friday forte: feed back

owch walk part 2, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Yesterday I got some feedback on an essay assignment (which I might just share with you next week as I think it's pretty darned good!) for the writing diploma I'm undertaking (part time). I was expecting to see lots of red pen, circles, deletions and so on, but instead my instructor, who is also the program coordinator, asked me what kind of feedback I would like her to give when she marks my work.
It's a good question. What kind of feedback, guidance do I want for my writing? Do I want to be told it is a good effort, that it reads well? Do I want my grammar howlers pointed out? Do I need praise for content and constructive criticism for composition?
I honestly didn't know. The question itself made me think, what am I really wanting to get from this course? I think what I need to know is that I am on the right course fo a start. That I'm headed in the right direction and not wasting my time. I need encouragement to take the next step and just get on with it all. I need to know how I can improve, where I need to put in the work, and where I can afford to just let it flow.
Right now, apart from The Time Crunch Before Christmas I'm feeling quite relaxed about what I'm doing. It's quite a difference from even a few months ago. I know what I can do, where I want to go, and almost how I want to get there. What I don't know is, what's stopping me. I'm hoping that some good constructive feedback will help.
So I tried to get all of that into words.