My six-step process for giving feedback on creative writing
I used to be so scared of giving feedback on other people’s writing.
Mainly because I had such a confusing relationship with feedback myself. On one level, I was perfectly fine with it and used to it because I worked as a professional writer and collaborative documents were usual. On a deeper level though, whenever I got feedback on a piece of creative writing, even if it was positive feedback, I would stop working on that piece!
I didn’t even notice this to begin with, it was only after a few years of not finishing work that I decided to pay more attention to what was going on.
I developed my first workshops to be writing in the moment and sharing only with no feedback. And then, over time, I got more comfortable with allowing space for a response to that shared writing. I usually pick out something I notice about the work or something I loved about it to say in response. And when there is more time in a workshop (than the hour we have on Tuesdays), I encourage other people to respond as well.
And since then, as I have developed my feedback skills, I realised I have a process when I look at someone else’s work and I thought it might be helpful to share it.
Even if you are new to the techniques of creative writing, and you don’t know why something works, you can still give a reader’s response to the work, which is feedback in itself. Often, when someone else picks up on a thing that’s working well, I have made a note of that same thing.
Note that giving feedback is different to editing. We are definitely not correcting people’s work and not checking spelling or grammar, though if a draft is close to completion, you might ask the author if they want any of these small errors highlighted. It is also different to beta reading (though this is a similar process), which is usually done when a draft is complete. Feedback is given on work in progress, uncompleted drafts, or writing that has been worked on but is unfinished.
The process below is for handling written feedback and how to approach the task rather than when you offer that feedback in person in a group or one-to-one situation.
1. First read through
This is when I read the document through once together with any notes on what the author wants feedback on. If the author hasn’t said, I will ask what type of feedback they want. I will also ask what stage the writing is at (first draft or almost ready to send out into the world).
I usually read on a computer, but sometimes, I’ll print out the work and mark it up by hand.
This is to experience it as a reader would. So there is no pressure at this stage to comment or think anything. I may use highlighting if there is something I want to come back to later.
2. Let it settle
Then I won’t look at it for a while. Depending on how much time I have, this could be a couple of hours or a day or two. Not so long that I forget what it’s about!
Often, in the inbetween time, thoughts will come to me as I’m doing something else.
3. Remind yourself what type of feedback the author wants
Before I open the document again, I will reread the notes on what the author wants me to look at and what stage the writing is at.
This affects the type of feedback I give. If it’s first draft, they will need lots of encouragement and big picture feedback such as whether the story work or the characters feel real. But if it’s almost ready to be sent out, there might be more of a focus on language and details.
Then read one more time.
4. Make notes on your understanding of the writing
This might be a line or two or a paragraph. What do you think the writing is about? What are the themes? What is the story? Who are the main characters and what is driving them? What happens? How does the writing make you feel - sad, curious? Or maybe there are parts that make you laugh or resonate with you. Do you feel as if the writing is vivid? Can you imagine it? Importantly, do you want to read on?
5. Read slowly
If the author wants more detailed feedback, then I will read the piece slowly, making comments in the margin (using the Comments feature in Word). I would not use track changes (this would be for editing). I will make comments on things I notice. I am not suggesting changes (this is editing) rather I would say things like ‘I love your detailed description here - I can really imagine this place’. Or ‘this dialogue feels realistic and shows the vulnerability of the character’. I mark up places where I laughed or maybe want to know more, places I feel sad or sentences resonate with me. I’ll look at the opening and closing and ask questions if I want to clarify something, for example, ‘I am not sure where the character is at this point’. Or in memoir: ‘I notice the narrator switches from present to past tense and back again. Is this intentional? I’m not sure what is happening in the present storyline.’
6. Summarise
I usually go back over all of my notes to summarise in one or two really positive, encouraging lines and then offer one suggestion for something that could be developed if the author wanted to develop the work further.
Feedback is an integral part of the 2-year The Creative Writing Programme, which I’ll be tutoring on in the autumn. So in preparation, I’ve been reading The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize The Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez. And this book led me to Liz Lerman’s critical response process, so I’m looking into that as well.
I am no longer scared of giving feedback on people’s writing as they generally find it a helpful part of the process, but I now want to focus on helping others give feedback to each other in a safe, supportive and encouraging way.
About Mel Parks
I love to write and since I took my first creative writing class twenty years ago, it became part of my everyday life. For the past ten years, most weeks I have delivered creative writing workshops sharing what I’ve learned along the way. Writing connects me to my intuition, the wider world and other people too. I am proud of the community I have created in my workshops, where people share their stories in a way they wouldn’t otherwise, and find confidence in their own unique voice.
I have been a professional writer and editor since 1997, published poetry, fiction and personal essays as well as academic articles, magazine features and many other third sector publications and web content. I have an MA in Creative Writing (with distinction) and recently, I have been working on Moonpause: a series of plant and moon-inspired lyric essays funded by the Arts Council. Find out more here.
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