(Estimated reading time: 8-10 minutes)
Ever had your heart pinned to a wall, left freely exposed to the unfettered opinions of others?
Well, I have.
Okay, perhaps not literally (I’m not that magical), but damn near close. There were times when a design class critique left me completely wrung out, nearly reduced to weeping tears of disappointment and frustration for all to see. But there were a few times when my work was cited as an example of being on the right track. Man, I glowed. Talk about positive reinforcement.
The White Wall of Truth
The best—and worst—part of design class was the first 15 minutes of each session. During that brief period, every student would pin or clip their work to a very bare, very large, white wall. Then we’d all shuffle around, doe-eyed and meek, following the professor’s lead as we inspected each other’s work with a critical eye, learning to identify challenges and successes.
There was a little competition, naturally. You couldn’t help but notice who had their shit together and who didn’t. Don’t get me wrong—no design was ever deemed perfect by the professor. But we learned not to expect perfection and not to become overly attached to our work, so that we did not take the critique as a personal attack. It was, after all, about creating good design.
The designer was secondary—a tool, a medium—not the solution.
What Makes Feedback Constructive (vs. Destructive)
Those years of critique at school, as well as subsequent years presenting and proposing designs to clients, taught me about the difference between feedback that helps and feedback that hinders.
No-brainer there…which is better to give and receive?
Having been on the receiving end of both, destructive criticism is the hardest to come back from. I once did an initial kick-off meeting with a client, having researched and planned for the work based on existing assumptions. I was unequivocally told that I missed the mark. Something along the lines of, this isn’t what we need, and I don’t even know what any of this has to do with us. And yes, the tone was a step away from shouting, and the disdain was palatable. Talk about a humbling experience.
After I got over the initial shock of the interaction, I was able to take a step back. The client was correct. I based my plan and designs on incorrect assumptions. However, they could have approached it in a far more constructive way, such as identifying the most misaligned aspects and filling in the gaps regarding their goals. The very personal attack was unnecessary.
If the feedback you receive from a friend, peer, editor, etc., falls under destructive criticism, thank them civilly and seek a second opinion, or maybe even a third.
A Lesson That Transcends Medium
That wall of critique taught me something that transcends any single medium or discipline. As an artist, designer, writer, or whatever, being able to give good, objective feedback is important. But being comfortable receiving feedback, both good and bad, is even more imperative. Sometimes it’s as difficult to hear the good as it is the bad, but neither the nature nor the type of feedback should diminish its potential.
There is nothing more disappointing than asking a colleague or friend, “What are your impressions?” only to receive a reply of “It’s fine” or “That’s perfect.” Really? I appreciate the vote of confidence, but what I crave are areas of improvement—how to make it better, a new set of eyes to shine light on something I’ve otherwise overlooked. A novel perspective.
How to Ask for Better Feedback
If you want constructive feedback instead of empty praise, you need to ask specific questions.
Here are some that I’ve found work:
- “What’s working well that you feel I should keep as-is?”
- “Where did you get confused or lose interest?”
- “What’s one thing that you would change?”
- “Did the character/story arc/visual design/flow work for you?”
- “What questions do you still have after viewing/experiencing/reading this?”
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” — Frank A. Clark
Proof in Practice: My Recent Manuscript Feedback
At the beginning of November 2025, I sent my first full draft of Zombie Girl Omega Book Three, manuscript formatted for review, to my developmental editor. The best New Year’s present I received was her review and feedback on my manuscript.
Don’t mistake me—I was nervous as hell to send my poor, virgin manuscript into the wide world, especially considering it wasn’t in a refined condition. But I was also really excited. What a gift to receive another individual’s thoughts and ideas around something created from your own thoughts and ideas.
The most telling benefit was clear as day this time around: most of my edits were minor-ish (and that’s not a brag). There were questions about specific aspects of scenes or areas of interiority that required more externality, and vice versa.
For example, my developmental editor asked me what value a particular scene gained by being told from Character A’s point of view. She reminded me: “The point of view…should be for the person who has the most to gain or lose from a scene.” That clarification sparked a new idea, and I swapped Character A for Character B, who had something to gain and added to the narrative.
Distinctly lacking were the dreaded “What’s your character’s arc?” or worse yet, “What’s your story’s arc?” Those are some mighty big gaps that 10 times out of 10 require an overhaul of your book.
Last time I was confronted with that type of feedback, it took me about 6 months to analyze and truly understand the problem before determining a workable solution.
Lesson learned: the years of preparation for receiving feedback, the mindset, the emotional regulation, the separation of self from work—all of it paid off.
The Art of Being Receptive
All that excellent constructive feedback in the world won’t do a lick of good if your door isn’t open. You know that behavior, heralded in workplaces, called active listening? Yeah, a willingness to hear the challenges and the opportunities of your work is like that in full surround sound.
How I Prepare Myself for Critique
I’ve learned that having the right mindset prior to reading or receiving feedback makes a world of difference. Arguably, all the preparation in the world won’t prevent the brief shock that comes from an impromptu listing of your (or your creation’s) faults. However, I’d still argue that you’ll be better prepared to handle and respond if it’s something you’ve dealt with before.
So, here’s what I do.
Mental Preparations
- Tell myself this is critique and feedback—not a judgment of me as a person
- Remind myself that, ultimately, it’s the subjective opinion of another
- Get excited that what comes next can make what I do or create better
- Find gratitude that someone else put their time and energy towards something important to me
Practical Rituals
This isn’t my first rodeo, but I’m also still in the ‘novice’ category in my estimation. I’ve developed a ritual/pattern/process for receiving editorial feedback of any type. The starting point is the last action I take before sending a manuscript to my editor.
On-Hand Supplies:
- Printed copy of the manuscript (double-sided, double-spaced, with page numbers—exactly as submitted)
- Two highlighters—typically green and yellow
- Ultra-fine point pen
- Sticky note tabs in five-colors
- The notebook I use for that particular book’s notes
With supplies at the ready, I’m prepared to proceed with the real work.
My Feedback Review Process
- Do a quick read through of comments—one round—from start to finish.
- This allows me to get a general idea of the high-level themes of my feedback, such as what I’ve done well, what I need to work on, and how much rework I should expect. The key term is high-level.
- Don’t touch the feedback for a day or two.
- This allows me to ruminate over those themes and potential reworks. I find that initial ideas for fixes and improvements come to me when I let my mind wander.
- Copy/paste all the challenges and opportunities called out by the editor into a separate document (I leave successes alone as they’re not the focus of this “edits” doc).
- I include a parenthesis at the end of each suggested edit with the page number.
- Organize all the edits into categories:
- Writing Style – This is important to me and is a key way to improve as a writer in general. Typically, it’s more about my behaviors and writing style. Do I repeat a word or phrase throughout the story? Do I tend to use passive voice, or do I mix up my tenses?
- Global – These are for general story questions/comments that affect the entire book and potentially the greater story arc.
- Character – If there are general questions/comments around characters, such as their behavior, character arc, etc.
- Act – For those edits specific to a particular Act of the book
- Read through the categorized edits and decide whether I disagree with any or if I have additional questions for the editor.
- Schedule a follow-up conversation with my editor if I have questions or need clarification on any major suggestions.
What to Do After You Receive Feedback
After I’ve received and reviewed the feedback and prepared my separate edits doc, I turn to the nitty-gritty of incorporating the edits into my manuscript. This stage of my process can take anywhere from four to eight weeks on my end, depending on the edits.
Unsurprisingly, serious story challenges can take me longer to rework. My mind resists big changes. It’s not simply because of the complexity involved in reweaving a section. There are times when an edit stings—when I realize I’ve missed something obvious or need to cut a scene I loved writing. I experience that pain, live with it for a short time, take a step back to recenter, and then I can shift into problem-solving mode.
My process is not mechanical. I can’t neatly sidestep emotional snags. I can allow whatever reaction occurs to run its course and still come back to me in the end. Once I’ve processed, I dive into the systematic work of revision.
My Editing Steps
- Create a new, clean copy of the manuscript called “Draft 2” and archive Draft 1.
- Highlight and flag comments in the physical manuscript to match the comments from my editor.
- Green highlight = Success/Kudos; Yellow highlight = Opportunity/Challenge
- I use a different colored flag for each chapter, cycling through the five colors sequentially. This helps me to understand how many edits I have in any chapter. It also gives me a nice, granular stopping point. ß I go through a lot of flags. -_-;
- Work systematically through the edits, beginning with Writing Style and ending on Act.
- When creating new content, I use my handy-dandy notebook to handwrite passages and revised scenes. Again, I reference the page number it’s connected to in my first copy of the manuscript for easy reference and insertion.
- Minor edits I make to the printed transcript in line.
- Run my draft 2 manuscript through Grammarly and check for any gross grammatical, sentence structure, or word choice issues.
- Read through my revised manuscript, beginning to end, out loud, and smooth rough or awkward spots as I go.
- I consider the draft complete when I’ve effectively addressed all the editor’s feedback and my read-through feels smooth.
This completes the journey from “preparing for feedback” to “using feedback to improve your work.”
Back to the Wall
These days, when I open an email from my editor or prepare to share my work for review, I’m back at that white wall in design school—nervous, excited, and ready to grow. The only difference? Now I know that the brief sting of critique is just the feeling of getting better.
The designer is still secondary. Making my work the best it can be is what matters.
And that’s a gift worth being grateful for.
Listening to on Spotify: Wicked Games by Raign
Chain Reading: Eon by Greg Bear, Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, The 5-Minute Stoic: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Habits to Calm Your Mind… by Shyann Cooper
Writing Nook: Children of Eden (first draft)
Latest Run: 19 miles