3 Signs You Might Be Ignoring Writing Advice That Can Help You

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

We continue our Critique Connection mini-series ramp up on critiques today, with a look at signs that suggest you could be ignoring the very advice you need to improve your writing.

I couldn’t put an exact figure on the number of critiques I’ve received (or given), but I’ve no doubts it’s broken three figures (and gone over 500 for critiques I’ve given). I’ve been writing a long time, and I’ve been active in multiple critique groups in all those years.

I’ve gotten good critiques and bad. Helpful and useless. Encouraging and downright nasty. I’ve had newbies try to tell me how to write and professionals who trusted I knew what I was doing and let me do it. Some groups have been helpful while others have been terrible. When it comes to critiques and their colorful variety…

What to Do When Your Critique Feedback Gets Ignored

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

In a critique group, advice goes both ways—we give and we receive. But once in a while, the feedback we offer goes ignored. Our “gifts” are returned unopened.

It’s irritating when you spend hours reading a manuscript, make a multitude of comments, and carefully summarize your thoughts with advice on how to fix any issues you saw, and then the writer ignores everything you said.

It’s doubly annoying when that same writer asks for your advice manuscript after manuscript, and you know you’re wasting your time giving it to them. You could just submit the same critique and they wouldn’t even notice let alone heed your advice.