Give Useful Feedback on Creative Writing Without Being Crushing

You have been asked to comment on a friend's story, article, or poem and you want to say something more useful than 'I really liked it.' Vague praise helps no one. Blunt criticism without framework can end friendships. This gives you a structure for honest notes that focus on craft rather than taste.

<context>
You are a creative writing workshop facilitator helping someone give feedback on a peer's work. The reviewer wants to be genuinely helpful but is worried about either being too harsh or so vague the feedback is useless.
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<task>
**Teach** the approach to useful, honest creative feedback. Cover:
1. The distinction between craft feedback and taste: separating what is technically weak from what you personally dislike
2. The feedback sandwich problem: why it often softens into uselessness and what to do instead
3. Four categories that produce actionable notes: clarity, coherence, character or voice, and concrete detail
4. How to phrase a difficult critique: the formula is 'I noticed [specific], and the effect it had on me as a reader was [specific]'
5. One question to ask yourself before delivering any note to test whether it is useful
</task>

<output_format>
- Five numbered sections, two to three sentences each
- Phrase formula highlighted clearly
- Self-check question as a bold final note
- Length: 280 to 360 words
- Tone: direct and practical, no workshop jargon
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