To be kind and gentle or brutally honest ?

1. 52

   derekchristieposted 9 years ago

   Occasionaly during an "overflow"period i appraise "works"submitted by aspiring writers to a "Publishing House"..The last one after reading,i wrote, "A dull,uninteresting read,to be returned,re-wrote and possibly resubmitted at a later date"..I could have wrote "It was a tsunami of incoherent mind vomit ,which should be sent to a re-cycling plant"....Which would you do,offer delusional hope or be brutal and truthful.

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      Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I think it is possible to be truthful without being brutal. Your first comment is truthful, is it not?  Being polite is still an important value.

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      peachpurpleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      i say, politeness and truth but don't be rude. Everyone is here to interact

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Why do you get to appraise "works" at a "Publishing House" when your own writing is so full of grammatical errors? These errors include missing commas, jumbled spacing, uncapitalized letters, needlessly capitalized letters, needless quotation marks and incorrect use of English. Are you paid for this work?
      
      I have given myself permission to to edit your post to understand it better. I hope you don't mind.
      
      Occasionally, during an overflow period, I appraise works which were written by aspiring writers and then submitted to a publishing house. After reading the last one, I wrote, "A dull, uninteresting read, to be returned, re-written and resubmitted at a later date." I could have written, "It was a tsunami of incoherent mind vomit and should be sent to a re-cycling plant!"
      
      Q. Which would you do: offer delusional hope or be brutal and truthful?
      
      Regarding the comment: "It was a tsunami of incoherent mind vomit and should be sent to a re-cycling plant!" If you even have such negative thoughts about the sincere efforts of others, you should not accept this type of work.
      
      A. I believe this kind of brutal criticism is completely uncalled for in a civilized society. Honesty is the best policy. Furthermore "dull and uninteresting" is not much help. It is too vague. You need to be specific and give examples. For instance, "Your work could be more inspiring if you indicated how you managed to dig your way out of the collapsed mine…" or whatever.
      KLH

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         M L Morganposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Well written!! I want to steal your mind and run away with it xx

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Dear M L Morgan, 
                 Its easy! Just edit, edit and edit again! Its all about the visual presentation. I think being an Art major helped me. Its also quite fun with this "new" computer/keyboard technology. (There really is no excuse for misspelled words and bad grammar.) Everything is based on what is logical. Don't be afraid to edit after posting. I'm not.

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2. 54

   Samantha Sinclairposted 9 years ago

   I was always taught to point out a positive, then the negatives when giving a critique. Be truthful, even brutal, if needed. So, a little bit of both, to answer your question. Sometimes, you need a kick in the butt to get better.

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   M L Morganposted 9 years ago

   Is this Simon Cowell in disguise?

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4. 88

   Stacie Lposted 9 years ago

   I try to be kind and gentle at first and it also depends on the individual .
   A jerk would probably get the brutal treatment if they don't appreciate my kindness...

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5. 72

   relacheposted 9 years ago

   When I use feedback language such as your first example, people on this site consider that to be brutally honest.

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   psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

   I think you job is to be clear and specific.  That is not really a matter of kind or cruel--it is unemotive.

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   honghanhvt1182posted 9 years ago

   I think you should use the appropriate feedback language like many other people suggest. It not only is more helpful to the writers but also helps you to appear more professional. In the end, it is hard to completely judge the value of a works, and your opinions regarding it are just your opinions anyway. Many bestselling books including the Harry Potter have been deemed as uninteresting and turned down many times before. So imagine how you would feel if the author you brutally offend ends up  becoming even way more successful than you!

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   Rochelle Frankposted 9 years ago

   I think you should be as objective, professional and truthful as possible, while using correct English. (Such as, "should be rewritten"  and "I could have written".) No need for delusional hope, if you don't see any.

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9. 52

   derekchristieposted 9 years ago

   In the midst of the word he was trying to say.In the midst of his laughter and glee.He had softly and suddenly vanished away-For the Snark was a Boojum ,you see.(Lewis Carrol)........The correspondence was "in house"so to speak,not to the writer.,sorry called away,continue later.

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    psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

    I hope your appraisals use correct grammar and punctuation.

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    fpherj48posted 9 years ago

    Oh my....Looks like you set yourself up for some honest feedback.  That you are appraising the work of others is rather comical.  My mind wandered off to imagining Charles Manson's mother teaching parenting classes.
    In response to your needless-to-ask question:  Which one of your comment examples would you be more likely to appreciate?  The truth that most people prefer not to hear, is brutal enough without adding a sharp stick in the eye.

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       Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       if its an April fools joke, its a little early.

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          fpherj48posted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Kathryn......or terribly late!!  LOL

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    derekchristieposted 9 years ago

    K.L.H,never start a sentence without a capital letter,even i know that.Do you think there is a kind of seity in condemnation of grammar used by others when we make mistakes ourselves.Quote,  if its an April fools joke,its a little early.  List your own grammar mistakes.

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13. 52

    derekchristieposted 9 years ago

    fpherj48.It was reverse psychology at its best,to draw honest feedback from this audience and i have to state your comparison to Manson was superb .I would never dream of insulting or to degrade an aspiring writer.There are quite a few here who don't pull their punches and would make excellent critics.Good Luck.

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