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While reading is a free education in the art of storytelling, critical feedback and constructive criticism offer beneficial insights for improving your writing. Not all criticism is useful, so it’s important to filter advice and focus on what resonates with your goals. This process encourages growth, and enhances storytelling skills. By embracing feedback, you’ll refine your work and your writing abilities. Let’s explore this journey together, learning and growing through critique.
Adopting a growth-mindset allows you as the writer to view critical feedback and constructive criticism as valuable insights that can help you refine your writing, rather than a personal attack. This mindset allows you to see critical feedback as an opportunity to learn and grow which will ultimately lead to a more refined writing style and stronger storytelling.
As in all aspects of life, it’s important to separate your emotions from your endeavors. It seems more and more these days, individuals have a difficult time hearing something outside of their expectations. It’s natural for a new writer to feel defensive or hurt when receiving criticism. This is their sink or swim moment; they can either take a step back and analyze the comments objectively and focus on the constructive aspects, or they can get offended and react defensively, risking stagnation in their growth as a writer. Through receiving copious critical feedback, and the drive to grow in my craft, I’ve become the successful writer I am today.
But not all criticism is cut from the same cloth and it’s important early on to differentiate between constructive, and destructive criticism. Constructive criticism focuses on specific aspects of your writing and offers suggestions for improvement. Destructive criticism usually stems from the givers ego and is often vague, unhelpful, or intended to cause harm.
Constructive criticism points out areas where your pacing could be improved; highlights the need for deeper character development; suggests improvements in dialogue authenticity; points out plot inconsistencies or holes, and indicates areas where the narrative could benefit from a clearer or more engaging voice. Additionally, critical feedback might address your story’s structure, the effectiveness of its theme, and the clarity and coherence of its overall plot. Destructive criticism can be simply saying, “This is terrible,” and isn’t worth your time to engage with.
Consider the source of given feedback and evaluate the credibility, and intentions of the person providing it. Feedback from experienced writers, editors, or beta readers is way more valuable than that from someone with little to no knowledge of writing, or of stories told in your genre. A critique from a published author in your genre carries infinite more weight than a casual comment from a keyboard warrior on social media.
But even experienced critics may offer unhelpful feedback. Look for critiques that are specific, detailed, and offer solutions, rather than simply pointing out problems. Feedback like, “Your character is too powerful and needs to be more relatable,” is ultimately unhelpful because it’s vague and lacks concrete suggestions for improvement. It certainly doesn’t offer a clear path for the writer to make their character more appealing to readers.
Ultimately, prioritize feedback that aligns with your own writing goals and helps you move closer to achieving them. Don’t just take any feedback you get to heart. If you want to write a fast-paced thriller, feedback from a romance writer might not be as helpful as feedback from someone who writes thrillers. Focus on feedback that helps you achieve your specific goals, whether it’s writing in a certain genre, developing a particular style, or improving your overall craft.
If you can, gather feedback from various sources to gain a well-rounded understanding of your work’s strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify patterns in your writing where it’s weak, or confusing, and help you prioritize areas for improvement. Share your work with a writing group, a mentor, and a few beta readers to gather diverse opinions. Look for recurring comments or suggestions in the feedback you receive. If multiple people mention the same issue, it’s likely an area that needs attention.
If you’re unsure about a piece of feedback, ask the person to clarify their point. If it’s an overall criticism, ask them to provide specific examples they find needing improvement. This can help you better understand their perspective and determine how to apply their suggestions. If someone says your dialogue is unrealistic, ask them to point out specific instances where it falls short and ask them to suggest ways you might improve it.
Not all feedback will be equally valuable or applicable to your work so it’s important to prioritize the comments that resonate with you, or align with your goals for your story. Remember, you are the ultimate decision-maker regarding your writing.
When it’s time to make revisions, do so in stages. Focus on one aspect of your story at a time. This will help you maintain control over the editing process and ensure that each change serves your overall vision. Start by addressing pacing issues, then move on to character development, and finally refine your dialogue. When I began writing my first novel, friends and family had input how they thought the story should unfold and as an insecure newbie, I tried to accommodate each and every point until my story was unrecognizable. I got so literarily flustered, I set the manuscript aside for a decade (it’s published now). This brings me to my next point:
Maintain your voice and style! While incorporating feedback, be cautious not to lose the uniqueness of your story. Ensure that any changes you make align with your artistic intentions and don’t compromise your authenticity. If a critique suggests altering your narrative voice, consider whether the change would improve your story or simply make it more conventional for others. I am a huge proponent of writing for yourself first. Don’t sacrifice the integrity of your story to make others more comfortable or happy. If a suggestion doesn’t feel right or doesn’t align with your vision, don’t be afraid to respectfully decline or modify it.
Always thank those who provide feedback, even if you disagree with their suggestions. Acknowledging their time and effort fosters a positive relationship and encourages continued support. Send a brief thank-you note to your beta readers, editors, writing group, or mentor expressing your appreciation for their insights and time.
You can keep a record of the feedback you receive and the changes you make. This will help you monitor your growth as a writer and identify areas where you may need further development. By taking note of repeated issues, you will automatically insure improvement in your writing skills. By keeping track you’ll also be able see improvements in your writing over time.
Learn to improve your writing through criticism and critical feedback. Remember, every writer has their own unique path. Embrace the journey, learn from every critique, and let your writing evolve with each new experience. Ultimately, the most valuable feedback comes from within. As you learn to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be better equipped to use criticism and critical feedback to your advantage and refine your unique voice as a writer. So don't shy away from criticism, embrace it as a path to becoming a better writer.
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