Now, this has to be an absolute YES.
Friends are helpful if they’re honest, and can give you honest criticism with regards to your work, without being to harsh or negative. They can also develop an interest in your book, and can even encourage you to do well with your book.
Have you got any critics? Got any experiences, comment below!
Liam
Definitely. But beware of friends with no actual writing experience or skills. They may not provide the criticism you actually need. The average person may detect something wrong with your work but may not be able to put their finger on it or communicate what they mean.
I know some people in both camps and I can definitely tell which know what they’re talking about and which don’t.
You might have a friend who is a expert in your genre (or may not be). You have to know what type of feedback to expect from certain people and then pick and choose. But either way honesty is a must.
Absolutely. But I have to add that any friend will do. Any perspective they have is great for a writer!
I would agree with both of you. It’s helpful to have experts review your writing and point out flaws in plot development, realistic dialogue, character portrayal, etc.
But at the same time, getting feedback from peers is helpful too because they can give you their personal feelings about what you’ve written. But I suspect that each person is going to react a little differently, because they’re filtering their reactions through their own experiences and knowledge.
Absolutely – Different People, different perspectives.
I have found most point out a couple of things and say its good. I like it. They want to read more of it. But that is just friends being friends. I want feedback, critique! I have said go ahead fire away…I can take it. But this is all I get so I don’t use them any longer. I do have one friend with editing experience so she is GREAT. And she is an avid reader. The rest are just kind. That has been my experience. I’d love to find someone who would take the time and CRITIQUE. Oh well.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I really appreciate it! Nice to meet you!
Interesting story. Of course, you want friends that can provide compliments, but not too often, and can have the urge to criticise you, whether or not the critique may be insulting. That’s the thing, you can have a friend so long as they are CRITICAL.
Great view! Thanks for sharing!
I belong to a writer’s critique group that has both: the people who love everything, and the people who really give helpful criticism. I don’t want to be told “I love it!” because that doesn’t help me improve in any way. The great thing about an honest critique from someone whose opinion and experience you respect is that you get to see your work from a point of view you may not have considered, and that’s wonderful for your next round of rewriting/editing.
Absolutely! Great views as well from an editor’s POV!
I agree, you need a group of people around you who you can trust to be truthful. In a very honest, but helpful way. I found mine through a site called Zhura, we have since grown in our writing and in our crits.
However, getting a ‘strangers’ point of view is also helpful. They can pick out things that your friends miss. I think everyone who is seriously interested in writing, should, before their work goes anywhere, have either professional coverage, or an editor take a look. There is nothing worse than missing out on your ‘one’ chance, just because you were too eager.
Hard work and determination will get you everywhere, but if your script or story is full of little holes it will sink fast. A serious writer won’t mind spending a couple of quid to see if they’re nearly there. After all, it will be money very, very well spent in the long run.
Absolutely. Criticism is the key to becoming a writer, and in the writing world, not everything is cheap…
I agree, but the old saying, ‘you get what you pay for’ works just as well in the writing world. If you really want to make something of it, invest in it. Invest in the correct software you can, invest in your education, go to college, uni, film school. But also invest in a good reader or editor.
I believe that sometimes even your friends can’t see the woods for all the trees. And that is when you need to step up your game and seek out from another more professional source.
Research is key, as is, word of mouth, don’t just go for someone ‘cheap’ go for someone with experience and knowledge.
Absolutely. Research and feedback are the two most important things, alongside writing the book itself…
I have a friend who is really good at editing my work. She is a journalist and college grad so I am thrilled that she is willing to take the time to edit my work. She is brutally honest also. In a nice way. So far it works pretty well. If she gets too busy with her life I will seek out a professional editor.
Great news! It’s always nice to have friends critique your work. It provides people with a new topic for discussion.