Welcome to February, Muse Readers!
We often receive questions from writers about the most effective way to give feedback in the context of a writing critique group. In order to give you some guidance on critiquing the work of fellow writers, we’ve done a little historical research on some of the individuals who have been considered the best “feedback givers” in literary circles. We discovered some wonderful suggestions for critiquing work from the notable editor, Maxwell Perkins, who worked in the early 20th century for the publishing company Scribner’s.
Perkins edited, gave feedback to, and became a mentor to some of the giants in the literary field: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald, Katherine Anne Porter, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, to name a few. Perkins was known for his gentle and supportive editorial style. He believed in giving writers creative freedom and was appreciated for his patience and ability to guide authors to improve their work wi…