Effective writing feedback guidelines are essential for improving academic writing, but many of us inadvertently limit our growth by asking for the wrong kind of feedback. When sharing drafts with colleagues, we often make a well-intentioned mistake: asking them not only what’s wrong with our writing but also taking on board their advice about how to fix it. While this seems logical – after all, who doesn’t want solutions to their problems? – it can unintentionally make our writing worse.
Why prescriptive input can limit your writing
Here’s why we should ignore (or not ask for) advice about fixing our writing:
- Solutions reflect the reviewer’s voice, not yours. When someone tells you how to fix a problem, they’re essentially suggesting how they would write it, which can dilute your authentic voice.
- Quick fixes often miss deeper issues. By jumping to solutions, reviewers might overlook underlying structural problems that need your careful consideration.
- It creates dependency. Regularly implementing others’ solutions can make you less confident in your own writing decisions and problem-solving abilities.
- Different reviewers suggest conflicting fixes. Multiple reviewers often propose contradictory solutions, leaving you more confused than when you started.
Instead of asking how to fix problems, focus on identifying what isn’t working. Ask your critical friends to point out where they got lost, felt confused, or lost interest. Let them highlight passages that feel unclear or arguments that don’t quite connect. These insights are invaluable because they show you where your writing needs attention, while leaving the creative process of revision in your hands.
Writing feedback guidelines that work
The next time you share your writing, try this approach: “I’d really appreciate your feedback on this draft. Could you please note any points where you feel confused, lose interest, or find the argument unclear? I’m particularly interested in knowing where the writing doesn’t work for you, rather than suggestions for fixing it.”
This approach creates space for you to solve writing problems creatively, maintaining your voice while benefiting from others’ perspectives on what needs attention. It’s about using feedback to identify areas for improvement while trusting your own judgement on how to make those improvements.
After all, you are the expert on your own writing. Critical friends can help you see the blind spots, but the solutions should come from your understanding of what you’re trying to communicate. This builds confidence in your writing abilities and helps develop your unique scholarly voice.
Remember, good writing emerges from clarity about what isn’t working, combined with the space to figure out your own solutions. Trust your critical friends to identify the problems, and trust yourself to fix them.
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