A question I have found useful for my authors notes.

Group critique is going really great so far. I have gotten a lot of great feedback on my works, and I have used that feedback to go back and edit the works I am working on. But I am writing this for everyone in the class, and I have found a question that I have used on my authors notes that has given me the most critical type of feedback, and the question I put on my authors notes is this:

After reading my work, what do you think my major point of this writing is, or points?

Let me explain why I feel that this question should be on everyone's authors notes or at least a modified version of this question. When you write your works, you want to keep in mind that you are writing this for your reader to understand your points. If the reader is reading your works, and does not pick up on your points, then your writing is going to be pointless, no pun intended. In writing this question in your authors notes, what you are asking the reader to do is to tell you what they think you are writing on. If they pick up on your points, and what they write match what your end goal is for your work, then you have succeeded in writing your work. However, if what they write does not match what your intentions are with your work, then using what they think you are writing about, you can tweak your writing a bit. And just keep asking that every time you present your writing in group critique, so that eventually you will write so that the reader picks up on your points. If anyone has any questions on this just leave a comment, and I will try to clarify anything I can.