Getting the Most From Creative Writing Feedback
Feedback helps us see our work as readers experience it. It reveals what’s clear, engaging, or confusing—often things we can’t see because we’re too close to the story. Thoughtful feedback helps us improve our craft and revise with clearer intention, ultimately helping us write stories that better engage and connect with readers.
Here are five key ways to ensure you are getting the most out of creative writing feedback.
Look for patterns, not prescriptions. One reader’s reaction may be subjective. Repeated feedback from multiple sources often signals something worth examining in the work.
Separate your work from yourself. Feedback addresses the existing manuscript in its current draft, not your talent or worth as a writer. This is especially important to remember during the early stages of writing when you may not yet be confident in your work.
Clarify the underlying issue. If a suggestion doesn’t feel right, ask what problem the reader experienced (confusion, boredom, disbelief) rather than focusing on a proposed fix. Oftentimes, the feedback we get from other writers, or even beta readers, centers around how they would tell the story. That said, when someone points out a component that gave them trouble, it’s generally a good idea to review and reflect on that and see why that might be the case.
Focus on what resonates. Not all feedback will be aligned with your vision, audience, or genre. That doesn’t mean we should ignore the feedback as soon as we hear it, but rather that we should be open, but trust ourselves to know when certain feedback isn’t a fit for the story. If it doesn’t resonate, then set it aside.
Sit with it. Time creates emotional distance, making it easier to respond thoughtfully rather than defensively. It’s not unusual to have a knee-jerk reaction to feedback that is focused on areas of opportunity. But it’s important to know what readers think because what is in our heads and hearts isn’t always on the page the way we think it is.
There is a lot of value in getting feedback on our writing. When someone takes the time to read our work and provide feedback, we should listen respectfully and with an open mind, but how we use that feedback to improve is ultimately up to us.
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