Lee says in tags that filtering feedback is a really crucial skill and they are absolutely correct.
Not every comment/critique you get will be transparently actionable or worth following as stated. And it can be really difficult to sort out what advice to take and even what it would mean to take that advice. (I mean, for instance, even after you agree that “Needs more action!” is something you should address, that could indicate a lot of different possible fixes. You have to figure out which one is going to work for your story.)
There’s no single right answer for how to sort through critiques and find some kind of useful direction in them. BUT. My rule of thumb–first, keep in mind what it is you’re trying to do, what you want your story to be. Critiquers who seem to be understanding what you’re trying to do are more likely to give advice that will help you straightforwardly–but not always.
Readers who very clearly do NOT get what you were trying to do are helpful even when their comments are completely off base. What made them read the story that way? Is that something you can or should adjust so they have a better chance of seeing what you’re doing? (Some folks just aren’t Your Readers and that’s fine, you’re not obligated to make everything obvious to those folks, but it can help in sharpening your own work, getting it across more clearly.)
Another rule of thumb–when readers note a problem, they are nearly always right that there is a problem. HOWEVER when they say what the problem is and how to fix it, they are NEARLY ALWAYS WRONG. So, let’s say your readers all trip over a particular place and tell you that you need to give them more information about X. Chances are you need to go back and cut something that made them ask the question to begin with. Or the “More action” above–do you really need more action in that spot? Or is there a pacing issue leading up to that spot? Almost always, when a reader points to where a problem is, the actual problem is actually somewhere previous.
Sorting through critiques and figuring out which ones will help you make your story more what you want it to be, and how to take that advice, is a complicated and super important skill.
