Comments on: How Critiquing A Blog Can Improve Your Writing

By: Steven Bradley

Steven Bradley — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:50:36 +0000

I’ll take a look at some of your recent posts then and see if one makes more sense to me to critique. Otherwise I’ll just go with the one you linked to. Hopefully sometime after New Year’s (late next week) I’ll have something ready for you.

By: Rudy Lopes

Rudy Lopes — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:51:02 +0000

Steve:

Any and all feedback is welcome, feel free to pick and choose at your discretion.

By: Steven Bradley

Steven Bradley — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 01:01:59 +0000

@Pete – I wish I could claim credit for the technique, but I have to give credit where it’s due.

I agree with you about feedback. I know my mom and my friends are going to like my blog no matter what it’s like. It’s much more helpful to find other bloggers who aren’t necessarily so close and who can be honest with you. As hard as it is to write posts sometimes it may be even harder to find someone who can honestly provide useful feedback.

Keep me in mind for your critiquing group if you put one together. Is there a post you want me to take a look at?

@Rudy – Thanks for subscribing. I’ll be glad to take a look at your post. It’ll be after the holidays so I hope you don’t mind the wait. Do you want me to critique that specific post or would you rather I grab a recent one of my choosing?

By: Rudy Lopes

Rudy Lopes — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 16:48:14 +0000

I just recently stumbled across your blog, and quickly added it to my short list of “must reads” to go with my morning coffee.

I am interested in taking you up on your offer, as I’m always looking to improve my craft as well. There are several new posts of late, but my most recent is at http://www.college-cram.com/study/rudy/weblog/the-other-side-of-the-steroids-scandal

I appreciate the offer, and look forward (in a heady mixture of anticipation and reluctance) to the feedback.

By: Dr. Pete

Dr. Pete — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:01:23 +0000

That’s an interesting technique; I ask people to read things from time to time, but no one ever seems to know quite how to give feedback. Either it’s so positive as to be useless or ends up being stylistic (i.e. more “here’s how I’d write it”).

One thing I’ve worked hard on the past few months is not having “blog envy”. When I see a good article or successful blog, I try to reflect on what that person is doing right and use that to take an honest look at my own efforts. I think that’s made a difference.

Your proposal is intriguing. After the new year starts, I might be up for some kind of reciprocal critiquing with a couple of bloggers in the industry. Improving my own blog/writing is definitely on my New Year’s resolution list.