Are Critiques Harmful or Beneficial to Your Writing?
There are two schools of thoughts about whether critiques of your writing can be useful.
One school of thought says that art is subjective. Therefore, a critique is nothing more than someone else’s opinion. This school of thought also argues that critiques might harm the artistic integrity of your work by injecting someone else’s ideas and visions into it.
The other school of thought says that art may be subjective, but other people’s opinions matter and can actually be helpful. This school believes that writers may be too close to their own work to view it objectively, so a second opinion would be beneficial.
I fall somewhere in the middle, but essentially, I think that critiques do far more good for your writing than harm. In fact, a critique can only harm your work if you let it. And let’s face it, ultimately, you’re the one who’s responsible for what you write.
Critiques with Care
It’s true that a critique is mostly someone else’s opinion about your work. But critiques also include ideas to improve your work – ideas that may not have occurred to you. Additionally, a good critic will point out mechanical errors – grammar and spelling mistakes that may have slipped past you.
If you’re going to submit or publish your work, chances are likely you’ll get some feedback anyway. There are always critics and readers who are happy to tell you what they really think of your writing. So you might as well get an advance look at how your writing comes across to someone else.
But proceed with caution. It’s not wise to get a critique from just anyone. And once you get your critique, you should take your time about implementing the suggestions and ideas that it offers.
Tips for Getting Beneficial or Professional Critiques
If you approach the whole thing with the goal of truly improving your writing, then these tips will provide some guidelines that you can use when you put your work up for review.
- Find a smart critic. It doesn’t have to be another writer but it can be. It should, however, be someone who is well-read in your genre.
- Find someone who is objective and diplomatic. it won’t do you any good if you give your writing to your mother and she gushes over it. Look for someone who will tell you the good and the bad.
- After receiving a critique, step away and take a breather. Give yourself some space to absorb the feedback and decide what you want to do with it.
- Weigh all critiques carefully. It’s your writing, so make your decisions with the understanding that much of a critique is simply well-informed opinion. Your job now is to pick and choose the suggestions that will truly make your work better.
- Don’t take yourself too seriously. Never let a critique hurt your feelings or drive you away from your passion. Strive to grow as a writer, take the suggestions that seem right on, and discard the rest.
- If you don’t know anyone who is well suited to critique your work, look into professional critiques and hire someone with experience.
Whether a critique will be beneficial or harmful depends entirely on you. Obviously, nobody can make you change what you’ve written, and it’s up to you to pick and choose what you revise. It’s true that young and novice writers may be confused by critiques and frustrated with the decision-making process. So get a few more opinions. Take it in stride. Spend some time away from the piece and come back to it in a few days or weeks with a fresh perspective and see if the critiques have new meaning for you. Don’t be afraid to ignore any suggestions that you just don’t feel right about.
You should also be gracious with your critic. Giving someone feedback on their writing is not an easy job and there are risks involved. Never get defensive of your work and don’t take personal offense when someone is trying to help you. If you don’t agree with their suggestions, then simply don’t use them. Say thank you and get back to work.
And keep on writing.
Are you looking for someone who can provide critiques on your writing? Do you want honest, objective feedback from an experienced writer and editor? Writing Forward offers professional critiques. Visit the professional critiques page to learn more.
Professional Critiques FAQ
I’ve been providing professional critiques to writers and business professionals for over two years. In that time, many questions about critique services have arisen, and I thought the best way to address those questions would be to write up a frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) page.
If you’re interested in getting professional critiques on any of your writing projects, then you might want answers to these questions before you hire me (or anyone else) to review your work and provide feedback on it.
Professional Critiques Questions and Answers
- What are professional critiques?
- Professional critiques are written evaluations of a piece of writing. They include editing and proofreading, as well as a comprehensive write-up with feedback that is designed to help the writer improve the work.
- How is the critique formatted? Is it all done electronically?
- Yes, it’s all done electronically. You send your written project as a Word document. I will edit and critique it. You’ll get a copy of your document back, marked up with proofreading and editing as well as comments. In addition, you’ll get a written critique detailing the strengths and weaknesses of your piece along with suggestions for improving it. Your critique may also include book, magazine, or article recommendations to help you expand your writing skills.
- Can you edit or proofread too?
- All professional critiques include editing and proofreading. However, I do provide stand-alone editing and proofreading services. These services are available at lower rates than critiques.
- What’s the difference between editing, proofreading, and professional critiques?
- I’ve prepared an article outlining the differences between editing and proofreading. Critiques take editing and proofreading a step further with written feedback that includes recommendations for improving the piece.
- How long does it take for you to critique a piece of writing?
- It depends on the length of the piece that you submit. A page or two will probably turn around in a couple of days. A full-length manuscript could take several weeks. Expect a minimum turnaround of one week. Your quote and work agreement will include a time line, and I will stick to that time line.
- How will a critique help me?
- The editing and proofreading aspect of the critique will help immensely by catching mistakes and typos that you may have missed. The written critique will provide information about any consistent mistakes (for example, if there is a lot of word repetition). This is to help you identify and eliminate any detrimental writing habits. Finally, the critique will include suggestions for improvements that you can make to the piece. This could include anything from ideas for making a character more realistic to suggestions for better word choices.
- Do you critique any form or genre of writing?
- Probably not, although I haven’t turned down a critique project yet. If you send me a piece of writing that I’m not comfortable critiquing for any reason (including the reason that I’m simply not familiar with a particular genre or style), then I will politely (and apologetically) decline your request for services.
- How do you critique creative writing, which is so subjective in terms of quality?
- Creative writing is subjective, and this is a particular concern with poetry, which is highly artistic in nature and therefore the most subjective of all writing forms, in terms of critiques and opinions. However, when I do a critique, I’m looking at concrete aspects of the work: character, plot, themes, language, word choice, grammar, imagery, setting, musicality, rhyme, etc. I will not make suggestions that impact your voice or personal style. In fact, any suggestions about voice would be geared toward making your unique voice stronger and more prominent.
Get More Information About Critiques
If you want to learn more about critiques in general, there’s an entire thread you can read (here), which includes tips on giving and receiving critiques. If you’re interested in hiring me to do critiques on your writing, then visit my Professional Critiques page. Or, you can simply contact me and we can start discussing your project.
How to Get Critiques on Your Writing (Bloggers’ Edition)
Alik Levin of Practice This and Rebecca Reid of Rebecca’s Writing Practices have both suggested a detailed post about how to use your blog to get feedback on your writing.
The Value of a Writing Critique
Getting critiques on your writing is essential if you ever want to become a better writer.
You can read all the grammar guides and writing tips in the world and none of it will do you a bit of good if you don’t show people your work, ask for their input, and then take their advice to heart.
It’s not always easy. Some critics are harsh. Others are too easy going. The trick is to find someone who knows good writing. It should be someone who knows how to pinpoint the weaknesses in your work and provide suggestions that will help you grow as a writer. Your job is to accept the critique graciously, figure out what you can learn from the feedback, and apply it to your writing.
Critiques with Groups and Partners
Unless you hire someone who offers professional critiques, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll be reciprocating the critique. You can get involved in critique exchanges by hooking up with a group or by teaming up with a partner. So, make sure you can give a useful critique to fellow writers.
Buddy Up
Find a writing buddy and critique each others’ work on a regular basis. Look for someone who writes in the same genre or form and who has skills that complement your own. Set up a regular meeting time and place, and then get together regularly to exchange feedback.
Join a Group
Writing groups often include critiques and there are plenty of online forums where members offer valuable feedback for one another. You can also look for in-person writing groups that meet locally. This is a great way to get feedback from a range of writers rather than from just one person.
Take a Class
Writing classes and workshops often include peer reviews and critiques as part of the curriculum. Check for adult community classes or visit a community college in your area to find suitable classes for your interests and skill level.
Professional Critiques
If you’re in the market to hire an expert, then professional critiques could be a good solution for you. Hiring someone to critique your work can ensure honest and objective feedback. A professional should also be able to provide information about their education and experience, so you can feel confident that you’re working with an expert.
I offer professional critiques as one of my writing services. If you’re interested in getting valuable feedback that will help you improve your writing, just contact me.
Get Feedback Through Your Blog
If you want to use your blog to get writing feedback, it helps to have a substantial amount of traffic. Loyal readers and subscribers who comment regularly will be more likely to offer feedback on your writing than fly-bys who are coming in through searches and links.
Additionally, you should visit other blogs, especially ones that are in your niche or related to your topic, and leave comments. This is how you start to build relationships with other bloggers. Reach out by sending emails and letting another blogger know you enjoyed a particular article, or give your friends’ blogs a boost by linking to their posts once in a while.
Once you’re getting regular readers, a decent amount of comments, and have become an active member of the blogging community, there are several ways you can get writing feedback:
- Ask specifically for a writing critique. Include a brief note at the beginning of a post to let readers know that you invite feedback on your writing and that they are welcome to leave comments or contact you with their thoughts.
- Open for feedback. Use an image or link to let readers know that you’re always open for feedback on your writing. This is a good approach if you want feedback all the time rather than just for specific pieces.
- Team up. If you’ve built relationships with other bloggers, then you can email them to ask if they’d like to partner up as writing buddies. Then, you can start swapping material and providing feedback to one another.
- Launch a forum of your own. You can add a forum to your blog and use it to build a writing group. Before you do this, be aware that forums need to moderated and it’s more difficult to get regular forum participants than it is to get subscribers for a blog. This is best if you have a large amount of traffic and subscribers.
- Run a clinic. You can add a category to your blog for writing clinics and use that to post your rough draft materials, including a message that these posts are still works in progress and feedback is welcome. You might even invite other writers to participate and take turns posting your own material and the work of others, which will help you grow your community.
If you do decide to use your blog to get writing feedback, you’ll want to be careful you don’t overdo it by constantly posting unpolished pieces. Also, be reciprocal. Most bloggers appreciate reciprocation above all things, so if someone offers to do a critique, make sure you offer one in return. Show gratitude when people link to you, and try to return comments by visiting your readers’ blogs.
Also, make sure you have a clear grasp of your objectives before you start asking everyone what they think of your work. It might not be wise, for example, to run a business blog and declare that you welcome any feedback on your writing. A business blog should be professional and isn’t an appropriate place for workshopping.
Harnessing the Internet Beyond
Beyond your blog is the greater Internet, and there are lots of ways to get feedback on your writing on the web. Here are few final tips for getting a writing critique beyond your blog:
- Find an established critique and feedback forum or look for online writing groups and mailing lists.
- Use social media sites like Facebook or Twitter to connect with other writers and find writing buddies.
- Hire a professional who offers critique services (this can get expensive so save it for your most polished or most important pieces).
- Take an online writing workshop, and make sure it is one in which students critique each others’ work.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I find the best way to get feedback is through a workshop or forum. I’ve tried a number of these methods for sharing critiques but found that in a group setting, you get a lot more feedback. Interestingly, sometimes the feedback you receive in this type of setting will be conflicting. One person loves your poem and says “don’t change a thing,” and someone else thinks it needs a complete makeover. The benefit to this is that you have a lot more to work with and there’s also plenty of good reading that you can critique too.
If you want to get feedback on your writing so you can grow and improve and produce better writing, then try these methods and see which one works best for you. Or, if you have any ideas to add, go ahead and leave a comment.
And remember to keep on writing.
Do you have any tips to add for getting and giving a strong and useful writing critique? Share your thoughts in the comments or send in a guest post.
Professional Critiques
Writing Forward offers professional critiques for writers who want honest, objective feedback on their work from a well read, savvy, fellow writer.
The professional critiques I offer look at every aspect of your writing and are designed to help you build on your strengths while diffusing your weaknesses. By offering suggestions and detailed descriptions that explain why particular elements in your written work are not working, I can help you improve your writing.
Through the critique process, you’ll gain new writing skills and learn techniques for making your work more compelling and readable. You’ll also get feedback that explains problems in detail along with suggestions and recommendations for healing those problems.
Critiques include proofreading for grammar, spelling, and punctuation as well as editing for language, syntax, and readability. In addition, you’ll receive feedback on the content of your work, including concerns about plot, pacing, subtext, themes, characterization, emotion, conflict, consistency, and more.
Critiques are ideal for fiction writers, but bloggers and business, technical, and marketing writers, including copywriters, can also benefit from professional critiques. Below is a look at how these different types of writing are approached and treated throughout the critique process.
Fiction Writers
- Does your plot have holes or inconsistencies?
- Are your characters appealing and believable?
- Are the themes and subtext subtle or are they patronizing and overbearing?
- Does the writing and progression of actions flow smoothly?
- Does the voice (narrative) work with the content and is it consistent in tone?
Business, Marketing, Technical Writers
- Is the message clear?
- Is the language professional and concise?
- Does the writing reflect the brand or company image?
Nonfiction Writers (and Bloggers)
- Is the information presented in a clear, understandable manner?
- Are the facts accurate?
- Is the tone compelling? Does it keep the reader engaged?
Professional Critiques by Melissa Donovan
I love working with other writers and helping people produce writing that shines. In my own work, I have found that critiques are the most valuable way to find out how a piece of writing resonates with readers.
You’ll get a marked-up draft that is copyedited along with a written critique, which addresses and explains problematic elements in the written material. There will be a special focus on consistencies (or lack thereof). All of my writing services are handled in a professional, friendly, and supportive way.
Please visit the professional critiques page to learn more and to find out what the rates are. If you’re interested, please contact me. I welcome comments, questions, and any other feedback.
22 Quick and Dirty Tips for Writing Critiques
If a writer doesn’t know what’s broken, how will that writer know how to fix it?
Critiques are essential during a writer’s early development.
A good critique will give a writer suggestions for how to build on strengths and minimize weaknesses.
And a good critic will relay this information in a tactful manner.
In essence, a critic’s job is to deliver a judgment, but don’t bring the gavel down too hard! We writers are sensitive creatures, with our self-esteem wrapped up in delicate sentences and fragile paragraphs. Best not to break a writer’s spirit by delivering the death sentence along with the verdict.
Today’s writing tips will help you become a better critic. You’ll learn how to deliver thoughtful critiques that will truly help your writer friends grow into better writers. Trust me, they’ll thank you for it. In a future post, we’ll look at this issue from the other side – with tips for how to accept a critique graciously, and how to apply a critique to improve your work.
Writing Tips for Providing Critiques
- Read the piece in its entirety before making any comments or taking any notes. Once you’ve gotten the initial reading out of your system, you’ll be prepared to revisit it with a critical eye.
- Work your way through the piece carefully, taking notes about what’s good and what’s not so good.
- Never work through a critique on the spot. You should be nowhere near your writer friend when you’re reading or evaluating a piece.
- Mark up the copy with underlines and highlighting. Don’t forget to highlight the strong sections – appealing images, effective dialogue, and descriptive scenes. And don’t forget to pay attention to grammar.
- Look for areas where the writing is consistently successful. Are all the characters realistic? Is the grammar tight? These are the writer’s overall strengths.
- Also look for spots where the writer seems to have gotten lucky. Maybe most of the images are cliche, but there’s one really strong, original piece of imagery. Call this out, so the writer can build on it.
- You have to look for weak spots too. Does the writer have lots of great descriptions with just one scene that doesn’t quite make sense? Point it out so they can fix it.
- Likewise, look for consistencies in weaknesses. This is most essential since consistent problems indicate an area where a writer needs the most improvement. Is the punctuation all wrong? Does the plot go nowhere? Take note!
- Once you’ve established the good, the bad, and the ugly, it’s time to prepare your critique. Organize your thoughts and your notes.
- If you are going to give a live critique (in person), make sure you’ve listed all the points you want to make so you don’t forget anything. Go the extra mile, and give the writer a copy of your notes.
- If you’re providing written critiques, make sure your feedback is clear and consistent. Provide a copy of the writer’s material with comments and markup, and also provide a separate document containing detailed feedback.
- Always start with what’s good. First tell the writer what works, where the strengths are. Kick off the session on a positive note.
- Ease gently into the negative feedback. It’s necessary, but you don’t have to slap a writer across the face with it.
- Use phrases like: this would be even more interesting if… that character would be more realistic if… I like the image you’ve created, but it would be even stronger if…
- Avoid using negative words like: don’t, never, terrible, weak, boring, doesn’t, etc. Instead use positive, action-oriented words.
- In other words, instead of telling the writer what’s wrong with the piece, tell the writer what actions they can take to make it better.
- If you’re working with a new writer, hold yourself back. Focus on problems that are consistent throughout the piece and only call out a few issues. You don’t have to address every single detail – the idea is to show a writer how to improve bit by bit. Never hand back a manuscript so marked up that it’s solid red.
- As you deliver your feedback, pay attention to the writer’s reaction. Grateful? Annoyed? Shocked? Angry? Upset? Heartbroken? You may not be able to do anything about it, but you can always ask if there was anything offensive about your delivery.
- Know that some writers want nothing more than praise. Your critique will be meaningless to them.
- After you’ve provided your critique, check back with your writer friend to see if your feedback was helpful. Find out which, if any, suggestions were used. Offer to take a look at the revision. Doing this will help you sharpen your skills as a critic.
- Stick to your guns. Some writers will try to argue points that you’ve made. Maybe they just wanted praise or maybe they’re just emotionally attached to a particular passage. Don’t budge.
- Even though you’re not budging, let the writer know that your critique is not law. Each writer is free to apply or discard suggestions within a critique.
Have you had any luck with critiques? Any bad luck? Do you have any tips to add to this list? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment.
Writing Critique: Can You Handle It?
Last week, I explained how to critique other writers’ work. This week, we’ll talk about how you can graciously be on the receiving end of a writing critique, whether it’s good or bad.
If you want to be a better writer, you have to be able to handle criticism, even if it’s not constructive. There will be times when less than tactful or totally useless feedback falls into your lap, and you can either become defensive or you can read between the insults and find glittering gems of advice.
Everybody has an ego, and writers often find themselves in an usual position to receive reams of criticism. When your mom says she loves your short story, you feel special. When a literary agent tells you it’s garbage, you stifle a sob. When some bloke tells you you’re a hack, what you’d like to do is whip out your hacksaw. But should you use it on your critic or on your writing?
The sad truth is that nine times out of ten, the negative feedback you receive will be far more accurate and beneficial than the positive, and today you’re going to find out just why that is.
The Writing Critique Scenario
You post a poem on a writing critique forum and hope for the best. Then, you sit there refreshing the window every thirty seconds as you wait for someone to come by and give you some valuable input – something you can use… something that makes you feel hopeful. Over the course of a week, you receive the following four comments:
- Wow. Great rhymes. You must read a lot of Dr. Suess.
- You show great proficiency in the art of alliteration. The rhymes could be more sophisticated.
- You’re a terrible poet.
- The alliteration comes off as a means to distract the reader from the fact that this poem is suffering from adjective addiction. Less description, more action. You tell and poets must show. Plus, the subject matter is trite and common.
The first three commentators didn’t give you a whole lot. Number one stroked your ego and was probably underage. Number two was in a hurry, and number three was a flame-thrower. Number four took the time to read your piece but was nasty, haughty, and left you feeling defensive and offended. You work hard at alliteration, and you love adjectives. And what does everyone mean by show don’t tell?
The Five F’s: Friends & Family Find Few Faults
There are some people, and most of them are your friends and family, who will never find fault with your work. Maybe it’s because they love you. Maybe it’s because they don’t have the backbone to tell you your poem sucks. Or, maybe they know you’ve got a gnarly ego and might lash out. If you need a spiritual lift, go ahead and ask mom, but if you want to be a better writer, get outside your inner circle.
You can get a writing critique in an online forum, in a writing workshop, or you can hire a professional to do a critique of your work. If you’re lucky, you might receive helpful feedback from an editor to whom you’ve submitted a piece of writing. Basically, don’t count on loved ones for objective criticism because they are ill-equipped to be truly objective.
Wherever you obtain a writing critique, watch out for folks who aren’t giving your work its due.
Avoid Fly-Bys
Some folks are just too busy. Sure, I’ll review your poem. Here, let me have a look. Great, good job, work on your rhymes. Have a nice day. You need a critic who’s going to tell you exactly what’s wrong with your writing. Otherwise, how are you going to fix it? Find someone who will take the time to work with you and elaborate on what you need to work on.
Ignore the Idiots
You know the type — never has anything nice to say about anyone or anything. The punk-ass who could use a few courses in anger management. These folks abound in forums and on message boards because they can spew their venom behind anonymity and disguise it as a writing critique. They’re not going to offer much other than you suck and so does your poem. Even if this is true, the feedback is useless because there’s nothing in it that you can use to make improvements, and therefore you cannot grow as an artist. Don’t get caught up in the drama! Ignore and move on.
Tolerate and Encourage the Tactless
The tactless critic has valuable feedback but overlooks the positive aspects of your work. This individual will give you a thorough writing critique complete with grammar and punctuation advice. The drawback is that these people lack sensitivity and cannot see the good in others. They probably suffer from a severe case of insecurity coupled with a sense of entitlement or intellectual elitism. The good news is that they’re great at pinpointing problems in others, which is why you need to harness your ego and accept what they say with tight lips and a thank you.
Embrace the Experts
Experts will take the time to really read your work. Their feedback will be a healthy mixture explaining both the good and bad qualities of your writing, and they’ll never criticize you — just your work, and that’s important. Adore them, bake them cookies, and buy them lots of gifts. Keep them close and write down everything they say. Then, incorporate their feedback into your writing. That’s when you’ll truly start to understand the value of constructive criticism.
Be Receptive to a Writing Critique – Not Defensive
Ultimately, your job during the writing critique process is to listen and to be receptive. If mom says it’s great, smile and say thank you. Don’t go trying to get her to find the flaws. Don’t even bother with the fly-bys, since they have better things to do anyway. Whatever you do, never get sucked into any type of flame war that involves personal insults. Better to ignore meanies and walk away with your head held high and the knowledge that they are total morons.
Look instead to the people who actually have something negative to say. These might be rude people who can’t find one bit of salvation in your poem, or they might be considerate individuals who know the glass is both half full and half empty. It is, however, the negative feedback that will help you hone your craft, and give you the tools you need to target troubled areas of your writing, upon which you should focus and improve.
What About the All-Positive Writing Critique?
When it comes to a positive review, sit back and bask in the glory. Enjoy the moment and know that your writing shows promise, and that someone out there enjoys it, at least some parts of it. Most importantly, whenever the negative gets overwhelming or leaves you feeling like maybe you should seek a career in sales, remember the good feedback you’ve gotten over the years. Let it keep your spirits high.
Have you ever given or received a helpful writing critique? Do you have any special techniques or strategies that you use when you receive harsh feedback? Share your thoughts, insights, and experiences in the comments.
How to Give Good Critique
As a writer, you have to be thick-skinned. It’s a highly competitive and saturated field where criticism is omnipresent for two important reasons:
1) It’s the most efficient way for a writer to increase in skill, and
2) Written work is often positioned to receive much criticism upon publication.
And guess what? Everyone’s a critic — because everyone has an opinion. Anyone can read a piece of writing and opine that it was good or bad, weak or strong, or that it succeeded or failed. There’s a definite art to providing well constructed and thoughtful criticism, which is designed to help a writer improve, and which recognizes the fine line between personal preference and quality.
Your writing will only improve if you can graciously accept a critique and that’s exactly why you should know how to critique someone else’s writing as well.
Don’t Crash the Party
Generally, it’s a bad idea to sound off on a writer’s work unless you are invited to do so. Professional critics are of course exempt from this rule. There are a few writers who can’t handle feedback, and often these are the ones who won’t ask for it. Chances are, they’re just going to defend their work to the bitter end, so your feedback will be little more than a waste of time. Other writers will openly declare that feedback is always welcome. It is here that you should focus your efforts, assuming your goal as a critic is to help people, and not to make them feel inferior or feeble.
R.S.V.P. with Care
Some writers ask for feedback, but what they really want to hear is how great they are. These are the narcissistic types who write more for their own ego than for the sake of the craft itself. It takes a little intuition to figure out which writers really want you to weed out all the flaws in their work, and which are just looking for praise.
Case in point: A few months ago, a young writer asked me for feedback on her poetry. I was hesitant, because my gut told me she was only interested in hearing that it was wonderful, but she insisted — she wanted to know how her poems could be better, or so she said. I told her what was working, and then explained that writing poetry in all caps and ending every line with an ellipses was overshadowing the words and the language, creating a visual obstacle that did little more than turn a reader away before they even had a chance to appreciate the poem itself, which was actually quite good.
She asserted that this was her style. All caps and ellipses were going to be her trademark. I responded, “That’s exactly why I didn’t want to give you a critique. I knew you wouldn’t accept it.” Next time, I’ll listen to my gut.
Bring Something to the Party
If you’re giving a critique, whether in a writer’s group, a workshop, online, or with a friend, you should take the time to really read a piece before you give your feedback. Read carefully, and make notes, mark it up as you go, and then jot down your thoughts when you’ve finished reading. If time and the length of the piece allow, give it a second reading, because that’s often where things really click or stick out. Otherwise you’re showing up empty-handed. There’s nothing worse than receiving half-baked feedback. It’s totally useless, and most writers will know when you’re not putting any real thought or effort into your critique.
Devour the Food, Not the Hostess
Whatever you do or say during your critique, your feedback should be directed at the writing, not the writer. Don’t start your comments with the word “you” — ever. Always refer to the piece, the sentence, the paragraph, the character. You are judging the work, not the individual who produced it, and though compliments aimed at the writer might be well received, there’s a subtle but significant difference between pointing out flaws in the piece versus the person.
Let the Good Times Roll
When you are giving a critique, always start by emphasizing the good. This is the cardinal rule of effective critiquing, and I cannot emphasize this enough: always start by telling the writer what works and where the strengths lie. By doing this, you’re kicking things off on a positive note. Also, it’s much easier for a writer to hear where they have failed after they hear where they’ve succeeded. Here are your two scenarios:
1. The language is effective, with strong, colorful images. I can really see this in my mind, quite vividly. However, some of the wording sounds cliché, so one way to make this even stronger would be to come up with alternatives to the more commonly used phrases, like…
2. Well, there are a lot of clichés. You should have tried to use more original word choices. But your imagery is good; I can visualize what the piece is communicating.
It’s much easier to let a little air out of an inflated balloon than to blow up a deflated one. It’s especially easier on the person who is on the receiving end of your feedback.
Try to Have Fun Even if it’s Not Your Scene
Some people hate stories written in third person, but that doesn’t make a piece written in third person bad, it just makes it less appealing to the person who is turned off by it. Know the difference between your own personal preferences in terms of writing styles, and try to separate these from your criticism.
Help Clean up the Mess
Eventually, you’ll have to tell the writer where the piece falls short. Do this with grace. Avoid using strong negative language. Don’t say things like “this is weak,” “you’re using the wrong words,” or “it’s boring.” Instead, use positive language and phrase your comments as suggestions for improvement:
- This would be stronger if…
- A better word choice would be…
- This could be more compelling or exciting by…
Remember, you’re there to help, not to hurt. If someone appreciates your opinion enough to ask for it, then provide it a manner that is conductive to learning, and supportive of the writer’s efforts to improve. Whenever possible, offer concrete suggestions.
Nurse the Hangover
There’s a good chance that no matter how gentle you are, your writer friend will feel a bit downtrodden after hearing that their piece still needs a lot of work. Many writers are tempted at this point to give up on a piece, while very few will be motivated and inspired by the feedback.
After you’ve given a critique, check back with the writer and ask how the piece is coming along. Inquire as to whether your comments were useful, and offer to read the piece again after it’s revised.
Learning How to Critique
Constructive criticism involves a little compassion. If someone cares enough about their work to show it around and invite feedback, then it’s probably something in which they are emotionally invested. If you are the person they feel is qualified to provide that feedback, then embrace the invitation as an honor, and approach it with care.
It can be awkward at first – after all, who wants to be the bearer of bad news (and almost every critique contains at least a little bad news)? After you do a few critiques, you’ll get the hang of it and it will become natural and easy. Just keep these basic tips on how to critique in mind:
- Don’t provide a critique unless you’ve been invited to do so.
- Use good judgment and don’t waste time on writers who only want their egos stroked.
- Take time and make an effort so you can offer a critique that is well-thought and helpful.
- Critique the writing, not the writer.
- Always start with the strengths, then address the weaknesses and problem areas using positive language.
- Be objective especially if the piece you’re critiquing is not a style or genre that you love.
- Make solid suggestions for improvement. Don’t be vague.
- Follow up with the writer and offer support and encouragement.
- Be patient with yourself as you learn how to critique effectively.
