Effective Criticism (1951)

you know it really made me feel good when Alice asked me well Ted what do you think of it but do you see Alice's the editor of our school paper so it's something to have her ask me for criticism she wouldn't have a few months ago what made the difference well I think it all began when I first found out something about how to take criticism I had written a story my first story for the paper I thought it was good i had asked my friend woody to read it tell me what he thought course i was sure he would like it well Ted it's a good idea to have a story about the Hobby club you like it huh but this doesn't seem quite right the ideas are all mixed up we begin one place jump to another and then back to the first again I don't think you can outline a kid it doesn't seem very well organized doesn't seem now look Teddy you asked for my opinion Thanks you know that's something you often do when you're criticized you act as if you as a person has been criticized when really it's only something that you have done this been criticized but it isn't easy to think of that at the time I was mad and I thought what he was all right about my story but the next day I began to wonder when the editor of the paper said the same thing only firmer not good enough kid we need a story on the hobby club but you're living clear it isn't organized it doesn't follow any outline that I can see well I've got a class and a paper to get out thanks for submitting your story but oh good afternoon miss Anderson Alice well the next station seems to be shaping up fine hon okay I've gotta run the Sanderson just leave those things for me will you please troubles Ted well I don't pretend to be a great writer but hows it fella to learn not good enough not good enough what can I learn from that what is that all out of says that's the main thing Aleph usually has constructive suggestions to make did you ask her for her comment sure I did did you want them you know people often ask for criticism and they don't really want it what they really want is praised and that doesn't help much unless it's dessert come here a minute Ted look out there you know jack he's one of the best tackles on our team is me yes but what you remember last year when he first went out for practice he would practice then every time he got a chance but he wasn't much good until the coach began to help him criticized he called it coaching but it's all the same just really wanted the criticism and he began to improve then the coach took snapshots of Jack and showed them to him that way Jack could really see himself see his strong points and his weak point that is any ever could before that's what good criticism does it helps you see yourself and so improve and good criticism is what Jack got look at him he's still trying to do better so I'd say Jack was criticism well I asked woody for criticism to law he and Alex said was not organized not organized well have you tried to find out if their criticism is true have you tried to find ways of organizing your story better but miss Anderson it is organized I see jet let me tell you some simple rules that work for me to take criticism well first you must want it then you must understand and evaluate it and finally you must put the helpful parts to use I'll see you later kids what do you think about that there's once in a few words to take criticism well I had to want I could see that if I wanted to do anything really well I should want criticism but that wasn't all miss Anderson it said she also said I should understand and evaluate criticism just what did that mean what did I have to understand both woody and Allison said my story wasn't organized but I was sure they were wrong I decided to outline my story I'd show them how well organized it really was and first the outline went it is late and then no I could not mind what I had written so I decided to try the other way around I wrote a new outline for the story an outline that was well organized and when I had that I began rewriting the story itself it took quite a while I found I was changing almost the whole story it read a lot better to me but i wasn't sure i didn't want to submit it again to the paper not without criticism not without knowing what someone else thought oh excuse me genius at work and woody I'm not sore anymore so you're not so Hey look I rewrote the story it's very good here read it oh no not that again come on I won't get mad it's against my better judgment just remember you're asking for it and I really was asking for it I wanted to know what would he thought of the story I wanted to know how I could make it still better and as he read it I thought over what miss Anderson had told me about criticism how to take it what it really want in order to do better understand and evaluate the criticism they won't do you any good unless you do we helped by the criticism and help yourself by criticizing today I had a chance right then to try the rules out well it's different I guess it's all right doesn't see much better organized no I thought it was better than before maybe but then look up here you say one thing then down here no I'd better not say anything you just get be seein ya that wasn't much help but I began to think what criticism well I did want to be helped by what his remarks understand and evaluate understand what understand woody for one thing he was on guard he expected me to get mad at him he didn't say much but he did say up here you talk about one thing yes there was something wrong there something important now I was evaluating what he's criticism and I was being helped by it I revised the story and left it for Alice and then thinking of woody I remembered the rules miss Anderson gave me for how to take criticism they really apply to how to give it as well to criticize something someone else has done you should want to help him through criticism understand what he is trying to do and evaluate how well he has done it and be helpful be a specific and as constructive as possible and help the person criticize his own work but that wasn't the last story I did for the paper nor the last time I asked for criticism I've done quite a few since I learned how to get the most out of criticisms and I've been asked for criticism to more often than I used to which may mean something at any rate I've used miss Anderson's rules a lot and now look what's happening well Ted what do you think of it will it do ah