Every writer knows (or should know) the worth of feedback. Yes, we can pass our stories to friends and relatives but unless they have an eye for details the most one could expect is “I like it” or “Wasn’t fussed”, and some of them will say it’s great just to spare our feelings.
As writers, what we really need is good, constructive feedback. It’s great a story works but we need to know why. Similarly, a pair of objective eyes can go a long way in pinpointing what’s wrong, what doesn’t work, awkward sentences or grammatical errors we may have just missed.
I used to be a fairly active member of FictionPress. For those who don’t know, FictionPress was the sister site of FanFiction.org. I actually joined both in the early 2000s; FanFiction once I discovered I could write about Harry Potter, and shortly after, FictionPress when it started. Then I stopped, for a while, but while at University (possibly a little earlier) I rejoined the website and started posting more, as well as participating in The Roadhouse forum, where you could exchange reviews.
This worked out really well. I got to read some really good stories posted by other writers, and received a lot of great feedback on my work. Encouraging feedback, too, and through the reviews managed to realise exactly what I was doing wrong, and learned a few things about grammar that I hadn’t actually known before.
At University, studying Creative Writing, seminars were made up mostly of reading and critiquing people’s work. It was more important to be honest, and to be specific; to help pinpoint exactly what was right and wrong with another student’s story. And, under the right tutors, we were encouraged to experiment and try different techniques, styles, and to be completely honest in what we told others.
It’s something I’ve really missed since leaving University. I stopped posting on FictionPress when I realized I wanted to try to get my work out there. So there was no source for that sort of feedback. And it isn’t just on a spelling, grammar, etc level where the feedback is valuable.
It’s a confidence thing, too. Entering competitions and entering stories for possible publication, I constantly found myself wondering – is this good enough? Even with stories I really like, I still get that tremor of fear. But, with places like FictionPress and in a seminar, even when the feedback contains points to improve on, people will still tell you the things they liked about the story.
So, knowing I needed some way of getting feedback on what I’ve been writing, I joined Scribophile. I’ve only been on there a week, giving critiques, and so far have two stories posted up. The first has had some really good critiques on it, which will go a long way to polishing it and making it much better than it currently is. I’m still waiting to get a few more on the second, but the other writers on the site have shown themselves to be kind, welcoming and eager to help everyone. The forums are entertaining, and the site has some brilliant articles in regards to writing. Overall, so far I’m enjoying the experience, and it’s given me exactly what I need. A place to get good, honest feedback, to help me grow as a writer and to give me that little boost of confidence I’m going to need going forward.
Unwrapping Words 