If You Want My Feedback...Read This First

I am a writer, I am also a member of a critique group, and I have done a little hobby editing for friends. Those are my only qualifications, and I tell you humbly right now that I don't know everything and I would never say I am always 100% right. Feel free to take my advice or not.

A few points to remember:

* If you ask me to read your story I will take it as an invitation to critique. So if you are just looking for a fan, you might want to ask someone else. I try not to critique unless I have been asked.

* I only leave critique on works that I think have potential. So no matter what I say about your story, I am never saying "your story is bad." If it was bad I wouldn't even bother.

*I will generally read about 3 chapters of each work I get a feedback request for, mostly because my list of requests can get so long and I am trying to share the love. If you want someone to critique the whole thing, look for a crit partner, critique group or hire an editor. 

How to Get my Feedback:

1. IMPORTANT: Share your story with me via PM, either by copy/pasting the link to your story or clicking "share" on your story and choosing myself as the Wattpad user to share it with. 

2. Tell me a bit about your story or why you want my feedback or what you are hoping to get from a critique. The more you engage with me the more likely I am to pay attention to you :D

3. I get a lot of requests so it may be a little while before I can get to your work. But I really do want to give you the help you're asking for, and sometimes a lack of organization will see a few requests slip through the cracks. If you are really serious about getting feedback and I don't get to your story within a few weeks FEEL FREE TO BUG ME. I give you total permission to do it. I won't mark you as spam or tell you to stop unless you're doing it like every day or every hour or something. 

The way I work

1. If I read your work, I won't pull any punches. I will tell the truth you don't want to hear. I am not your momma, here to tell you how awesome it is...I tell you what's wrong and I usually suggest how to fix it. 

2. I don't sugar coat things. I don't try to balance out negative with positive comments. To me, that's just fluff. When I do give an "I like this" comment will be for things that impress me and I want to make sure you keep them or develop them.

3. I am human. I am not perfect. Nor is my writing or my critique perfect. I am going to give you my experience as a reader of your work. Nothing more. I might be wrong. I might be right. That is for you to decide.

4. Please don't feel the need to argue or defend against my comments. Feel free to completely ignore me. That is your prerogative. Arguing or explaining is pointless—a waste of your energy and my time.
Consider this: If you have to explain what you meant, you probably need to fix something.

5. Feel free to ask for clarification of my critique, or tell me what you were trying to accomplish if you would like further advice on how you might better accomplish it. 

6. If I feel like you are not "receptive to feedback" I may stop giving it, or I may hold back and then you may lose out on valuable feedback. 

7. Feel free to come up with something totally different than what I suggest to fix whatever issue caused me to get pulled out of the story long enough to make a comment.

8. Sometimes my comments may feel harsh. Of course. Your story is your baby. I understand. Please keep in mind when reading my comments that my intention is to lift you up, not drag you down. If I comment, it is because I see its potential.

9. Taking criticism well is not about having a thick skin. It's about understanding that the criticism isn't calling you out as a bad writer, it's showing you a point where a reader might potentially be pulled out of your story and that you might need to take a closer look at that point. Whatever you do, don't unpublish your story just because I criticized it! Relax. Take a breath. Don't panic. On Wattpad you are allowed to be imperfect. You asked for my feedback, I gave it. Now your job is to finish your story and edit it. Don't quit, you're almost there!

10. No matter what I, or anyone else, say, just keep on writing. Practice and experience will make you better. Just keep on writing.

Quid Pro Quo? No.

I give feedback unconditionally. I don't ask for anything in return.

I always appreciate votes, comments, reading list adds and follows, but you do not have to do any of that to get my feedback.

I don't make specific deals of feedback for feedback etc. But keep in mind that a lot of people ask me for feedback. If my plate is super full and I have to start deciding who I have time to give feedback to...those people who have gotten my attention most recently will just naturally end up getting my attention and my reads. Chatting with me, and commenting on my work are all good ways to get my attention (I used to say voting and adding stories to lists too, but I get flooded with that stuff every day, its the PMs and the comments I pay attention to).

Remember: Wattpad is social media. We here for each other. We support each other. You are not paying me to serve you. So please respect the time and effort I give to you.

Resources

I have started a book called "Things Writers Do" - Any time I find myself giving the same feedback over and over I put it in there. (Don't worry I don't call out anyone specific, its just a general advice column.)

There is also Wattpad Improve Your Writing Profile and book:

https://www.wattpad.com/103124611-writing-great-fiction-an-introduction-chapter-1