Peer Feedback in Creative Writing - Week 10

Peer feedback is part of a creative writer’s toolkit; aims to guide useful peer feedback.
Readings: none this week. Focus on developing your place narrative for peer feedback next week.

Writing is not a solitary activity; genre conventions show dialogue with past works and can shape future iterations.
The writing/publishing industries involve editors, coaches, and publishers who help writers develop and publish.
Writing communities and writers’ groups use feedback and workshops to grow.
Benefits of peer feedback (supported by research):
- improves content knowledge;
- supports thinking and reflection;
- develops social skills through engagement with texts;
- increases deeper engagement with one’s own writing;
- fosters higher-level learning, critical insights, reflection, and knowledge building.
Feedback helps you grow as a practicing writer and as a learning tool.

Lack of peer knowledge/training: peers may seem less credible than markers or professionals.
Lack of peer engagement: concern that feedback won’t be reciprocated.
Feedback that is too nice: may boost ego but offer little direction.
Feedback that is insensitive or hurtful: criticism of personal life can be painful.

Make a genuine effort to give feedback; if you need more time, communicate this and choose a group that fits your timeline; if you can’t give feedback, consider alternatives (e.g., a friend or family member).
Focus on the creative work, not the author; avoid language that judges life decisions or experiences.
Use taught vocabulary to discuss storytelling techniques (research, narrative structure, narrator, characterisation, voice, poetic/descriptive language).
A feedback template is provided; you will have chances to add to it.
Comment on what you enjoyed about the work.
Make suggestions aligned with the author’s intentions, not how you think the story should be written.

Recognise the value of reading and giving feedback on other drafts; it’s a learning opportunity to see writing as a process.
Reading drafts helps you understand revision/ editing as part of writing; giving feedback practices analysis and "reading like a writer."
You don’t have to take all feedback; there is no obligation to implement every suggestion.
Your peer represents a real reader; feedback offers perspective from readership; if a peer is unclear, their confusion signals where the intent may not be coming through.

An activity asks you to give feedback on an example story; the example story and statement of intent are available here.
Complete learning activity 2 and compare with the suggested feedback here.
Use this example as a guide for what to submit to receive feedback and for giving feedback in the coming weeks.