: Re: How to get feedback about the quality of one's fictional writing from friends unbiased by the friendship? It is a little strange to ask, but are there ways to get feedback from friends about

@Fox6458700

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I like to listen to how people reacted to my writing. Frankly, I don't care what their suggestions are. They are reading your book, and I think they should act as a reader does, not as a writer. Feedback such as:

I didn't understand this part
I didn't like this part
I don't understand the meaning of this part

This is feedback I like because it gives me an honest impression from the reader. They didn't understand, like or find meaning about something, and this will be different for each reader. My readers find positive things about parts and areas that I never found to be a big deal, so I focused on it a little bit more.

Conversely I think the following kind of feedback is limited in how it can help:

You should rewrite this
Maybe the guy can be a ghost! (or whatever_)
What if blank happens?

The most helpful advice I have gotten is from people who have simply told me what they think of the story, not what they think should be in the story.

"What do you think?"

and

"What do you think it should be?"

These are two very different questions. The second question can go bad very quickly. If the person gives you genuine answers about the first question you can say, "Well that's their impression, and everyone has a different one". No hurt feelings, and even better, a look into what your audience is thinking.

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