On Feedback: How to Give an Opinion with Tact

Forget-me-not by Gabriel Schachinger

One thing all great storytelling (and really anything great) requires is feedback. No story had ever been written without input from the reader, the audience. Just like movie screenings, writers need readers to tell them where the story and/or characters might feel off. But giving feedback is sometimes just as difficult as getting it. After all, how do you tell someone something they might not want to hear? Here are a few ways to handle “advice” with grace:

1)      Ask questions. If you don’t understand why something happened in the story, or why a character did something, rather than saying: “This makes no sense!” say: “Why did this happen?” or “What was the reason for this scene?” or “How come this character did x when they did y before?”

2)      Use a suggestive voice. Rather than state, “You have to change this,” try using phrases like: “I think,” “I wonder,” and “In my opinion.” Let the author really know that it’s a completely subjective point of view.

3)      Accept that you might be wrong. Don’t forget to remind the author that this is their masterpiece, and they know best. Let’s face it, they’re the ones that spent hours and hours composing and writing the story, so it’s much more likely that they know the plot and characters better than you do from just one read. Not to mention, you may have skipped some very important bits that may just need to be highlighted to get the whole picture.

4)      Use positive words. Rather than stating “This is boring,” say, “This could use a bit more action or excitement.” The words you choose make a difference, and they could make a writer feel terrible about their writing, or they could inspire them and give them great ideas.

5)      Give ideas! If something’s not working (in your opinion), suggest alternatives that the author might take in order to improve it. Most of the time, just saying something doesn’t work doesn’t help and only frustrates the writer.

And, writers, don’t forget! You can use these same techniques and transform the words of your harsher critics when going through feedback. If someone tells you, “This scene is too confusing!” translate it to: “This scene could use more clarification.”

As a reader and a writer, I often get myself caught in these situations where I wonder if I’m being too harsh, or I wish those giving me feedback would be a bit more tactful. I believe these small steps are the first in approaching feedback with consideration, improving a story, and maybe even helping it become one of the greats.

How do you give (or prefer) feedback?

-The Story Addict

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