When you’re giving constructive criticism, your writer is counting on you- counting on you to give him the feedback that he needs to make his writing better. If you agree to give your writer feedback, there is a commitment between the two of you. Part of that commitment is that your writer can count on you to do what you said you would do. He’s relying on you and you therefore need to be reliable.
What are some of the parts of being reliable?
- Getting clear directions so you know what the writer is looking for feedback on (spelling? punctuation? story flow? are there missing words or concepts?)
- Giving feedback so the writer understands it.
- Giving useful feedback (“I felt like there was some missing info” is more useful than “this was confusing”.)
- Giving info in a firm, fair manner
- Knowing and expressing the difference between facts (“they didn’t have computers during the revolutionary war”) and opinions (“I felt ‘Paul Revere, Hacker’ was a concept that didn’t really grab me.”)
- Knowing the deadline for when the writer needs your input.
- Getting your feedback back on time, or early, if possible.
When your writer is counting on you, don’t let him down. Be reliable.
Catherine Kane
3/2/16
For more information on Catherine’s books, “Adventures in Palmistry”, “The Practical Empath – Surviving and Thriving as a Psychic Empath”, “Manifesting Something Better”, “The Psychic Power of Your Dreams”, “Magick for Pennies” and her urban fantasy “The Lands That Lie Between”, all from Foresight Publications, click here
and for the new Kindle version of Manifesting Something Better, click here