Plot Twist Magazine issue #1

How To Give Feedback

By XxxSistersxxX

Before you start reading any book or piece of work you should always think to yourself that somebody has put a lot of effort into their work, no matter what you think of it. You should respect other people's work and treat it exactly how you treat your own. Just because you are not saying it to someone's face doesn't mean you can say whatever you want. Only give feedback if you can do it nicely and constructively, not just to criticise a writer or you are not providing feedback for the right reasons.

The best way to go about feedback is to give yourself goals for what you need to cover in it. The ones I follow and find the most effective are:

• What stood out to you? Did something really shine for you? The writer may have written a compelling main character in their story, and it really made an impact on you. Maybe the piece you read had an excellent meaning behind it, and you want to praise it. Whatever stood out to you from the story is what you should start your focus on and make it a positive. (You can always find positives in other people's works, but I'll get back to this.)
• What did you like about it? Always find the positives first. Did the writer have a great story, or maybe their spelling and grammar was perfect? It could be anything you found positive in the work. Just make sure you tell the writer this.
• What do you feel needs to be improved? Was there something in the piece that needed to be addressed? Maybe the writer used a lot of dialogue, and it overtook the story. Perhaps the piece you read was a little confusing, with no clear objective, and it was hard to understand.
• How can those improvements be implemented? Now that you have stated what you found could be improved, you need to tell them how this can be achieved. It's all very good telling someone to do better, but if you don't tell them how, then they can't do much about it. So if they have too much dialogue, suggest how to lessen it and give them tips on how to do it effectively.
• Words of encouragement! Throughout, you should be making sure to do it constructively. (I will show some examples of this below, but this is so key.) Even if you have been giving encouragement in your feedback so far, make sure to end on a positive note as well. Reiterate the thing that you liked about it and how your suggestions are just that, and with them, you could make a great piece of work even better. (There is a line between lying and helping someone without putting them down completely.)

Laying feedback out this way is how you make sure to give constructive feedback without putting the writer down. Who wants someone to point out every negative they have written and not even find a positive about it? No piece of work has no positives EVER. It could have many mistakes in grammar and spelling, but the story could be excellent.

This is also the same with work. You can't find any feedback to give. Trust me, no work is amazing. But if you can't find them, then don't search for them; you want to compliment the writer without inflating their ego.

Through first-hand experience, many people give feedback where they focus on something that the writer doesn't want feedback on. So this is why I suggest that you ask the person you are providing feedback to tell you what they want you to focus on. If they don't give you specific things to focus on, then you can focus on what you think is most important. But if the writer has asked you to only focus on the story, then don't give them a three-page document on how to improve their grammar. They may want someone else to focus on that. You don't know why the writer is asking for the story to be looked at. But always respect their wishes and try to focus on what they are asking for.

This brings me to my last point. You aren't going to please every writer with your feedback, and that's okay. If you get told that how you come across is rude and not very encouraging, listen and try to improve that. But if someone gets upset and disagrees with everything you say, then don't feel bad or guilty about what you have written. Maybe they still need to be ready for feedback. As long as you are kind and encouraging in your feedback, you will be giving the correct feedback.

To end, I am going to give a few examples of small feedback given to authors. Please note I also gave inline comments, so if I haven't explained a spelling mistake or when I found something repetitive, I have told them where it occurred in the inline. Feel free to use them as a starting base for any feedback you give.

Example 1 -

This chapter was a great piece of work that kept me captivated from start to finish.

Your writing style is really good, and the way you crafted the story with just the right amount of detail was impressive. You managed to convey the most essential points without getting bogged down in unnecessary minutia, which is a rare talent.

I was particularly impressed by the way you created the two main characters, the mother and daughter. They were so well-defined and relatable that I felt an instant connection to them. As I read, I found myself rooting for them without even knowing the mum's name.

The ending was perfect. You managed to wrap up the chapter beautifully, leaving me with a sense of longing for more. I couldn't help but wonder what happens next and eagerly want to read the next chapter.

While reading, I did notice some repetition in one paragraph, but it was a minor issue that didn't detract from the overall quality of the work. Additionally, I noticed some minor errors, such as "King" not being capitalised and commas being in the wrong place. Still, they are easily fixable and didn't affect my enjoyment of the chapter.

If I had any feedback to offer, consider adding more descriptive elements to the story. For example, describing the rooms or the journey to the castle in greater detail could help bring the world to life even more vividly.

I can't wait to keep reading. Keep up the great work!

Example 2 -

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the beginning of this story. The descriptive writing was immersive and vivid, painting a picture in my mind that was both engaging and easy to follow. I admired how you used the death of the sister to convey the past of the story in a subtle and effective way. It was a refreshing change from simply being told what happened.

However, there were times when I found myself getting lost in the conversation, unsure of who was speaking. The characters blended into one another, and it was confusing. I don't know if this was intentional, but it did distract me.

Despite this, I was utterly invested in the story and found myself spending a lot of time trying to connect the dots between the prologue and this chapter. It was clear to me that the prologue was significant, and I was eager to see how it would all come together.

While the dialogue was engaging, the second half of the chapter was mainly just conversation. The descriptive writing that was excellent in the beginning disappeared. It would be beneficial to add more descriptive writing, particularly during social interactions. The dialogue took over, making it difficult for me to keep track of where I was in the story.

As far as spelling goes, I didn't notice any errors aside from one word that caught my attention. Overall, I enjoyed reading this chapter and am eagerly anticipating the rest of the story.

Example 3 -

Overall, it was a good chapter. There were some good details and some good uses of smilies. I felt very much like I was reading a teenager in her day-to-day life. I have no sympathy for her, and she sounds very selfish. Which, for only a first chapter, is really a testament to your writing ability to make me so invested already.

The story was well written, but a few times, words needed to be included in sentences; it only happened in the first half. It seemed less in the middle and end.

A lot was happening, but it only really moved the story at the end. I am of the mindset that if you write a story based on the real world, you have the same rules as the real world. So it reads very unrealistic, but it's still fiction, so as long as it stays this way, that's fine.

There was a lot of unnecessary detail that felt more like filler, and as this chapter had a lot going on, that filler was optional. It would have been better to build up the relationship with C & E and explain why B could be influenced so much by a boy. Nothing was explained in detail. We are just told it's that way because it is.

Saying that, it didn't make me stop reading, and I really am looking forward to seeing how the story comes together. I was really intrigued to see who was in the intro.

I may be writing a piece right now that needs feedback because, after all, nobody is perfect, and we all need advice now and then.