How to Give Feedback in a Writing Group by Beth Eaglescliffe

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   Jodahposted 3 years ago

   Please read Beth’s great advice about giving feedback and comments.
   https://hubpages.com/literature/feedbac … ing-groups

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      Eurofileposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for posting this. I saw it on my feed and wanted to send a comment to Beth, but was unable to use my usual means of a direct email to the writer. This is a very helpful article, which includes a lot of positive and constructive suggestions. I had a friend who ran a writing group. In the UK, U3A often has them in its list of groups available for people to join.

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      alancaster149posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Some of you know I've been on here for some years now, and some also know I've written a series of historical novels based around the time of the Norman invasion in 1066. The books were written from the standpoint of a Danish kinsman of King Harold and began hours before he took on his 'other nemesis', the Norse king Harald Sigurdsson, 'Hardradi' ('Hard Ruler'). I was part of a local writing group when I began to write the stories, and we shared some of our work. Some 'flak' came my way and I revised part of the story line as well as how I wrote. There was some support from the other members including one I'd 'pipped' to the post in a local writing competition of 1,000 words connected to the London Borough of Newham.
      We need to be vigorous if we want to offer criticism, but not to the point of rudeness or unnecessary harshness. And we need to understand what others' viewpoints are. No use lambasting someone if you haven't a clue about the basis of their writing, why and how it was written. And we have to be constructive, offer some hints on sentence construction if asked, some guidance on historical perspective if needed.

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         Jodahposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you for sharing your experience and wise perspective, Alan. The points you make are very valid and we should not give criticism unless it is constructive and we know what we are talking about. Not just for the sake of criticising.

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   Peggy Wposted 3 years ago

   I have a neighbor that has been a participant in a writing group.  The advice to be specific and hand out as many compliments as criticism appears like sound advice to me.

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      Jodahposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      I agree totally, Peggy.

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