Gather Feedback on Your Writing

Great writers understand the value of practicing just as basketball players understand the necessity to train. Repetition of skills and experimenting with new techniques improves all elements of the writing: tone, style, voice and mood. A coach does not watch silently as teams practice and then critique every aspect of the game. They stand on the sidelines and provide suggestions for improvement. They interrupt the process with constructive critiques. They share experience and knowledge knowing their expertise can help the players in the game.

The same is true for writing. Writers who work with other writers receive input, coaching tips for improvement. Informal assessment is the process of gathering input at all stages of the writing process with the goal of improving the writing and promoting growth in the writer. Writers who request input and critiques during the process, promote powerful writing.

Think of the basketball analogy and imagine a coach giving the team the ball and then standing back to observe. Contrast that with a coach who dissects the rules, provides guidance on the basic skills, and explains best practices. This approach places the goals before the players and offers strategies to achieve success. With practice, aim improve, skills build, teamwork develops, and the performance becomes more exact.

Grant yourself the same curtesy when writing. Collaborate with other writers. Communicate the goals of the writing and discuss strategies for success. Championship teams understand the value of teamwork and good coaching. It is not much fun to play ball if you are the only one the court and your skills appear stellar in isolation.

Create criteria to measure your writing success. Rubrics allow writers to align drafts with characteristics of ideal writing. Then enlist a coach to identify areas needing revision. An outside reader can recognize both errors and areas to strengthen.

Become a participant in the game of writing. Provide yourself a target in the form of objectives on a rubric. Remind yourself, you may miss the target but with practice, skills improve. Make the experience enjoyable. Console yourself when unsuccessful. Celebrate the successes. Have fun.

Unfortunately, writers often wait for readers to assess their product after it is published. They don’t recognize the benefit of writing coaches or a peer support system. Many writers are content with letting the reader evaluate their writing after a piece is published. This strategy does not produce growth. It promotes complacency. Through the use of informal assessment, writers can examine their writing and then revise the product prior to sharing it with the world.

Find other writers who respect and support writing to establish a target for success.

Writing should not be done completely in isolation. All writers know how to write when they begin to record words, but practice with input provides the opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively. If writers produce without input from others, they are simply doing what they already know how to do. Thus, it is valuable to include interactions with others at each stage of the process.

Understand Writing as a Process

Interactions prove valuable at two levels. First, it allows a writer to reflect on her writing as she considers others’ critiques. Second, they allow readers to respond with suggestions. Below is a rubric to guide writers as they assess their writing and conference with peers. When using the characteristics of advanced writing to assess writing, working with a peers opens dialogue and explores alternative ways to communicate in writing. Writers don’t improve until they learn to assess the quality of the narrative.

Once convinced of the value of a writing coach and encouraged to use a rubric, a writer becomes committed to improvement. He recognizes the difference between developing writing, proficient writing, and advanced writing.

I am an online writing coach who shares strategies through articles on Medium. If you wonder how to move writing from the proficient column to the advanced column, you will find value in these articles. I am an online writing coach who shares strategies through articles on Medium.

Read Create a Voice that Captures a Reader if you wish to explore strategies of how to move from natural voice to powerful and engaging style.

Read 7 Strategies to Write the Perfect Lead for examples of different types of leads to hook a reader.

If you are looking for ideas about how to critique your own writing, read this, Critique Writing as a Passenger on an Amusement Ride.