Writing is a solitary pursuit, one where authors spend countless hours of their lives, often laboring over a single sentence or paragraph for more time than most of us care to admit. So, it’s only natural that we become protective of our words. After all, something that took hours to perfect must be, well, perfect, right?

If only that were so. Unfortunately, as writers, we are simply too close to our work to see the flaws. Oh, we may find the typo on page 75 on reread, the one where we’ve called a car a cat (though even that is iffy), but the overuse of a favorite trope, phrase, or gesture (my characters love to nod). Maybe not so much. And that’s why we need feedback.

Feedback comes in many forms and at various stages of the writing process. The most important thing to remember is that the writer should be looking for an honest and unbiased evaluation of their work. The author may not agree with every comment or suggestion, but they should at least consider each one without becoming defensive. I like to think of honest feedback as “thick skin” training for writers. And believe me, we writers need a thick skin.

Recently, I responded to a request from Clay Stafford, founder of Killer Nashville, for articles for his excellent online Killer Nashville Magazine. I submitted an article on The Importance of Honest Feedback, why it’s important, and where to get it. This week, it was published in the December 2024 issue of the magazine.

If you’re a writer, I hope you find the article helpful. If you’re a reader, I hope you find this behind-the-scenes look at the life of a writer interesting. Here’s the link: The Importance of Honest Feedback.