A couple of days ago Damien Isaak posted a question "Cover letter. Go for it.. Tell me good or bad" and added "Just give it to me straight....."
I took time and care, recognising that on some points my view is biased, to give as honest and positive a response as possible.
I did not expect my comments to be liked but I hoped that they would provoke thought and, possibly, be of some positive benefit.
I have re-submitted some amended work and asked for comment.
While the response "Damien Isaak1 hour ago
David the fishmonger Butcher.
Would you like to borrow my WPB I have room..." might be seen as humorous is it useful, positive or informative?
I have no objection to being criticized for my work and often find even negative criticism useful when it can be applied to achieve improvemnt. Positive comment that helps me to develop my work is even more useful.
Just being told that anything is "great" is very pleasant: but it doen't do much to help me to develop.
So, what do we want on here? Unbridled praise or to be "given it straight"?
Perhaps Damien would like to explain why my effort should go straight into the WPB or, possibly, what would improve it?
Then again I would really like comments from anyone that would be kind enough to take a look.
David
Adrian - and everyone...
I want to know if my work is rubbish! I very much hope that it isn't. If it is though I do want to know - but I want to know why. (It's a real pity that I can't underline this)
To some it may be rubbish because they find the whole genre rubbish. In which case there is little point that I can see in their looking at it. In many other aspects any text can be helped by all sorts of observations.
My first concern (and I have been usefully picked up on this) is readability. Another is that, while parts of my writing can be complex and take some effort to follow, I need to know if I am causing the reader to completely stall. As I have noted before: I know what is going on - but that doesn't mean that the reader will necessarily be able to follow.
At another level I have been trained to avoid repeating words or concepts except where it is appropriate to use repetition for clarity or reinforcement. To my surprise something that I have noticed a lot (but only offered comment on privately) has been not just repetition but heavy repetition. (I'm at risk of repeating myself here).
Consideration when commenting is extremely important. I try to give reasons for any criticism, when appropriate I give examples and, above all, I state that my comments are only my opinion.
Perhaps if we want criticism on this site we can at least use it to toughen up our skins? It might be rather useful preperation for receiving rejections or no response at all. I know that those are things that I do not look forward to.
David
I did ask a very simple question for which I provided context. The question was
"So, what do we want on here? Unbridled praise or to be "given it straight"?"
I accept Damien's comments and apology without reserve.
Moving on: I too am new here. I feel that so far I have seen a lot of energetic praise and very little criticism. I for one want criticism, preferably positive - but any criticism is better than none. The criticism I have received so far has been massively useful to me.
It appears that I took Damien's response too literally, my mistake, but it did raise an issue that has been concerning me. Perhaps I found a poor way of raising the question. I would, however, like us to focus on the question rather than any handbag swinging.
David.
Victoria,
I understand what you are saying and well said. I just don't want to be marked down as a bully.and I am shocked with what has been said. people can look at my post... I seem to think what I have to say to a post I say in a nice way. I am on level 4 because I do care what people are writing about it helps me learn. I will not comment on this post any more.
Damien :(