The greater our level of involvement in a project or endeavour – whether it’s writing a novel, championing a movement, making home improvements, or even raising children – the more challenging it becomes to perceive our work objectively.
When we get to a point where we have been working on the project for a very long time, we can also fall into routine, patterns, and automatic or habitual responses to issues. We can hope and imagine the writing is excellent or the metaphors clear, and struggle to judge if they are. As a journalist writing about Mexico from Mexico, I can lose sight sometimes of the context of English-language readers as they try to understand Mexico from other countries.
Hence, an outside perspective is indispensable. Whether that takes the form of article editors, beta readers or other readers providing feedback, parent groups where people share their experiences, or activists from other movements sharing their methods – we absolutely need outside input.
Outsiders can bring new knowledge, unique perspectives, ideas, challenge our assumptions, spot unnoticed opportunities, question things we have accepted, see problems and patterns, and hence encourage us to try new things.
Outsiders can be limited as well – but their limitations are a blessing in many ways. A reader of my current novel may not know its core themes well, and may not even be a writer, so they may feel unqualified to comment on some topics. But, they will ask questions that, as someone immersed in my work, would not have occurred to me. They will point out gaps in clarity or moments when my writing is too direct, while I might glaze over those issues because I am confident in what I was intending to do or am emotionally attached to telling the story a certain way.
When I was in high school, I would talk through my essays with my mum. She hadn’t been in my classes and wasn’t typically up to speed on the topics – but that was invaluable. Because that meant I had to work harder to explain the subject matter. I had to see the subject matter from her perspective, in order to communicate coherently. That shift in perspective, and the questions she asked, were often more than enough to shake me up and help me develop my essay arguments. Her confused face at times, may have woken me up to weaknesses in my arguments and therefore I strived harder.
Feedback is essential, but it can take many forms. Red lines through writing, or insults and judgement aren’t constructive. But when we are receptive to honest criticism and input, we are much more able to grow and improve whatever it is we are doing. Outsider input can be energising, and the new perspective can bring us new enthusiasm to something we may have started to do robotically.
resistance words 