Unauthorized Access: Critiquing for Fellow Scribes - Mastering the Technique of Constructive Comments
Starting a writers' group can be a rewarding experience, and tips for doing so can be found in the Big Ideas guest blog "How to Start Your Own Writers' Group." When it comes to providing feedback within a writers' group or creative collaboration, it's essential to be clear, specific, and respectful while supporting the writer's growth and creative intentions.
Being Clear and Specific
Avoid vague comments and pinpoint exactly what works or needs improvement, citing specific examples from the writing to guide actionable changes. This approach ensures that your feedback is constructive and easy to understand.
Focus on the Work, Not the Person
Address behaviors or elements of the text rather than personal traits, to prevent defensiveness and encourage openness. By focusing on the work, you can help the writer improve their piece without causing them to feel attacked.
Highlight Strengths First
Start by acknowledging what the writer does well to build confidence and show that your feedback aims to support, not just criticize. This approach helps the writer feel valued and encourages them to continue improving their work.
Understand the Writer’s Intentions
Learn what the writer aims to achieve with their piece before offering suggestions. Tailoring feedback to help sharpen their vision while preserving their creative spark is crucial for maintaining the writer's original intent.
Be Timely
Offer feedback soon after reading to ensure relevance and to engage the writer when the work is fresh in their mind. Timely feedback allows the writer to address any issues promptly and keeps the conversation focused on the work at hand.
Use Supportive Language
Phrase feedback as your own perspective and feelings rather than absolute judgments. For example, saying "I felt unclear about..." instead of "You failed to..." shows empathy and encourages the writer to view feedback as an opportunity for growth rather than a personal attack.
Offer Solutions or Suggestions
Don't just point out issues; provide concrete ideas for improvement or resources the writer can use. Offering solutions helps the writer see a clear path forward and encourages them to take action.
Create a Safe, Empathetic Environment
Encourage vulnerability in sharing work, foster empathy, and respect different perspectives to maintain group collaboration and resilience. A safe and empathetic environment allows writers to share their work freely and encourages open dialogue.
Encourage Dialogue and Collaboration
Invite writers to discuss your feedback and their challenges, making the process collaborative rather than one-sided. Encouraging dialogue helps the writer feel heard and allows for a deeper understanding of their intentions and goals.
Instead of Framing Areas that Need Improvement as Failures
Instead, view them as opportunities. By reframing feedback in a positive light, you can help the writer see the potential for growth and improvement.
Asking Questions in Feedback Can Provide Insights
Into the writer's intention and set the stage for a productive dialogue. Asking questions can help clarify the writer's intentions and encourage them to think more deeply about their work.
When Giving Feedback, it is Important to be Specific and Use Industry Vocabulary
To be clear and informative. Using specific and industry-appropriate vocabulary helps the writer understand your feedback and apply it effectively.
Being Specific and Expressive in Feedback Will Make it More Effective and Actionable
By being clear and specific, you can help the writer understand exactly what needs to be improved and how to make those improvements.
A Great Way to Wrap up Feedback is to Discuss the Theme
And bring the conversation back to the big picture. Discussing the theme helps the writer see how their work fits into the larger context and encourages them to think about their work in a more holistic manner.
It is Beneficial to Think Separately About The Idea and The Execution
When giving feedback. By considering the idea and the execution separately, you can provide more targeted feedback that addresses specific aspects of the work.
The Writer's Burning Desire to Tell Their Story Should be Supported, Not Overshadowed by the Reader's Vision
The goal of feedback is to bring out the best in the original story, not to remake it in one's own image. By supporting the writer's vision, you can help them tell their story more effectively.
When Working with a Client who is Still Learning How to Write a Screenplay, it is Beneficial to Point out and Praise Good Examples
To build both their writing strengths and their confidence. By praising good examples, you can help the writer see what they are doing well and encourage them to continue improving.
The Creator May Feel that They are Overemphasizing a Story Element after Multiple Revisions, Leading to Toning it Down and Potentially Missing the Intended Point
Tailoring feedback to the writer and meeting them where they are can help lift them up and sharpen their vision. By understanding the writer's intentions, you can help them avoid overcorrecting and maintain the intended impact of their work.
In summary, providing effective feedback in a writers' group or creative collaboration requires being clear, specific, and respectful while focusing on the work, not the person. Highlighting strengths first, understanding the writer's intentions, being timely, using supportive language, offering solutions or suggestions, creating a safe, empathetic environment, encouraging dialogue and collaboration, reframing areas that need improvement as opportunities, asking questions, being specific and expressive, discussing the theme, thinking separately about the idea and the execution, supporting the writer's vision, praising good examples, and tailoring feedback to the writer are all key strategies for providing constructive feedback that fosters creative growth and sustains a positive, productive group dynamic.
- Within a writers' group, it's essential to provide clear and specific feedback, citing examples from the script to facilitate actionable changes.
- Focus on the written work or elements therein instead of the writer's personal traits, to foster an open and collaborative atmosphere.
- Start with acknowledging the writer's strengths to build their confidence before offering suggestions for improvement.
- Understanding the writer's intentions is crucial when offering feedback, as it enables you to tailor your suggestions to sharpen their vision and preserve their creative spark.
- Timely feedback is more effective as it keeps the conversation focused on the work at hand and allows the writer to address issues promptly.
- Use supportive language that Phrases feedback as your perspective and feelings instead of absolute judgments to encourage growth rather than attacking the writer.
- Offer solutions or suggestions for improvement, as well as resources the writer can use to take action and see a clear path forward.
- Create a safe, empathetic environment where vulnerability in sharing work is encouraged and different perspectives are respected, fostering collaboration and resilience within the group.
