EXERCISE: Writhing as a Lifelong Skill (11)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 21:47:00 -0500

"QUESTION: What book would you like someone else to write so that you could sit back and read it for information and/or pleasure?

Why would you want someone to write the book you chose?  Why hasn't someone written that book already?  Who could write it?  Could you write it?

If such a book existed, would it change your life in any way?  Could any book do that?  Would it change the lives of other people?  Can any book change the way people live?"  (Page 45)

A book?  For me?  Let's see, what would I hope it would be?

EXERCISE: Writing As a Lifelong Skill (12) aka What Writers Need

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 21:24:00 -0500

From Writing As a Lifelong Skill by Sanford Kaye

"1.  Write out what you really want to know from your readers.

2.  Write out what you do not need to hear from others about your writing.

...

Example

Feedback: What We Want
    - honest comments
    - what errors have I made?
    - how can I improve this piece of writing?
    - what strong points do you see in my writing?
    - what caught your attention?
    - what did you like?
    - did you get my point?
    - where did you lose interest?

Feedback: What We Don't Need
    - comments in red ink
    - "Not a good writer." [tink -- or that famous one, "No Good Writer would..."]
    - "Good paper"-- and nothing else
    - "This paper stinks" -- and no explanation.
    - "Vague" -- and no examples.
    - "who cares?"
    - "You're wrong to think that..."

taken from page 58

It is an interesting exercise.  What do we want when we ask for feedback?  What do we not want?

You might also want to consider how you can promote the kind of feedback you want, and what you are going to do when you get the kind of feedback you don't want (I don't know if there is a good way to avoid getting the wrong kind of feedback, but how you respond may decide whether you get more, how you feel about getting it, and so forth).

Suppose you could ask your readers for just the right scratch to calm your itch.  What would you ask for?  And where would you warn them away from?

(ah, that soothing balm of well-applied scratching!  Relief is just... a friendly set of fingernails away?)

write?