I don’t expect everyone to like everything I write. Heck, I don’t like everything I write. The problem comes when you can’t quite figure out what’s wrong or worse when the person for whom you are writing just doesn’t like it.

The trick to fixing it is to figure out what’s gone wrong. Is it the grammar? Is it the fact? Is it the set up of the document? Sometimes the person (or you) won’t quite know. Sometimes they’ll say it’s “just bad.” Don’t get discouraged. It may not be true. A different person might think it’s great as it is. That’s really irrelevant when faced with needing to make this one particular person happy.

This is when I reach back to a game my mom used to play with us after every trip to a museum, circus, movies, zoo, or grandma’s house. It goes like this – everyone goes around the room and says what their “favorite” thing was.

In the case of writing, I try to draw out of people at least three things that they like about the piece. Usually, there are at least a few things. Often, you will find there are actually many things. If not, at least you will a little direction for the revisions.

This works when you are working for yourself too. Once you’re finished, as you read what you wrote, note to yourself what is good. This lets you build off your strengths rather than attacking your weaknesses.