Feedback is a treasure for writers, filled with valuable gems of constructive input and suggestions for their writing. It’s a fantastic way for writers to tap into the wisdom of others, gaining fresh perspectives that help you identify areas of improvement, strengthen your skills, and polish your work until it shines.
You can get feedback from peers, mentors, writing communities, editors, online writing groups, or anyone else who can offer a fresh perspective on your writing. It serves as a mirror that reflects both the strengths and weaknesses of your writing, helping you enhance your craft and create more impactful and engaging content.
Let’s examine how feedback becomes a catalyst for growth in writing, and explore how the encouraging influence of feedback cultivates fertile ground for writers to develop and thrive.
Feedback Provides Accountability
Feedback acts as a source of accountability for writers, a gentle nudge that keeps you on track. When you keep your peers and mentors in the loop, you’re not just sharing your plans but also outlining your strategies for achieving them. This open dialogue with your writing community isn’t just about discussing your goals; it’s about cementing your commitment to them.
There will be times when you haven’t quite achieved what you planned, and you might feel like hiding from those who support you. But that’s precisely when it’s crucial to reach out and seek their support. Your online writing group companions can provide more than just a sympathetic ear; they can offer insights, recount their own journeys, and reaffirm that your journey isn’t a solitary one.
The act of sharing your progress and receiving feedback isn’t just a conversation—it’s a pact. It’s an agreement between you and your writing community, a commitment to keep pushing forward and refining your writing skills. This sense of responsibility nurtured through feedback will help steer you toward your goals even when the path becomes challenging.
Feedback Provides Fresh Perspectives
Feedback brings a new set of eyes to your writing, offering a different angle that you might have missed. Often, when you create a fresh, new story, you can become tangled up in your own words, finding it hard to change anything. Other times, you might doubt your writing’s worth and be tempted to discard it entirely.
This is when trusted feedback comes in handy. It helps you move beyond the extremes of absolute perfection and total inadequacy, enabling you to shape your writing in a way that captures the essence of your story.
Giving Feedback to Others Improves Your Own Writing
To improve your writing skills, there’s no better approach than giving feedback to others. When you take the time to read someone else’s writing, you step into the shoes of a reader. This allows you to grasp the bigger story at play and see beyond the individual details and words.
The more you read and engage with others’ writing, the more you improve your own ability to critique like an editor. Gradually, you begin to review your own work objectively, unburdened by any personal attachments.
Being part of writing mentorship programs amplifies this learning. By exchanging feedback in these communities, you collectively improve your skills. It’s a joint effort towards growth in writing.
Joining A Group of Writers
Why should you consider joining a group dedicated to writers? Because they truly understand the essence of meaningful feedback. While your friends and family mean well, they might not approach your work from a writer’s standpoint, and they might not possess the know-how to provide effective feedback.
Offering feedback is a nuanced skill, delicate in its nature. If you turn to someone unfamiliar with this art, you might receive advice that doesn’t really help.
When it comes to friends and family, their response to your writing often falls into two categories: “good” or “bad.” But these labels don’t offer the depth required for effective editing or gaining fresh perspectives on your words. In fact, such limited feedback can be harmful. The label “good” lacks the insight you need, while “bad” has the potential to demotivate you, dampening your enthusiasm to write.
This is where the benefit of joining dedicated online writing groups, like the Inspired Writer Community, comes into play. In these spaces, you will encounter women who share the same passion as you, and understand the subtleties of providing helpful feedback. They recognize that feedback isn’t just about praising or criticizing; it’s about nurturing your growth as a writer.
When you’re part of a community like this, you’re surrounded by a supportive environment where the aim is collective progress. You’re not just seeking feedback; you’re fostering connections with fellow writers who can guide you forward.
Together, you can navigate the delicate art of feedback, ensuring that your writing flourishes.
Click here for a complete guide to building your ideal writing life.
