No one likes to be critiqued – whether the critique follows
the writing of a paper for a class and comes in the form of a grade or comes as
feedback after you’ve written and published a story, a poem, or a book.
Critiques can be harsh. This is especially true when either family members or
close friends critique you.
It is a commonality in our culture, and for some odd reason,
that not too many people want to say, “Job well done” when it comes to creative
writing projects; however, if it is said, you, as the writer, are often left
thinking, Did they really read it and
what particularly did they like about what I wrote? In other words, the
feedback lacks substance. Oftentimes the reader will simply say, “It’s good”
and leave it at that. There is also a strange phenomenon that seems to take
place when a person seeks a complement or acceptance from someone he or she
knows: it seems that by giving positive feedback on a written report, book, or
story, the person giving the positive assessment seems to feel that the writer will
have one step up on the friend who didn’t produce anything.
As an instructor, I spent so many
years giving positive feedback on written material that it has become second
nature to me. I will be the first to say, if you worked hard at whatever you
composed and you honestly feel you
did a good job then you deserve to be told, “Job well done.” I also like to
spend moments after reading something to reflect on the piece and on analyzing
what I truly enjoyed about the writing.
I am not saying that one should
lie or give false hope to a writer. I am saying, though, that if a friend or
family member feels unqualified to give constructive criticism then that person
should tell the writer that at the onset.
After all, as writers, we are
looking for readers who will appreciate and give us constructive criticism on what
we have written.
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