read, write, repeat.

One of the most important elements of writing, in my opinion, is receiving feedback from fellow writers. I think that learning to self-critique (more on that another time) is incredibly important, and being able to honestly assess your own work is the most important thing you can do. However, removing yourself from your own work and having someone else take a look at it is a great way to improve your work. That other person is capable of providing you of a point of view that is completely, 100% emotionally removed from your work.

So, what do you do when you are that person? There’s nothing worse than getting really bad, trite feedback from someone. You know what I’m talking about. “Oh, it’s good, I really like it!”; “Maybe you could put in more periods?” “I found it kind of weird and dark…”, et cetera…

First, think about the sort of feedback you would want to receive. Would you want the crappy kind of feedback that I just outlined above? No, of course you wouldn’t. Make it clear with your feedback-friend what sort of feedback you’re going to be offering each other. Maybe send each other the piece in question, and then print off their piece and mark it up. Get a red pen and go crazy. Well, don’t go crazy.  

Read the poem a few times first. Run it over in your mind, and think about the weak spots of the poem. Obviously, you should circle any blatant spelling errors first. Be a little more careful with grammar - if they have some really weird stuff going on, consider that they might be attempting to use strange grammar to specific effect, like ee cummings. Maybe make a note about it with a question mark and bring it up when you meet your feedback buddy for coffee later. 

Assess the poem. Is the poem good? If it’s a first draft, odds are, it’s probably not great. However, odds are also that there is some untapped potential in the poem. Look for areas that could be expanded, places where different words could be substituted, look for dropped symbols that could be carried through to greater affect. 

It’s not helpful to just tell your feedback-friend what you liked about the poem. Obviously, you should tell them that - everyone likes positive reassurance. But you should also tell your f-f what you DIDN’T like about the poem, as it is crucial to helping them improve the poem. The parts you didn’t like, the parts you thought were weak or underdeveloped, are the most important parts of the poem. You need to tell your f-f about these parts, and your thoughts on them. No need to be mean, but you should be frank.

The most important part is to always remember to give them the sort of feedback you would want to have. Don’t let them off easy if you wouldn’t want to be let off easy. Push your f-f to reach new heights, and they’ll push right back.