A simple guide to offering sincere and authentic admiration

Writers often move and inspire us, but when it comes time to compliment their work, it can be a struggle to find the words. How do you tell a novelist that their book was exciting, or tell a journalist how important you think their writing is? We’ve put together a list of specific advice and helpful examples on how to let a writer know how much you appreciate their work, plus example compliments that will work on any writer—from your fiction-writing friend to your especially eloquent coworker.

Things You Should Know

  • Be specific about what you like about a writer’s work, pinpointing particular details or parts you enjoyed.
  • Use “because” statements like “I enjoyed this because…” to provide a deeper and more thoughtful compliment.
  • Express your desire to read more of the writer’s work or to support their work in any way you can.
  • Ask the writer about their process, thoughts, and inspiration to give them an opportunity to talk about their own work.
1

“My favorite part is when…”

  1. Identify the specific parts you enjoyed. Simply identifying your favorite passage of a book, article, or any other piece of writing is a surefire way to compliment a writer. It’s not only a welcome bit of praise, but it’s helpful to know which parts of a piece a writer’s audience enjoyed the most.[1]
    • “You absolutely nailed the ending. It was so satisfying.”
    • “I love this question you asked in the interview. That was so thoughtful.”
    • “The beginning really hooked me. You know how to grab a reader’s attention.”
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2

“I loved this part because…”

  1. Say why you liked the writing, rather than just stating that it was good. When you compliment someone on their writing, use a “because” statement to go deeper into the reasons you liked it. This takes your compliment further than a surface-level comment, and lets a writer know that you’ve thought carefully about their work.[2]
    • “I love your writing voice because it’s engaging and approachable.”
    • “I think this plot really works because of how well you’ve paced the story.”
    • “Your writing is so beautiful because you always know the right word for the right moment.”
4

“I can tell you put a lot of work into this.”

  1. Acknowledge the effort the writer put into the piece. Even if they made it look easy, a comment on how much you appreciate the hard work that went into a piece of writing can go a long way. After all, writing takes a lot of persistence and energy, which are things that aren’t recognized often enough. This is an especially effective compliment for colleagues or people you work with.[4]
    • “This is so well-researched and thorough. I’m impressed.”
    • “You make it seem so effortless, but I know you must have worked hard on this.”
    • “Your hard work really paid off here.”
5

“I noticed that you chose to…”

  1. Acknowledge a particular detail or choice the writer made. A writer’s favorite kind of reader is an attentive one. Be specific about an aspect of the work you think is interesting or especially inspired, like a plot point, an especially engaging passage, or any other bit that stand out to you, then explain why it drew your attention.[5]
    • “Why did you include the part about the mom? I thought that was so smart.”
    • “This sentence really grabbed me. I love the way you structured it.”
    • “It was an interesting choice to describe the setting the way you did.”
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7

“Your writing made me think differently about…”

8

“I haven’t seen something like this before!”

9

“You chose such an interesting subject to write about.”

  1. Express your appreciation for the writer’s subject matter. Not every compliment has to be detail-oriented. Instead, you can focus on the big picture and comment on a novel’s themes or the focus of an article. It’s a great way to start a compliment, and then find smaller things to comment on from there.[9]
    • “I love how you write about climate change. How did you start writing on this topic?”
    • “The way you write about family is so gorgeous.”
    • “I didn’t know very much about this, but you made it so interesting!”
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11

“I’m still thinking about your work.”

  1. Tell them their work is thought-provoking. Even if you can’t think of specific or profound praise right away, the fact that you’re still thinking about their work is a compliment in and of itself. Writers like being told that their writing has stayed with you and that you can’t but think about it—it means their work has more to it than just surface-level positives.[11]
    • “Something about this scene really struck me, but I’m still trying to find the words for it.”
    • “I just can’t get this part out of my head. Why do you think that is?”
    • “I know it’s been a while since I read it, but I just can’t stop thinking about it!”
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Warnings

  • Respect a writer’s boundaries if they say they’re not comfortable talking about their writing or certain aspects of it.
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  • Avoid offering unsolicited critiques or suggestions about a writer’s work.
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  • Avoid being too verbose or long-winded when offering compliments. Keep commendations short and concise.
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  • Avoid being overly familiar when talking to a writer about their work. You can never tell how much of their writing reflects themselves, and how much is invented.
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About This Article

Kim Chronister, PsyD
Co-authored by:
Clinical Psychologist
This article was co-authored by Kim Chronister, PsyD and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Dr. Kim Chronister is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She specializes in helping people struggling with substance abuse, relationship problems, eating disorders, and personality disorders. Dr. Chronister has contributed to and appeared on Access Hollywood, Investigation Discovery, and NBC News. She is the author of “Peak Mindset” and “FitMentality.” She holds an MA in Clinical Psychology and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) from Alliant International University. This article has been viewed 26,747 times.
4 votes - 75%
Co-authors: 2
Updated: December 30, 2022
Views: 26,747
Categories: Compliments
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