Figure 1. Getting input from others about your writing can be intimidating at first, but feedback from others is invaluable and worth every bit of effort or humility it takes on your part.
Working with Peers
You don’t have to revise alone—seek feedback to refine your draft. You can (and should!) call upon your peers, teachers, and writing center tutors to help clarify your ideas and improve your writing.
You should realize that reviewing your work, like planning, drafting, or revising, is a recursive process. This means you will revisit and refine ideas throughout the process. For example, you might draft an introduction and get feedback before continuing. If you’re on the wrong track, you’d be better off knowing about it sooner rather than later — especially if a deadline or due date is looming. Some writers even write their introduction last. Writing isn’t a step-by-step process—it’s a cycle of drafting, reflecting, and revising.
When In Doubt, Talk it Out
Even if optional, discussing your writing with someone else can be highly valuable. Ask a friend to read your draft and mark unclear sections. Then, explain what you meant—sometimes verbally articulating an idea helps you clarify your ideas. Take note of what you expressed more clearly in conversation than in writing. What did you leave out that should be added? What questions or insights did your listener offer? Talking through your ideas helps you identify and strengthen weak points in your paper.
The Need for Specific Feedback
Imagine handing your paper to your roommate and asking for honest feedback. You’ve worked on it for three days and want an A. As she reads, she grimaces, laughs, yawns—then hands it back and says, “This is terrible.”
This kind of vague, overly critical feedback isn’t helpful. Even if you agree your paper needs work, without knowing why, you won’t know what to fix. Plus, how can you trust her judgment? Maybe she just dislikes sentences that start with However and dismissed your paper because of it.
Good feedback is based on clear criteria. It’s not just about whether someone likes your paper, but why. Are they focused on grammar, argument strength, or organization? Does a comma splice matter more than a weak transition? Before starting the review process, both the reviewer and the person being reviewed need to be as clear as possible about the criteria that will be used to evaluate the work for it to be effective.
To get useful feedback, think about your strengths and challenges as a writer. For example, if you’re writing a paper for a professor you’ve had before, and who has made comments on your past work, use those comments to provide your reviewer with a focus. If you’re the reviewer, ask to see the assignment and rubric, and clarify what the writer wants feedback on—whether it’s structure, clarity, or something the grader is likely to emphasize. Clear expectations lead to more constructive criticism.
