't waste people's time if you don't want anything less than a rave.

A friend and fellow writer says, "I often find it hard to accept criticism as it's given. I've thought about what I've written for a long time, so I can't immediately agree with some criticisms that don't seem very well thought out. What I do is take notes but don't make any changes immediately. I try to put everything away for a few days, then look at the notes again and try to objectively test them. I ask myself, 'Is this right for what I'm doing?' Sometimes I think 'yes,' where I initially thought, 'No friggin' way.' Sometimes I think, 'well, I could do that, but I honestly don't believe it's right for what I'm doing.' And sometimes I think, 'Well, that could be right, but I don't like it and I don't want to do it.' The latter isn't always the smartest choice, but it is a choice you're allowed to make. It's your writing. It's your decision."

At UCLA Extension, I'm teaching a new course called "The Write Path," and I've been blessed with 15 individuals who seek and take criticism well. They also happen to be driven writers who took the course to improve their work, not to have it validated per se, and everyone in the class gets to critique everyone else's work. They do so with panache. I'm loving the course because people are improving so quickly. They are learning from everyone else. They're conscientious and understand the vulnerability of a writer when being critiqued.

Before class, I've met with a colleague who has taught at UCLA for 20 years and who was my instructor at one time. He's a gentle man, as conscientious as they come, and he has stories of a few students who were so rocked by his critiques that they created scenes or later demanded their money back. Of course, he also has stories of those who were thankful, gained strength and courage in his course, and went on to publish or have scripts produced. The point is, being critiqued can be difficult, even by the best instructors, but there is much to be gained from criticism.

I'm not saying there are not instructors out there who trash people's work to feel self-important. If you find that in the first week or two, leave the class or group—even get your money back if that's possible. With a little research or word of mouth, however, you should be able to find the good instructors or groups.

Good luck!

Links to Writers' sites

Contentious: The web-zine for web writers, editors, and content planners

Authorlink : About Writers, Writing, Editors, and Literary Agents

Books & Writers: online services for authors and publishers

WritersNet: Internet Resource for Writers, Editors, Publishers and Agents

National Writer's Union: the trade union for freelance writers of all genres who work for American publishers or employers, affiliated with the AFC-CIO

Poets and Writers online: Resources for writers

Inkspot: The writers' resource