Give Better Feedback: Tips to Help Yourself Help Others with Constructive Criticism

I am always excited to discover that someone has commented on an article I published. It's rewarding to know that someone felt strongly enough about something I wrote to post his or her thoughts. However, I have discovered that many of the comments people leave are generic items like "good article" or "very informative." While these compliments make me feel good about what I've written, they do not help me to improve my writing.

I've noticed that many of the comments people leave on Associated Content fall under this category of "pleasant but not useful." As a veteran of numerous writing workshops of greater or lesser value, I know that these blanket statements are easy to give and receive. If, however, you wish to help someone become a better writer you must be willing to put more thought and effort into your feedback.

1) Accept Criticism From Others

Before you begin leaving constructive feedback for others, be sure that you are ready to receive similar constructive feedback on your own articles. You must accept that your writing is not perfect, and be prepared for others to point out flaws you never knew you had. Improvement begins with accepting the constructive feedback of others. I was surprised by how defensive some workshop comments made me-taking these comments graciously and accepting them as attempts to improve my writing and not personal attacks is a constant struggle for me.

You should also be prepared to feel embarrassed by obvious writing flaws that have escaped your notice. I've brought stories that I believed were wonderful and flaw-free to workshops only to leave shaking my head and wondering "what was I thinking?"

2) Be Constructive

"Constructive criticism" may be a cliché when discussing useful writing feedback, but it is a cliché because it effectively communicates the two most important parts of useful feedback. It's pretty self-explanatory, but still easy to forget.