Creative Support: The Healthy Way to Give Writing Feedback

Share these guiding principles with those to whom you intend to show your work, and be certain they're comfortable abiding by them. Read them yourself before commenting on a friend's work.

1. Be Nurturing.
Remember, the only reason to offer feedback is to support the writer and his or her work. This is not a test of your ability to pick out flaws. Don't be smart. Be gentle. Don't show off. Be fair.

2. Be Balanced.
Always begin with the positive -- with what you like about the piece, with its stre...