Questions tagged [feedback]

For questions about how to request or address feedback from reviewers, beta readers, and editors. Note that questions asking for feedback on a piece of writing are off-topic.

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4 votes
2 answers
582 views

How can I recognize and take constructive criticism?

Personally, for me, I have ADHD and mild autism, so at times I don't have the same views as the majority. For example, I like the ending/plot of this one book/show/movie, only for me to find out that ...
1 vote
3 answers
64 views

Where can I get a feedback for my lyrics from native english speaker?

I really love to write lyrics for my music in English, I like how it sounds but this language isn't my first one and obviously I can't write natural texts, sometimes I even make common mistakes. I ...
38 votes
12 answers
8k views

How can I answer high-school writing prompts without sounding weird and fake?

Being given a prompt makes me freeze up immediately. Let me clarify. I'm talking about high school writing prompts. You know. Those. The ones that ask you to write an essay about what you would ...
34 votes
4 answers
3k views

I'm afraid of quashing the hopes of a new writer

I recently agreed to read a new writer's novel and provide feedback. During casual discussion, I learned her mindset is currently in a state of "this novel is basically finished". I've never met ...
-3 votes
1 answer
121 views

Does this poem stand up to the rules of poetry? [closed]

This is pretty much my first poem(I think this counts as one), about a tentacle monster keeping a schoolgirl asleep in a dream. It is titled 'The Beast From The East' Here it is: "THE TENTACLED ...
5 votes
6 answers
1k views

I'm too shy to let my friends read my books

All the books I have written, I've always been shy to show my friends. I don't want them to think poorly of me with what I write. Any advice that could help me?
1 vote
1 answer
90 views

What questions to survey readers?

Is there any guideline or sample on how to survey readers? My blog is non-fiction, self-help yet academic style, which require some knowledge on philosophy and psychology. I'm unable to find any such ...
0 votes
0 answers
38 views

How/where can I get people to tell me their personal reactions to my work?

The book I'm writing is memoir, journalism, social critique, diatribe, autoethnography -- accounts of personal experience, research to help me understand, reflection, analysis of social factors, ...
6 votes
4 answers
952 views

How can I recover from negative comments after releasing my book?

My first book is finally out. While it is getting mostly favorable feedback, there are a few readers who gave it very negative reviews. I understand that my book is not an apple pie, and it couldn't ...
1 vote
2 answers
789 views

How do I warn/prepare my beta readers when giving them small excerpts to read?

I recently shared an excerpt from my writing with friends who are acting as casual 'beta alpha-readers' (I use this term extremely loosely), partly as they have more lived experience with, and ...
14 votes
4 answers
6k views

My character surprised me with their behaviour while writing them, should I keep that behaviour or stick to how I had planned them?

I was doing some exploratory writing without much planning/thinking and one of the characters acted in a way I wasn't expecting! In the narrative the character (normally kind/warm) is under stress, ...
1 vote
2 answers
333 views

When submitting an article to a journal, should the article be an attachment or a link to my blog?

I have a research article (not really an article with academic standards, but display my analysis nevertheless) and I would like to submit it to a journal (not an academic one either, but has ...
10 votes
5 answers
3k views

Should you publish your book online for feedback?

This is a question I've had in my mind and have been a bit curious about. Let's say I finish writing a novel but before publishing it, I want to get feedback on it. Should I publish it online ...
16 votes
5 answers
2k views

What weight should be given to writers groups critiques?

I joined a writers group that meets every three weeks. I submitted the first eighteen pages of my work and also sent the same file to a publisher at AuthorHouse. The writers group had varied ...
1 vote
1 answer
90 views

Is there publishing for people under 18? [duplicate]

I am under the age of 18 can I publish a book? I have had the rough draft read through many times by professionals, they said I should get it published, however I'm not sure if any companies will be ...
2 votes
1 answer
69 views

What order do I start seeking editors

I have completed writing my first novel. What order should I start putting it in front of editors (copy, development, structural, etc.) before submitting it to an agent or publisher?
5 votes
4 answers
259 views

Should beta-readers have genre experience?

In this comments of How many elements can you focus on during worldbuilding? a conversation arose about the usefulness of non-genre savvy beta-readers. Another question Are "non-readers" ...
13 votes
5 answers
3k views

How to stick to your vision when you’re highly suggestible?

As a person, I'm a bit of a people-pleaser. I tend to bend over backward to avoid conflict and make people happy. I've reached the point in my writing process where I've started to send out drafts of ...
8 votes
5 answers
1k views

Websites for free feedback on stories?

Are there any websites or anything similar where we can get feedback from online readers (without paying for a membership or anything of the sort) for stories and other writings that are not quite ...
1 vote
2 answers
71 views

What can I ask my readers to help me and how?

I have a growing non-fiction blog about challenging existing dogmas in my culture, and it has been attracting a good amount of readers. However its growth is still not optimal, as they just read or ...
14 votes
9 answers
7k views

Is it a bad idea to publish individual chapters of my book idea online for feedback?

I have already typed at least 6-7 chapters of this book I've been focused on, but what I want to ask is, is it wise to post what I have so far online for feedback? Or am I just setting myself up for ...
1 vote
2 answers
128 views

What to ask next when people tell me that my article is excellent?

So I have an article and one person comments that it is excellent. To make sure that they just don't skim it I ask "thank you. Have you read all of it because I'm afraid it's long", and they say "yes ...
3 votes
3 answers
195 views

At What Point Does a Writer Need Validation to Confirm They've Done Something Right?

I have been thoroughly editing four unpublished novels during the fourth quarter of 2019 and in January 2020. I think I finally got my books to where they need to be. I even decided to go on UpWork ...
8 votes
4 answers
997 views

Methods for writing a code review

I currently spend a good deal of time over at Code Review and I would love to improve the quality of the reviews I write. Can you give me any insight into the structure or approach you use when ...
5 votes
4 answers
113 views

How can I become better at formulating my feedback when critiquing a writer's work as beta reader?

As a beta reader, I sometimes find myself frustrated at trying to find the right words and how to properly structure my sentences when I give a critique or just simple feedback. How can I work on ...
5 votes
2 answers
60 views

Seeking advice on editing process through integration into online poetry writing communities

(Heavily edited in a sincere attempt to reduce subjectivity / instigation of unwieldy discussion or chattiness:) As a novice writer of poetry, who lives with folks who smile and nod with the sound of ...
4 votes
1 answer
194 views

What is an appropriate forum for asking off-topic, story-based questions?

I'm looking for a good website/blog/forum for posting questions that are technically off-topic for this website. I am looking for something that would allow me to post about story-based things, such ...
19 votes
2 answers
388 views

Helping my beta readers help me

My beta readers are family and friends - people who read a lot, but do not write. They are people whose opinion I trust, and who are genuinely trying to be helpful. (And I haven't found a writing ...
7 votes
2 answers
189 views

Handling Earth-based religions on a foreign planet

For some context to my question: The story I'm currently writing takes place on another planet. It is never mentioned whether Earth exists (or had existed), but the characters are all human, have ...
2 votes
1 answer
64 views

Crowdsource feedback for research articles

Are there crowdsourced feedback platforms, or does somebody know where I can find somebody that does not ask a lot of money for checking some research articles that I have written for mistakes in ...
4 votes
3 answers
106 views

What is in scope for criticizing technical writing

I'm not well versed in technical writing. I'm probably not going to be in a position to give anyone feedback for some time, but I would like to know how to approach it when I get there. I would also ...
6 votes
3 answers
163 views

Approaches to criticizing short fiction

What is a reasonable scholarly approach to breaking down short pieces of prose? Is it word choice? Is it structure? Is it themes, and how well they are used? Use of symbolism and its efficacy? Meter, ...
7 votes
4 answers
3k views

As a new poet, where can I find help from a professional to judge my work? [duplicate]

I often write short poems and quotes here: https://www.mirakee.com/atd, but I really want to hear from someone professional to give their valuable feedback on my work, so that I know where exactly I ...
10 votes
3 answers
993 views

Criticizing long fiction. How is it different from short?

I recently asked about criticism regarding short pieces of fiction. What about longer works like novels? Surely no one can sit down and agonize over individual word choices in a larger work the way ...
14 votes
6 answers
4k views

What to look for when criticizing poetry?

A recent question got me thinking about how to criticize poetry well and I realized I am not very good at it. I can do themes, and that's about it. And I'm not even sure that should be covered unless ...
14 votes
4 answers
4k views

Critique vs nitpicking

During an in-class activity for my AP Lang class, each student did a cold read of a piece they chose, then all the students provided critique out loud and written on their own copy of the author's ...
9 votes
2 answers
140 views

Incorporating new people into a critique group

I belong to a terrific critique group (writing group) that has dealt with a lot of attrition. We started with 6 people and currently have 4, one who joined after the first month or two. We also had ...
0 votes
0 answers
23 views

What are some good places to receive feedback? [duplicate]

A lot of people have been asking for some feedback about their poem/story. In an attempt to help find them a website, I couldn't. I googled feedback for writing however I didn't find any websites ...
10 votes
7 answers
831 views

Can dream reveals make good climaxes for a POV’s internal struggle?

Dream twists just spoil our senses of disbelief. I can see how that can be excetuted carelessly, but if done for the need of showing what the main character wants or fears most then maybe it would be ...
26 votes
6 answers
13k views

How can someone become a beta reader?

We have several questions on beta readers, including this one on how writers can find beta readers. How does it work from the other side? How can a non-beta reader make the "jump" and start beta ...
4 votes
4 answers
520 views

How to get valuable feedback on the quality of my storytelling?

At any given moment I can focus on one activity among many, e. g. improving my craft, finding a publisher, or building a platform for self-publishing. The latter two options only make sense, if the ...
2 votes
4 answers
311 views

Is there a tactful way to give advice to a writer who needs it, but doesn't think so?

I have a friend who is a rather ambitious (writing and otherwise), and has even self-published a couple of books. I know having a sense of self-confidence is a good thing, but just churning out luke-...
23 votes
11 answers
5k views

Are "non-readers" useful beta readers?

In my opinion, the best beta readers are fellow writers, partly because they may have insight others don't, but partly also because you can agree to trade beta-reading responsibilities. (This is far ...
11 votes
6 answers
2k views

Do my characters need to have different mannerisms in order to be perceived as different?

My editor returned to me with her initial critique of my novel, saying some characters were too similar, and that they had the same likes and dislikes and flaws. The characters she mentioned were ...
4 votes
1 answer
366 views

Can I pay to win at publishing?

Are there paid editing and submission services out there that are worth while for someone who is looking to work with a real publisher? I have been doing research into what it takes to get published. ...
7 votes
2 answers
968 views

How to obtain a thoughtful critique of a job application cover letter?

Sometimes, not always, when searching for my next position or project, I make an effort to write an interesting cover letter, one intended to convey images and passion, a story. I want it to be a ...
6 votes
1 answer
106 views

What is an appropriate waiting time before resubmitting after I received positive feedback?

Should I resubmit it through the regular submission channel or directly to the editor who replied (she included her contact info)? I have revised the MS quite a bit this week based on their comments, ...
19 votes
11 answers
7k views

How to avoid writing irritating fan fictions?

I have recently started writing a fanfiction and I am posting it online as I write it. However, I often see in comments sayings 'This fanfiction gave me cancer','The writer of this crap should just ...
4 votes
5 answers
390 views

What is the role of "flashback" in my novel?

I start my Revolutionary War novel on August 21, 1780, when "boy meets girl." Specifically, the hero is rescued from British captivity by a bunch of guerrillas. One of these guerrillas takes him home ...
37 votes
8 answers
5k views

What is the balance between 'stating a problem clearly' and Hemingway's literary iceberg?

At a writer's critique group, one piece of feedback to me was: people didn't understand where I was going until the very end. They suggested stating something explicit at the very beginning so they ...