FEEDBACK:  HOW TO GIVE AND RECEIVE IT

 

One of the most basic issues in all of writing is feedback.  How do we give it?  How do we take it?  Here are some observations and suggestions.  For experienced writers they should be a reminder.  For newcomers they can serve as a basic guide to feedback.

 

FOR THE WRITER GETTING FEEDBACK

  1. Come prepared.  Be ready to think about and discuss your own work.  No one knows your writing better than you, and no one knows the issues your play has better, either.  Come with areas of concern and questions to ask the class.

 

  1. Listen.  You may not always agree with everything everyone says, but listen to them and things you didn’t expect might have sudden resonance.

 

  1. Don’t get defensive.

 

  1. Don’t engage in debate.

 

  1. Follow the “three comment rule.”  If an issue comes up or is agreed upon by three separate sources, think about that comment, even if it wasn’t on your original list.  Keep in mind that what we have in our workshop is a simulation audience.  You may be tempted to dismiss their comments, but it’s better to hear it politely from them than to have any audience walk out on your play.

 

  1. Don’t try to please everyone.

 

  1. Don’t try to please the instructor.  Just because I say something, that doesn’t mean it definitely needs to be changed.  Mine is just a single opinion out of many.

 

  1. Follow your gut.  Only you truly know what’s going to make your play better.  If comments don’t fit with your own thinking about your play, discard them.

 

FOR THE WRITER GIVING FEEDBACK

  1. Be honest.  Telling people what you think they want to hear isn’t helpful to anyone.

 

  1. Be constructive.  I loved it.  I hated it.  These are not helpful.

 

  1. Be specific.  Focus on specifics in the text.  Ie. “The character’s monologue before she commits suicide didn’t really fit her character.”

 

  1. Focus on what the writer is interested in learning about.  Everyone concentrates on different aspects of their works at different times.  Rambling about the characters’ motivations when the writer is asking about the ending won’t help him/her with the play.  If the writer wants to open up the table to comments he/she has not addressed, he/she will ask for that.

 

  1. Be articulate.  Try to explain your thoughts as clearly and concisely as possible.  Though gut reactions can be immensely helpful, pause for a moment so that you can articulate them in a way everyone at the table can understand.  Don’t be afraid to think before you speak; we’ll wait for you.

 

  1. Think about the positives as well as the negatives.  It’s usually easier to point out what we think didn’t work than what we did, but the writer also needs to know what he/she should keep.

 

  1. Avoid prescriptions.  This is the writer’s work, not yours.  If you think something didn’t work, say so, but don’t tell him/her how you would fix it.  The writer must figure that out on his/her own.

 

  1. Avoid ideological prescriptions.  “I would love more feminist consciousness in your work.” or “Could you tone down the male bashing?”  The writer’s point of view should be respected.  Ultimately, the question is how does the play work in and of itself?  If ideology is an issue, does it help or hinder the writing from being better?  If you don’t agree with the ideology, does that make it a bad play?

 

  1. Listen to the writer.  If the writer doesn’t want to discuss a particular issue, stop.  The writer gets to decide what gets discussed at all times.  A writer may not want to hear feedback about a particular issue at a given time because he/she is not ready for it.  Even if it’s important, after giving the writer the opportunity to listen to your feedback, if the writer says no, the discussion ends.

 

  1. Be respectful.