Receiving Feedback With A Smile

There is no doubt that every person’s writing can benefit from receiving feedback from others, providing it’s the right ‘others’. However, sometimes the hardest bit of the process is not finding the ideal person who knows how to write a critique , but being able start receiving feedback without taking it personally. After all, it’s your creation that is being picked to pieces. So here are a few suggestions to help.

Seperate yourself from your writing
This is a hard thing to do for some people, especially if you are new to writing or have spent years on the work, but it’s important to understand that any suggestions that are made about your work are not aimed at you personally; they are aimed to improve your piece of work.

Focus on the final outcome
When it comes to writing and having something published (in whatever form you choose) there are many steps. At the start there’s creating an idea, planning, plotting, writing, editing, re-writing, and the list goes on. However all of these steps are done with one final goal at the end, a goal that usually ties in with your writing being the best it can be.

Receiving feedback about your work is just another step on the stairway to publication or perfection. Very few writers achieve their best without being offered feedback along the way.

Stay focused on your end goal, where you want to end up, because (if done properly) critiquing will get you there sooner.

Trust the person you ask
Simply put, if you trust the person you’re asking, and their knowledge on writing, accepting their suggestions should be easier because you know that they know what they’re talking about. So ensure you pick the right person to ask.

You have the final decision
It’s important to understand that receiving feedback or editing is a process of pointing out areas of your writing that you might want to improve. If you ask for feedback you don’t have to do everything that is suggested - you should consider everything that’s suggested, but you don’t have to do everything.

The final choice on how your work is improved upon is yours. You have the final say. Listen to what is said, genuinely consider everything and then make your choice.

Don't ask if you don't want honesty
Some people ask for feedback purely because they want to be told how good their work is. Anyone who has this attitude is undoubtedly going to be upset by a critique, especially if the person offering advice is honest. So always be sure you’re asking for feedback for the right reasons.


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