How to give and receive constructive criticism [Writing]

Giving:

1) Praise - You must remember that when someone shares their writing with you, they are sharing their baby, a piece of themselves, or something personal. Never attack their work, that isn't criticism and it certainly isn't constructive. Try to find things that you like about the piece - saying things like "I really enjoyed your choice of words in the second paragraph." or "The dialogue flows very well!" are good examples of praise. Try to match the amount of praise you give with the amount of negative comments you make in a 1:1 ratio. That way the author doesn't feel overwhelmed with negative thoughts about their piece and become discouraged.

2) Ask Questions - Asking questions about an author's writing helps you as well as them clarify and understand the piece better. You don't have to have the answer to the question you ask, and in fact you shouldn't! It's much better for an author to come to the conclusions on their own, that way the integrity of the piece remains in their hands. Don't be afraid to say things such as "Is that the word you wanted to use?" or "This character doesn't seem to know where they're going, are you trying to portray lost or did you lose your footing here?". Being direct and honest and telling a writer when something doesn't work is the best way to help them improve.

3) Give Direction - Don't be afraid to make suggestions that you think would improve the piece. It's important to remember that an author will not always take your suggestions, and not to feel upset when they don't. However, bouncing ideas back and forth can be helpful for some people. Something along the lines of "I think it would be cool if ...." or "Would your character do something like ... " are good ways to start an idea bouncing back and forth.

Receiving:

1) Read/Listen - Really think about what the person is trying to tell you. It can be difficult to separate yourself from your work, but when someone is giving criticism it's best to sit back and really take in what they're trying to tell you. Not everyone who reads your work is going to love it, but the people whose genre it doesn't particularly fall into can be some of the best critiques of your work!

2) Fixes - Start by changing the small things and working your way up to the larger issues. If there appears to be a reoccurring problem from many of the critics, then that probably needs to be changed. However, if it comes across as a suggestion rather than a serious problem, don't feel obligated to change something. Remember, it is your story! Don't feel you need to sacrifice the integrity of your piece to please the audience. Keeping an outline of the changes you've made can help to keep things in order and coherent. Once changes have been made, it's always a good idea to return the piece to the original reader and ask them if the piece has improved.

3) Revising - When accepting critique, you must remember that the reader is ultimately the person that you're writing for. Especially for a piece in which you're seeking critique. Just because you are able to understand what the piece is trying to convey, doesn't mean that the reader can understand it. They don't know as much about the world and the characters as you do! Make sure they know. No detail is too small to leave out in a first draft, and once you reach the revision stage, you can combine several of those details into one general idea that conveys the idea in a better fashion. Remember the formula: Final Copy = Rough Draft - 10%!