messy writing problems

14 has been at work on a fantasy novel for the last six months or so and is taking a creative writing class at her junior high school. She is disappointed to discover that the other students tend to say little more than, "Wow, this is great" when she reads aloud in class, and that no one finishes anything. I am not surprised.

Finally, she allowed me to read the first chapter and give her comments. It was very instructive for me to see the little comments she had written in on the sides. ...