# Feedback from friends



## Rivercoon (Nov 7, 2016)

How many of you get feedback on your writing by showing it to friends before you post it or try to get it published?  Once you show it to them how long does it usually take for them to get back to you with feedback?


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## quoting_mungo (Nov 7, 2016)

I'll sometimes bug my friends to have a read through my content before I post it; as that's generally no more than a few thousand words (and as neither of us have lives XD) I often get replies fairly promptly. Having someone else look things over before you release them into the wild is generally a good idea; if nothing else you'll know what you were trying to say which can make you blind to your own mistakes and omissions. (This is, of course, extra important if you know yourself to often run into issues with spelling and/or grammar.)

It depends on what I'm posting and where, though. For some content, I don't really bother.


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## Jarren (Nov 7, 2016)

In going through this exact mess right now. Some of my friends are nearly done with the manuscript, others have only read 1 chapter in the 4 months they've had it. It varies from person to person, but generally progress among friends proofing your stuff if directly proportional to bribery/threats it bodily harm.


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## ariamis (Nov 7, 2016)

i try to not get friends to look at my works, because that's a biased opinion in my favor and i prefer an unbiased opinion.


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## Rivercoon (Nov 7, 2016)

ariamis said:


> i try to not get friends to look at my works, because that's a biased opinion in my favor and i prefer an unbiased opinion.



Do you have a method then of getting strangers to read your unpublished work, other than paying them?


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## Jarren (Nov 7, 2016)

Rivercoon said:


> Do you have a method then of getting strangers to read your unpublished work, other than paying them?


Network. Get friends to ask around for you. Ask people on the forums. Stuff like that. But never give up the full manuscript at once, lest someone poach it.


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## ariamis (Nov 7, 2016)

Rivercoon said:


> Do you have a method then of getting strangers to read your unpublished work, other than paying them?


i give it to people that are either in the same classes as me, groups, that really arent my friends. but just there.


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## Rivercoon (Nov 7, 2016)

Jarren said:


> Network. Get friends to ask around for you. Ask people on the forums. Stuff like that. But never give up the full manuscript at once, lest someone poach it.



For scenes where I am looking for expert advice on something sure.  But I need people to read the whole thing too so they can get the gestalt. 
Attempts to find readers by asking on-line have so far come up blank.
The current project that brought on this question is a movie script based on a short story relatively well known in the community. If someone want's to steal it they will have to rewrite a good part of it from scratch and cross their fingers hoping no one will notice.  Yes, I have permission from the original author.  Been waiting for his comments since mid September.
Guess I'm just feeling a bit paranoid.  A friend was creating a shared universe that he was going to let others play in back in 1993.  I wrote a 15,000 word story and asked him "did I get the alien race right" and "what is the name of the clan the main character belongs to".  I have yet to have those questions answered.  Consequently I never wrote any other stories I was planning for that universe.


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## quoting_mungo (Nov 8, 2016)

Jarren said:


> It varies from person to person, but generally progress among friends proofing your stuff if directly proportional to bribery/threats it bodily harm.





ariamis said:


> i try to not get friends to look at my works, because that's a biased opinion in my favor and i prefer an unbiased opinion.


... Where did you guys get your friends, the discount bin?  I'll admit sometimes I need a bit of prompting (mostly if I'm not in a position to read when I receive the document; I tend to forget), but the people I exchange stuff with for proofreading and general feedback, well... We all for the most part read (short stories) within a day or two, and give honest opinions about what works and doesn't. If you're going to handle your friend with kid gloves you're not doing them any favors as a beta reader, anyway.


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## Jarren (Nov 8, 2016)

quoting_mungo said:


> . If you're going to handle your friend with kid gloves you're not doing them any favors as a beta reader, anyway.


This is probably the most important piece of advice. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest with feedback and expect nothing less in return. That being said, I can't tell you how annoying it is to have someone as a proofing partner who takes every suggestion a personal attack.


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## Jarren (Nov 8, 2016)

quoting_mungo said:


> ... Where did you guys get your friends, the discount bin?  .


 Hey! I'll have you know I got mine during the buy one get one sale at the flea market, thank you very much.


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