08-25-2017, 05:13 AM
Hi Claire -- your critiques in Basic are quite good examples of choosing at least one thing you like and one you don't, and explaining why. You'll find that the more you read with an eye to critique, the more details will leap out at you and you'll be able to write more in-depth feedback.
And this shows me that you get it. While you're in read/critique mode, it's best to forget that you're even a poet and just think of yourself as an extension of the writer. What was he/she trying to achieve? Why did he/she choose that word, that phrase, that style? In Basic, you'll find that often it's because the writer hasn't thought of writing any other way, or isn't aware of different techniques, so there's nothing at all wrong with suggesting that they consider something different if you think it might work better. It's no different to saying "hey, this Skype call is a bit fuzzy, how about we try Facetime instead?"
Quote:I think I need personally to first learn how to constructively encourage people whilst still expressing their own individuality in writing without pushing my own written style.
And this shows me that you get it. While you're in read/critique mode, it's best to forget that you're even a poet and just think of yourself as an extension of the writer. What was he/she trying to achieve? Why did he/she choose that word, that phrase, that style? In Basic, you'll find that often it's because the writer hasn't thought of writing any other way, or isn't aware of different techniques, so there's nothing at all wrong with suggesting that they consider something different if you think it might work better. It's no different to saying "hey, this Skype call is a bit fuzzy, how about we try Facetime instead?"
It could be worse