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.

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 it 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 some thought and 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 take the podium, always start by emphasizing the good. This is the cardinal rule of good 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 destroy. 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.

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.

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.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!