May 2024 …
I have been working on a new short story for an upcoming competition. My initial draft had been satisfying to complete, at least to the extent that I had the basis for an interesting story. However, something niggled at me that it was lacking a certain quality. Initial feedback had been positive, that it was a ‘nice’ piece and that readers liked the outcome of the story. But the critiques went no deeper than pointing out missing commas or incorrect spelling.
I sought specific feedback from people who I knew had excellent critiquing skills and were not shy about sharing their insights in a respectful way. A creative writing course I completed a few years ago, encouraged feedback to be sought with proviso. Instead of asking ‘did you like it?’ we were encouraged to ask very specific questions, such as, “Did the opening line grab your attention?”, “What did you learn about this particular character?”, “How would you describe this character?”, and so on. Any response can and should be followed by the “Why?” question. The “Why” allows you to understand how a reader has interpreted the story which may be different to what was intended.
Great feedback comes from readers who are aware enough of their feelings and emotions to articulate their reactions to a story or characters. It isn’t necessarily about explaining reactions in terms of creative writing techniques. I have found that, with the reassurance that I wouldn’t be offended by feedback, I have gained a deeper insight to crafting stories.
Perhaps I doubt myself and expect that I have to work hard to achieve a basic standard. But that doubt helps me to be more willing to hear feedback especially when there is an opportunity to ask further questions. It is not about producing the greatest literary prose, but understanding what will resonate with a wide audience.
I recently viewed the ‘Master Class’ lessons by Dan Brown, whom most people know as the author of ‘The DaVinci Code’. While Dan Brown is not universally lauded as a master author by professional literary critics, the inescapable truth is that he has captured the imagination of millions of readers. This is the greatest form of feedback. Good stories are not those with perfect literary prose, but those with the ability to capture the imagination of the greatest number of people.