Sometimes, Sense I Do Not Make

One of the best ways to find out just how you’re doing as a writer is to ask several people to read your work and give you honest feedback. These several people must not be related to you in any way, and they must not be your best friends, your employees, or your dog and/or cat. (You probably already knew that the dog or cat wouldn’t count. I mention them just in case; one can never be too careful.) A writing group or workshop might be just the thing for you. I’ve never been in a writing group, but I took two workshop-type classes in college, and they were some of the most valuable experiences of my life.

The workshops were set up so everyone read and critiqued everyone else’s writing. We also read our work aloud to the class and got immediate feedback. (Note to shy people: This is not as horrible as you might think. I’m quite shy, I read my work and listened to the critique, and I did not die. Surely you can do it too.) That feedback helped me see my work through a reader’s eyes—a valuable skill for when you find yourself acting as your own editor. Oh, and providing feedback on others’ work was one of the earliest steps in my editing career.

Honest feedback can help you diagnose problems in your writing. I learned pretty quickly that I have two main problems: 1. Sometimes I write stuff nobody understands; 2. I’m easily ticked off when nobody understands me.

Is anyone surprised that the second problem has been the harder one to deal with?

Picture this: You’ve written a smashing little piece of nonfiction. It’s tight, it’s entertaining and informative, the pacing is perfect. You’re extremely pleased with yourself. Then the feedback comes in. Certain parts of your smashing little piece are so tight they’ve left your readers muddleheaded. You’ve put your words together in a way that is beautiful but confusing—at least that’s what your readers tell you. The readers begin to ask stupid questions. You begin to wish they would all just shut up.

What a fabulous situation! There’s so much to learn here. First, can you take yourself out of your writing long enough to see the work as it really is? Then, can you take those “stupid” questions seriously and identify the parts of your writing that are truly problematic? Finally, do you work on those problematic parts? Is your writing going to be strictly for your own amusement, or will it communicate something useful or entertaining to your readers?

If communication is your goal, you have to check your ego, listen to your readers, and admit that sometimes sense you do not make.