Giving Notes? Here’s 5 Tactics for Smooth Communication with the Writer

Congratulations! Someone has entrusted you with the honorable task of providing feedback on the latest draft of a beloved project. Whether you’ve been handed a feature film screenplay, a TV pilot, or a manuscript for a book, it’s time to pull out your analytical skills so you can provide the writer with solid, actionable notes to improve the piece.

But delivering great feedback on someone’s draft is dependent on more than just analytical skills–there’s soft skills involved too. How you serve up the critique is just as important as the note itself (that is, if you want people to come back to you in the future, consider you an expert in your field, and not replace you with AI). At the end of the day, the author who gave you a VIP glimpse into their passion project shouldn’t be walking away feeling confused, frustrated, or defeated. They should be bounding off with such clarity and enthusiasm that they can’t wait to tell their friends how great it is to work with you! So the next time you connect with a writer for a real-time conversation about their draft, or simply send them your typed-up assessment, be sure to use these 5 significant tactics...

1. Admit upfront that the way you receive the piece may be different than the way the author intended. This is especially helpful when providing feedback to individuals who are relatively new to creative writing. But even if you’re working with a well-seasoned writer, if you signal early on that your final impressions might not match up with their original intentions, it tends to put the scribe more at ease because it hints at your good faith and trust that they actually had coherent, well-formed plans in the first place.

Once that admission is clear, couch your notes in terms of how certain story beats made you feel. Did a certain line leave you feeling confused? Indifferent? Intrigued? How you feel is an indisputable fact, leaving little room for debate about intent. It may be that the writer was hoping for you to feel something different, but if you can articulate calmly and confidently where exactly in the story you felt a certain emotion (or lack of one), you will have more buy-in from the person across from you.

2. Avoid using the second person when pointing out weak spots. Rather than saying, “Your characters are...,” or “Your structure is...,” talk about “the” characters. “The” structure. While this is a relatively small shift in language, it can have a big impact on how the feedback is received. Addressing only what’s on the page depersonalizes the conversation and invites deep, exacting critique without making the author so uncomfortable that they start to get defensive. By using this tactic you are showing the scribe you understand that the draft is not the person, and honoring the distance between the two allows the individual working with you to feel like they are in a safe space.

3. Watch your speed. Pacing is just as important in the delivery of notes as it is in the arrangement of story beats. Chances are if you’re serving up feedback, you’ve identified not just one aspect in the piece to revise, but several. When you go over the notes with the author, think of it as if you’re serving them a proper multi-course meal. Don’t load several hefty chunks of meat on their plate all at once. Instead, give them one piece at a time. Make sure they digest it and understand it, that you’ve addressed every facet of that particular point as best as you can, before going on to the next serving or the next note. This protects the client from feeling overwhelmed or lost and eventually tuning you out.

Sometimes, however, there’s a time constraint placed on the conversation. It could be that your writers’ group only meets for one hour before everyone goes their separate ways. Or perhaps you only have time to write 1 page of notes on a script instead of 3. In these instances, you still don’t have to rush. Rest assured that you don’t have to cram absolutely all your feedback into that small window. There’s a hierarchy of priorities when it comes time for a writer to revise their work, and you can do them a favor by following that same hierarchy when calling out items for the individual to address. Present your larger, big-picture note(s) first–anything that could affect things like the story’s main setting, point of view, tone, or overall structure–because oftentimes in the process of editing these elements, various bits of content will be cut from the story entirely. For example, you don’t necessarily need to workshop the dialogue in a given scene if that entire beat is likely to end up on the cutting room floor anyway.

This brings us to the next tip...

4. When suggesting an edit, also clarify for the writer why you believe making the proposed change matters; don’t just ask them to take your word for it. This is especially important when giving larger, big-picture notes. There’s a couple of different ways this tactic is helpful.

Sometimes a client will need to be reassured that a certain critique is rooted in real industry trends and mandates. In this case, supporting your feedback with relevant articles, interviews with reputable personnel, etc., builds trust with the scribe to let them know that you are steering them towards a credible path forward. You’re presenting the author not just with your own thoughts, but with concepts that are backed by other legitimate sources too.

In most other cases, sharing the reason behind a note helps to move both the reader and the writer to story analysis that’s deeper than surface level. Many experienced writers will talk about listening for “the note behind the note,” meaning that the real focus is on understanding the exact sore spots of a draft, before fixating one’s thought on how to best rectify those spots. The truth is there could be multiple ways to improve a choppy third act, a flat character, etc. Articulating as accurately as you can why you have a certain critique brings the writer one step closer to that elusive note behind the note.

5. Invite the author to explore interesting questions with you, particularly if it seems like you and the writer are struggling to have a meeting of the minds. Because not all people are the same, not all writers engage with feedback in the same way; some may quickly catch on to the substance of your note while others may elicit a little more hand-holding. If you find yourself working with the latter, turn your feedback into simple, thought-provoking questions. Then encourage the other person to keep their answers simple too. The shorter the better.

Here’s a real-life example. There was once a screenplay where the protagonist’s overarching goal wasn’t very clear. The character had so many different interests that there wasn’t a strong enough throughline to tie the whole piece together. The author had been given this observation before, but somehow the note wasn’t quite landing with the client. After all, everyday people want multiple things in the course of 1 day; why not a fictional character too?

So a new conversation took place–one that involved succinct Q&A. One key question was: what does this character want most? Once the writer and the reader started brainstorming possible answers to that question, the back and forth moved away from defending a point of view and into exploring viable solutions. That’s a sign of a good meeting any day!

By putting these strategies into practice, you’ll be far more likely to enjoy meaningful and positive exchanges with writers of all genres. Getting a behind-the-scenes view of a work in progress is an exciting opportunity, and after putting your best foot forward as a story analyst you will be far more likely to have that opportunity again and again.

As a final note, here’s an extra, bonus point to consider: encourage the scribe to get notes from multiple sources, not just you! By not professing yourself to be an omniscient muse for the creative arts or one-stop shop to success, it makes you more relatable and approachable as an individual. Directing a writer to other readers is also a great tactic to use when, for whatever reason, the author consistently doesn't apply the majority of the notes you share with them. It’s possible to part ways amicably by highlighting the value of getting feedback from multiple perspectives, since most wordsmiths will agree that the more data they have at their fingertips before embarking on revisions, the better.

Wherever your journey as a reader takes you, whether you do it for a friend, a family member, a writers’ group, or a high-profile client, I wish you joy. Story analysis can be incredibly rewarding work, because when it’s done well, you will have provided something of true value to the creative arts community.