Crafting Constructive Criticism for Writers (a step-by-step guide)

Creating constructive criticism for a writer is no casual favour. It requires intention and careful thoughts to provide useful critiques and avoid unhelpful complaints.

One of the most intimidating experiences for any writer is asking for feedback. It is vulnerable to put your words in front of another person for their judgement, no matter if their relation to you is personal or professional. As a writer myself, I know first-hand exactly how daunting sharing your writing can be. Receiving unhelpful feedback is at best a waste of time and at worst a devastating hit to my writing process and confidence.

There is a particular process needed to find a balance of identifying issues without tearing down a writer or their words: Go too far and you could impact the writer’s confidence, not far enough and you will coddle their mistakes.

Keep reading to learn:

What is Constructive Criticism (and what isn’t)

Constructive criticism is a specific form of feedback designed to help the recipient to improve their work. The key word is ‘constructive’ – the comments are aimed at building upon the existing work, not tearing it down.

I recently shared some reflections on why rejection is so difficult for writers – How to Deal With Rejection as a Writer – and it’s important to remember that negative feedback can be interpreted as a form of failure. Writing, regardless of whether it is personal, creative, or technical, is a vulnerable medium and direct form of self-expression. If a writer is trusting you with reading their work, they are also trusting you with this vulnerability.

In some cases, particularly with more personal work, a writer might be more susceptible to self-doubt and negative self-talk on receiving feedback on their writing. Whilst it’s important to provide accurate and functional feedback after reading their work, there is an art to doing so in a thoughtful and intentional way that both informs and encourages the recipient: this is true constructive criticism.

Useful Feedback vs Negative Comments

Sometimes the difference between useful feedback and unhelpful negative comments can be nuanced. Use this chart to identify helpful vs unhelpful critiques as well as find alternatives for your comments.

Negative Comments	Useful Feedback
This doesn’t make sense.	Try clarifying what this sentence means.
Your spelling/grammar needs fixing.	I’ve highlighted a few spelling/grammatical errors for you to correct quickly.
I don’t like this character.	How do you intend the reader to feel about this character? I’m struggling to connect with their actions and would love to see a clearer character arc.
There’s too much description.	This section is very description-heavy which distracts from the plot. Is there a way to reduce the exposition and get more quickly to the action?
You’re missing information.	There is a gap in context between these two points for non-experts in this field.

How to craft constructive criticism for writers (a step-by-step guide)

Now you have a grasp of what constructive criticism means, it’s time to start the process of actually crafting some! Follow these five steps to create feedback that is actionable, intentional, and useful.

Step 1: Get the Brief

Not all feedback requests are the same. Before agreeing to read over a writer’s work, it is essential to know what type of response they are looking to get from you. This might be a comprehensive set of detailed edit notes but it may also be a confidence read with the writer simply looking to get the first nod of approval from an outside reader.

If the type of response the writer is looking for is not something you feel comfortable providing then politely decline their request and offer to read their work at a later date. Make sure you and the writer have aligned expectations to avoid disappointment or conflict in the future.

Step 2: Read with Purpose

Reading over a writer’s work should be taken seriously. As such, make sure to set aside time dedicated to the task and keep in mind the type of feedback you will be providing. I typically recommend the first read to be as uninterrupted as possible without making notes or comments until reaching the end.

This is to best create the conditions of a future reader not looking for issues but reading to absorb the contents of the words. Beyond this, there may be issues resolved within the text as you read further or new conflicting ideas that will change your initial responses.

Step 3: Initial Notes

On finishing your first read-through, try and spend some time jotting down your immediate thoughts. Make a note of your first response to the work to later compare to your lasting thoughts or impression as well as any questions about the content that might have arisen.

On the second read, you will likely stop to make new notes and explore feedback ideas. This first feedback draft does not have to be comprehensive or overly clear, it is more important to cover your genuine thoughts, feelings, and responses.

Step 4: Identifying Key Points

Look over your notes and try to identify the central 3-4 areas that need improvement. Be as specific as possible, for instance instead of choosing “plot” you may write down “plot loses momentum through the midsection”.

Outline your feedback using the sandwich method: start and finish with a positive. Tell the writer what you liked before and after sharing your constructive elements. Break your key points into short paragraphs using clear sentences or bullet points to highlight the exact issues and amendment suggestions.

Step 5: Proof Reading

You want to ensure your feedback is clear and useful. Take a moment to read over it and ask yourself whether each point is intentional in recognising a specific problem and offering a potential solution.

Remember the golden rule: Negative feedback tears apart, and constructive criticism builds upon.

Be wary of any taste-based feedback and feel free to add comments like “In my opinion” or “Feel free to disregard” when it comes to personal preference-based notes. I like to lead any feedback with the sentence “This is my subjective thoughts and you, of course, know best. If something doesn’t serve you, feel free to throw it away.”.

Ultimately, it is not your choice what notes the reader chooses to take or disregard so don’t take their amendment decisions too personally!

What Not to Do

During your proofreading process, you may want to look out for these feedback red flags that might signal comments that are likely to elicit a negative response from the recipient:

Four Things to Avoid When Writing Feedback

Making vague and sweeping statements: Comments like “the tone is strange” or “elaborate more” often do more harm than good as the writer can easily fall into a spiral of confusion trying to guess what you mean by ‘more’, ‘different’, or ‘better’. Instead, be as specific as possible and refer to exact pages, paragraphs, or even sentences.
Allowing your mood to influence your feedback: Exhaustion, irritation, or jealousy will impact the way you interpret a piece of text. For instance, when in a bad mood, you are more likely to dislike something and find faults you may otherwise not see on a different day. Try to read the work when in a good or ideally neutral mood so that your opinions are not affected by your temporary feelings.
Repeating the same point: Even when a mistake reoccurs in the text, it is better to address it only once in your feedback. This avoids ‘beating in’ the point and makes space for another feedback suggestion instead. If necessary, you can highlight the issue throughout the text without repeatedly pointing it out in your notes.
Giving direct change demands: It’s important to keep in mind that this is not your project. No matter how good you feel your suggestions might be, they are not yours to enforce. Avoid giving notes that begin with “do this” so that space is given to the writer to make changes in the way they feel is best. It’s fine to make suggestions, but try to introduce them as possibilities, not directions e.g. “Maybe x would sound better” or “You could try replacing this with something more interesting like x”.

Summary

In many ways, a writer requesting feedback from you is a huge compliment – they are telling you that they respect your opinions, would love your thoughts, and want your help on a project that may have great professional or personal worth.

The writer wants to know your genuine thoughts and you shouldn’t hold back on your critique for fear of hurting their feelings. Every point, no matter how large, is valid if framed via constructive criticism and the clearer you can be, the more easily the writer can action your advice.

For more reading on writing confidence, check out:
How to Build Writing Confidence

10 Steps to Access Your Creative Flow

Crafting Constructive Criticism for Writers (a step-by-step guide)