Writing at its best reveals personal ideas. Once you write down your ideas, anyone can look at, inspect, and otherwise critique them—and by implication, you. Thus, when you react to another’s writing or when others react to your writing, you should know how to respond in a way that will not injure the writer’s ego. To help you with this, just remember the word COACH: commend, observe, ask, consider, help.
C—Commend
When you critique another’s writing, always offer commendation (praise) first. Why? Because it helps build rapport by relieving the writer’s anxiety. Remember, the writer’s ego is at risk during the response period. If you make your initial remarks positive, the writer will breathe a sigh of relief, relax, and listen ...
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