Good Feedback: Don't Get Down, Get Better!

Don't let healthy feedback 
bog you down with extra baggage.

I've noticed a pattern with my current project. I'll write some new scenes, check them over, and send them off to my critique group. What happens? Those pages I liked so well will come back with many comments and tracked changes marked. Sigh. That's the norm in this business. Before I tell myself (again) that I'm no good at this new genre, it deserves closer inspection. Here's what I've discovered:
1. It comes in threes. I send the first draft, revise and send the second draft, and by the third go around, we're all pretty happy with my scene. Good feedback plays an important role in progression.
2. I'm seeing the same scenes with rewrites two and three times from my partners. This tells me that we are all in the same boat, we all struggle, and we all make improvements each time we incorporate good feedback. Revisions are a necessary part of the game.
3. This doesn't mean our writing sucks or is still on the same level as when we first formed our group. More likely, our critiques are getting more sophisticated and our editing skills are improving along with the writing. All aspects of the craft will improve with regular exercise.
4. The trick to staying positive and not taking well-intended suggestions personally is knowing we can make improvements when we recognize the reason for the comment. Who doesn't want their craft to get better? So, when a comment last week said, Boring. You can do better, and was softened by a smiley face, I checked the highlighted portion and recognized it as Telling. Okay, I can fix that. No wounded ego necessary.

All of the above is based on feedback from those who share mutual trust,  respect, and similar skill levels, of course. I don't recommend you stay in a group where neither the feedback makes sense nor they have anything positive to say. The same person who told me a few words were boring wrote this at the end of my submission: Nicely written scene! Much more realistic and fun to read!

With healthy feedback, don't let it get you down, turn it into better writing. Fear rejection? Click here for a wonderful, inspirational post by my niece, Hannah Holt, called The Art of Tumbling: How to Fail without Falling to Pieces. It goes well with today's topic.

The Finer Points of Accepting Feedback

Receiving feedback about "your baby" can sometimes feel like a punch in the stomach, sometimes a pat on the back. Hopefully there's a little of both, because that's what is real. I spent a week incorporating dozens of changes into my full manuscript, after going through feedback on my next book.
An example of an easy fix: She shrugged her shoulders changed to She shrugged when the comment read, "What else is she going to shrug?"
A harder fix was the suggestion that I insert a new scene to allow a certain character's response to an event be known. I agreed that his opinion mattered.
Apparently I have a thing about body parts, as in that's what I mention the most to show rather than tell someone's reaction or emotions. Characters need to emote and elicit emotions within the reader, so that's not all bad. When a critiquer highlighted the multiple times I show through facial expression, particularly the eyes, I better recognize the need to vary and incorporate some new ways. Things like this don't always show up in a few pages, so it's important to get feedback at different stages of your project.
I'm still revising. Then it goes to beta readers for further feedback. How do writer's handle all these opinions? One's attitude makes a big difference.
 
Point #1--Recognize that finding flaws is the job of the critiquer.
You want your "extra set of eyes" to find the mistakes instead of the public, because, believe me, they're in there. Plus, those flaws often disappear as you fix them. Until experience proves otherwise, trust that a critiquer is there to help you, that her comments give you something valid to consider.
 
Point #2--Each reader comes with their own set of opinions and things they focus on.
Three different critique partners gave me dozens of content comments each, and very few overlapped. This is why you may not agree with everything they notice, and also why you'll want multiple readers to give feedback.
 
Point #3--Each writer comes with their own set of preferences.
You don't have to change everything suggested, but you should attempt to understand why the comment was made so that your decision has a purpose.

Point #4--Thank your critiquers. Even if you don't agree on much.
They spent a chunk of time on you. It takes more time and mental concentration to critique rather than read. They question everything that stops the flow of reading, at least if they're any good. Whether you paid them, exchanged manuscripts, or it was a favor, a thank you is always appreciated.
 

Reasons to Mark a Manuscript

Yep, I'm guilty. I just made critique comments for my fabulous new critique group and found myself inserting a few suggestions of another way I would have worded a phrase or sentence. This got me thinking about how often we change another person's words. Sometimes critiquers slip their preferences into the story. Ideas just pop into our heads. If a phrase here or there doesn't feel right, we often want to put our own word choice in. Is it an improvement? Hard to say. I ask myself why I like it better?
TIP: If you can't name a reason, leave it alone. A few specific suggestions can show/teach, but 90% of your markings/comments should suggest reasons rather than making the actual fix.

The pen is a mighty instrument. Be wise.

REASONS: 
Add clarity, emotion, tension, description, or information. Replace weak verbs, unnatural dialogue, setting or character inconsistencies. Delete filler words and redundancy. Reword awkward phrases and sentence structure that doesn't vary, pacing that is too fast or slow. You can probably think of more.

Depending on the writer's skill level, you might need to teach with an EXAMPLE. Someone new to critiquing might not 'get it' when a marking says, "Tighten here." You might leave an example and add the reason.
Original: One of us is going to have to go home. Change: One of us needs to go home.
Reasons: Eliminates filler words and the weak To Be verb, same message.

DO mark those extra nice passages with smiley faces, stars, or words. We like to see positive markings too. Interestingly, the reasons you like them are the correct implementation of the reasons above. You might mark, "Good clarification" or "Nice description". Some writers need more positive feedback than others. Be kind. Hopefully we get to the point of understanding that a marked up manuscript means someone took the time to be helpful--if they know their reasons, that is.

Have you had a good or bad critique experience? Did their comments include reasons?
Keep writing and have a great week!

Summarize to Soothe that Dreaded F-Word: FEEDBACK

Will the day ever come that I don't need more than one set of eyes on my work? I don't think so. I dare say that best-selling authors have had at least one editor's pair of eyes to scour over their work. Novice's like me need much more than that. Writers need feedback before publishing. Both the dreaded and loved kind. Dreaded because they take your precious baby and tell you things that are wrong with it. Loved because they praise the choices that work and are beautiful. Feedback should include both.

This past week my new critique group gave my first submission--the sequel to my Book of Mormon fiction--the once over via ooVoo. Three faces on my screen told me lots of specifics that needed fixing. While I trusted that they new better, especially where all three agreed, I couldn't help feeling a small stab wound on my baby. It was a lot to take in. It's been a while since I've taken live feedback, but I'm certain my skin will quickly toughen up like it has in the past. Then I did something that made sense and made a difference to how I felt. I summarized.

When my time was about up, I said, "So this is what I'm hearing: My beginning is confusing, I need to start with the second scene, and my character needs more personality. Right?" Okay. I could handle that. I summarized the multiple markings down to three main issues. I'm not sure if I've ever handled it this way before, but I like it.

In reading my partners' second submissions, I read through, marking little things I noticed--good and bad. Then I wrote a short summary of the main issue(s). I plan to use this summary in opposite order with my partners when we meet. They can take the specific markings at their own pace later. If the discussion leads away from the summary, no problem. It's a great place to start when giving or receiving feedback. 

In other words:
To critique: mark passages first, summarize second. To give feedback: summarize first, review marked passages second. 
If you try "The Summary Method", please let me know how it worked for you. Happy critiquing!

Receiving Editorial Feedback

Do you need a spoonful of sugar to help those truthful/opinionated critique group comments go down? Keep reading. I loved this WriteOnCon article on How to Handle Editorial Feedback by author Dianne Salerni. Basically, Salerni says she goes through the following six stages when she reads feedback on her manuscript.

Stage 1: No! She’s wrong! She is absolutely and completely wrong about this!

Stage 2: Crap. She’s right.

Stage 3: But I can’t fix it! Changing this will have a domino effect and make the entire plot unworkable. It cannot be fixed!

Stage 4: Oh, wait. I see how to fix it.

Stage 5: You know, this change is pretty good. I’m liking it.

Stage 6: This is brilliant! Why didn't I do it this way in the first place?!

I've never analyzed it into stages like this, but yeah. Changes are either easy-fixes where I instantly see the improvement or I follow these steps to some degree. Here is more wisdom from Salerni: “I have come to accept these stages. I also understand that it’s not possible for me to skip the scary and upsetting ones, even though I know the later, more positive stages are coming. The trick is NOT to respond to the critique while you are in the throes of Stage 1 or Stage 3!”

We newbie writers need a lot of things divulged to us and a multiplicity of readers to compare which spots they keep pointing out. Feedback is our friend. It's a valuable learning tool. It lets us perfect our craft. The already mentioned article includes a great quote from Neil Gaiman. “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn't work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” 

YOU are the one who best knows your story and how to work the magic it needs to bring your manuscript to the next level. Bring the feedback on.

Vicious Cycle of Critiques and Revisions

Raise your hand if you hate revisions. 
It feels like the process is dragging on--you just want it to be perfect by now or maybe you've gotten sick of working on it. I'm stimulated by revisions. I love the feeling of, "Man, this is so much better now!" Progress. The hard part is turning our babies over to others with their sharpened red pencils. But writers willingly do it because they know that others can't see what is in the author's head and there is bound to be some lack of clarity, some missing details you figured you'd already added.

I'm using the red pen this week, finishing up a whole manuscript critique. I enjoy that too. Maybe it's my dominant left brain. I like finding details on which to comment. Both good and bad. It helps me hone into what is needed, improves my craft as well as helping another's ms. My weakness of reading slowly helps me to catch things like typos. I've marked something on almost every page. And it's a good story too. I like to think I am thorough but some might use the term 'excessive'. That's why we ask for multiple beta readers.

Authors have to be tough. They have to take constructive criticism over and over again. If I'm being too picky or take a word too literally, the author has the chance to compare it against what others have marked or accepted as is. The right to ignore a comment is theirs. When several beta readers come up with the same conclusion over a needed change, the author best listen. That's how it works.

In another week or so I'll turn the ms back to it's owner and she will hand me mine. I imagine a new round of revisions will begin. Maybe I should raise my hand. Revisions can take for-e-ver and I'll be telling myself to focus on that progress I'm so fond of. Sigh.

Critiquing Feedback TMI

Ever wish you could call out, "Do-over" and it would happen? My niece asked me to critique her first chapter of a novel draft she completed. She had never taken a class or other helps; she just did it. For that I applaud her. She had the drive to complete the task, believed in herself, and went down the learn-as-you-go road. The girl has some talent, too, and I'm proud of her.

I find critiques and revisions stimulating. No, really. Deciding to give my niece the benefit of my "experience", I critiqued everything that popped into my head--both good and not-so-good. My gently-worded comments included tips and teaching treasures that might be nice to know--one bite at a time. I think I stuffed her with information overload! We learn better line upon line, don't we? Ack! I hope I didn't give her a stomach ache.

What kind of feedback do you give? Do you dish it all out (with no mean intent), praise only what's good, or something in between? I'm learning that all critique audiences are not created equal. Maybe I shouldn't always be zealous to "rip it apart" when someone asks me to do that.

Your thoughts and/or critique-related horror stories are welcome.