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May
As always, you make your points so well it is hard to add something substanative. So. . , I'll leave you with. . , "Yes, I agree". *grin*
posted by
Joe_Love
on August 20, 2005 at 4:54 PM
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MayB
Hi.. This is a good and interesting post. I would not be upset by constructive criticisum, I know that I have much room for improvment.. I'm open for any remarks except .. litttle snipits, that cause me to think that the person who wrote them thinks I'm so ignorant and won't catch them.
posted by
BrightIrish
on August 19, 2005 at 7:42 PM
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Avant-garde, exactly. Hopefully my feedback will iron out the issues which a publisher or editor will have no time and little tolerance to deal with. I think that editors are right to expect certain standards.
posted by
Azur
on August 19, 2005 at 2:23 PM
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well,
if you're not honest, then they'll be in for a shock by publishers and editors. you're in a no win situation, so be kind but firm and help them develop the toughness necessary to make it in this business.
posted by
avant-garde
on August 19, 2005 at 2:13 PM
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Thank you littlemspickles.
posted by
Azur
on August 19, 2005 at 2:01 PM
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Blackcat, luckily I'm good at being me. I spent my whole life doing it
posted by
Azur
on August 19, 2005 at 2:00 PM
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Frankenkitty, thank you. I'm not sure the students think that;-)
posted by
Azur
on August 19, 2005 at 1:59 PM
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I wish I had time to go back to school,
but first I need a long vacation. Have fun grading papers. Those are some lucky students. Take care
posted by
Flumpystalls3000
on August 19, 2005 at 12:55 PM
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the students need to hear the truth!
otherwise how do they improve? By the way, I liked your summary of the blogger's technique - it was spot on (for many of us).
posted by
littlemspickles
on August 19, 2005 at 12:10 PM
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frankly...
those who don't like me can kiss my a** lol haha that's just me!
posted by
Marshallengraved
on August 19, 2005 at 10:51 AM
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great post
posted by
_Symphony_
on August 19, 2005 at 7:24 AM
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MayB... I'll try to remember to send you a link to something I find is
more off the wall but not reality show. All I really meant was something less serious. Honestly, there are a lot of us here with real jobs or other very demanding responsibilities. I won't dump my workload on you, just trust me on this. Blogit is just a fun break for me. But.... Like I already said in your other post, you can only be you. That's enough for me.
posted by
-blackcat
on August 19, 2005 at 7:03 AM
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I've found both with my boys and the kids I tutor that, even when they present work that has wrong answers or is done the wrong way, it helps to give them positive comments before criticism. So I would word things like "Well presented, however more time should have been taken in research." Always the positive first.
posted by
Ca88andra
on August 19, 2005 at 1:58 AM
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In your shoes,
I'd present my criticisms as neutrally as I could, but I'd be sure find something to praise as well; think of them as children. Yes, writers of all genres need to have thick skin. We don't learn and grow as writers without someone else pointing out to us what didn't gel. But we also need to hear what did gel, too. (If this were a classroom setting, and this were my class, I'd set up a weekly critique session, where everyone critiques everyone else's work. That way, they learn to accept criticism as part of the job, and they also learn important mechanics by critiquing others' work, as well.) So, be honest, be fair, point out as many good things as you can as well as the "bad". Be sure to explain why something didn't work, and offer suggestions--time and circustances permitting. Without being condescending. If the student has the right stuff, he or she will use all of that information to his or her best advantage. It's not your responsibility to coddle them. In fact, you'd be doing them a disservice. I always welcome good criticism, when it's offered in an honest and respectful way.
posted by
SilverMoon7
on August 19, 2005 at 1:00 AM
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MayB
I'm glad you made sense of what I was saying...I can see you completely understood my points. I'm really tired from my trip to San Antonio and was afraid I wasn't very clear. I should have known you're so used to your students rambling, you could easily get through mine!
posted by
Krisles
on August 19, 2005 at 12:19 AM
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I handle it like a pro...
I get my bat!!!
No, seriously, Use peer editing, if you've ever done it, as a guide. Edit regarding the necessary punctuation and such, then give a bit of your analysis as to what the piece said to you. Use phrases like "Your point here is good", "This works here, but might be stronger in paragraph 4", "You might try a format like this to better organize your points"...
I'm sure you get the idea. Remember that people want to know what works and what didn't, and you'll probably be fine. Also remember, some people will complain no matter how nicely you critique them, these are usually the same people who think it's gold nuggets they drop into the toilet every morning too!
Good Luck!!
ltlmac70
posted by
superflymom119
on August 19, 2005 at 12:15 AM
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Krisles, re sending emails making constructive criticism. This is something I do from time to time because I don't see the point in embarrassing people particularly when I only offer the criticism to help them. I feel good about doing it that way because I have always received a positive response. People are grateful for the feedback.
Yes, there is no explaining that conversation. I might edit it so that readers have a chance
posted by
Azur
on August 19, 2005 at 12:14 AM
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MayB
I read your post and it made such a good point....and then I read all the comments and got so lost in some other world - actually, it almost reminded me of some stoner conversation in a way - but maybe I'm just tired.....anyway, I think constructive criticism, worded truly
constructively is going to be helpful and encouraging. If a trend is noticed...a trend that one feels compelled to point out and doesn't know how to do it in terms that might be completely encouraging, perhaps an email would be better. I don't know, just my thoughts.
posted by
Krisles
on August 19, 2005 at 12:09 AM
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MayB
Keep the gloves off! The truth is always a good thing, even if it hard to digest. You have one heck of a work load on you, how do you keep up with it all??
I have had a couple comments left in my posts that were less than desireable, but when I saw who wrote them, I had to take that into consideration too!!
posted by
Offy
on August 19, 2005 at 12:02 AM
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I know Blackcat30 and I do appreciate it. But I am not very good at fitting in.
I had to fit in enough this week. I had to fit in with the requirements to design a university course, I have to review a peer's course design (that peer is my BOSS at the university), I had to research a 900-word feature story for a newspaper about property, I had to write a proposal for a part-time writing gig I am in for, and I am grading 50+ feature stories to grade. Enough.
When I said examples I want to get a sense of what you see as "off the wall". I got enough assignments.
Just recommend me some stuff to read -- no hurry just when you notice something. Our understanding of "off the wall" may be as dissimilar as our understanding of r-e-s-p-e-c-t ;-) but I could be wrong.
There must be more than Ariala's mooning post. That is like the Blogit equivalent of a reality show on prime time TV. Very successful in its own way but not my thing.
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 11:36 PM
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lol. I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your blog down! So...it wasn't intentionally funny then?
posted by
Julia.
on August 18, 2005 at 9:37 PM
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MayB... I wouldn't have suggested it, had you not asked for it?
Here is the post....
http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Ariala3669/287401
posted by
-blackcat
on August 18, 2005 at 9:32 PM
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Now Quirky, don't get the huffs. I am sitting here sipping champagne because you thought I was funny;-). I've been working on that sentence a little more
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 9:31 PM
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Blackcat30, thanks for the idea. I missed that post and am not sure why I would have featured but I am very familiar with Ariala's style so I don't regard it as "off the wall". I am not after an "assignment" as I spend my days writing articles and assignments on nominated topics so I like the freedom here of choosing my own . But I am interested in examples of "off the wall" writing.
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 9:29 PM
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MayB--
What, you didn't like my comment?? ;-) I thought it was all right!!
posted by
Julia.
on August 18, 2005 at 9:26 PM
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MayB... it's tough to come up with an off the wall post, off the cuff. LOL
I was thinking you could reply in a post about your adventures in "mooning" if you happened to see Ariala's post yesterday. You were mentioned. It was quite funny in an "off the wall" sort of way. What do you think?
posted by
-blackcat
on August 18, 2005 at 9:18 PM
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GinnieB, I think university was almost never like this
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 9:17 PM
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Blackcat, one benefit of sticking closely to the wall is that nobody writes those hanging out to dry blogs about me, or maybe I missed something... no rush about the "off the wall" thoughts now, it can be our long term project.
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 9:16 PM
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Great article....
...reading some of it out loud to my stepdaughter who will be going to Uni soon...but...had a lot of laughs reading the comments!
posted by
ginnieb
on August 18, 2005 at 9:00 PM
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I haven't felt it either...but I must be irrestible, yes?
posted by
Ariala
on August 18, 2005 at 8:54 PM
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Tapsel_T, luckikly your stuff is pretty darn good and I aint just sayin' that
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 8:54 PM
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renigade3, funny how I never disagree with you :-) wouldn't dare
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 8:52 PM
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Can't say I'd felt the love...
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 8:51 PM
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Sassyass, very true. You've walked the walk (not on water). Thanks for the visit
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 8:51 PM
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It has already been claimed. LOL
posted by
Ariala
on August 18, 2005 at 8:51 PM
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Ariala, if you want to lay claim to constipation
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 8:49 PM
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blackcat, I've yet to see your "off the wall" suggestions
posted by
Azur
on August 18, 2005 at 8:48 PM
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she's going to write something "off the wall" next... she wanted
suggestions.... Got any?
posted by
-blackcat
on August 18, 2005 at 8:43 PM
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Its just part of the real world
It is how we learn to write even better then before. Constructive criticism is not always a bad thing. It is bound to happen to any writer that submits their work, unless of course they can walk on water.
posted by
Sherri_G
on August 18, 2005 at 8:37 PM
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MayB, better aint nobody criticizes my stuff.
posted by
TAPS.
on August 18, 2005 at 8:25 PM
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If they're real, I punch 'em. If they're bloggers, I find 'em and THEN
punch 'em! lol
posted by
Renigade
on August 18, 2005 at 8:03 PM
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MayB--
That WAS a gross generalization, and perhaps one of the longest sentences I've ever seen in my entire life!! And, gosh I sure hope you were going for humorous because I thought it was great!! ;-) I don't mind people disagreeing with me, as long as they can do it without name-calling or verbal attacks.
posted by
Julia.
on August 18, 2005 at 7:53 PM
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What's wrong with these freakin bloggers anyway? Gad.
posted by
Ariala
on August 18, 2005 at 7:50 PM
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