Meta: People are allowed to ask for writing critiques without providing a sample of their work.

I have been noticing alot of people suggesting that people who come to this sub asking for a writing critique without providing a sample should be immediately downvoted. I have seen people say that we should 100% downvote people who ask without providing a sample. I have to respectfully disagree.<br><br>I think people are allowed to ask for writing critiques without providing a sample of their writing. Before I start, this reasoning is based on my own personal experience. <br><br>I am not a writer, I don’t have a background in writing. When I was in high school, I wrote one creative writing story and that was it. That being said, I do read a shit ton.<br><br>When I posted my first request on this sub, I thought that I would get a good number of requests. I was wrong. I only got one request, and they ghosted me after they read the first 5k words. No big deal. But I later on found out that they were a troll. (Thankfully, the mods were able to handle the troll after they were reported.)<br><br> Later on, I decided to be more higher standards when it comes to requesting critiques. I made sure to do my research first and read the other users’ work, and then request a critique. I didn’t provide a writing sample, I just asked for a writing critique. I have gotten a good number of requests, and they all went smoothly.<br><br>I only share this because I believe that good communication can lead to a good critique. This sub has also taught me alot, and I have learned how to properly critique someone’s work.<br><br>Also, it also helps that I don’t get alot of requests when I ask for a critique. The reason I only accept requests from people who’s work I have read is because I am trying to avoid trolls. It also helps that I am very selective when it comes to requests. I am very honest about my critique policy and I am also clear about my boundaries.<br><br>I only share this because I think people should be allowed to ask for critiques without providing a sample of their work.