Any past Tips & Prompts can be found on my website: Writing Tips & Prompts.
Writing Tip #2 - Critiques = Invaluable
If you want to improve your writing, there is nothing more valuable than receiving feedback on your work. No, not something like "your writing sucks" or "this is great" - constructive criticism, tips and suggestions on how to improve in various areas of writing like characterization, plot, story, and even grammar.
A lot of critiquing is subjective. Not everyone will suggest the same things, but not every reader will read your story or novel and see it the same way. So, you'll need to pick through the comments and decide which ones you think will work the best. It's another good reason to get feedback from more than one person. Likely if everyone says to change a certain aspect, you better pay attention and change it!
Receiving feedback isn't the only way to see what you need to improve on, though. Critiquing for others is just as important. By noticing things in the work of others, it brings perspective to your own writing.
Many times when I'm critiquing, I find myself giving feedback on the things that I am working on or things I have finally learned to fix in my own writing. And sometimes when I notice a bump in someone else's work, it's the first time I realize I've been making the same mistake.
No matter how much you write, how many times you put words to paper and spin stories, nothing will ever be perfect. I don't think anyone ever grows out of needing feedback from other writers. You will improve, though, and you'll be able to look back at an old piece of writing and say, "I've gotten so much better!"
The sky's the limit, right? What limit? ;) Critique, ask for critiques, and know that you are doing so to shine and sparkle up your writing a little more each time.
NEXT UP: Links to online critique workshops.
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