There is nothing more necessary, or more dangerous, in writing than critiquing. You will learn more by critiquing other people’s work than by just writing. You are removed from the piece. You can see it with virgin eyes and see all the cracks in the surface. Then you start seeing them in your own writing. With a little luck, you’ll be able to patch the ones that would bring the whole thing crumbling down.
In addition, if you are a good critic, then people will want you to critique their work. That usually means that they will critique yours, as well. At the very least you will develop a support network of writers. While writers do compete with each other for work, there is always a market, anthology, or other project that someone might think is right for you. Small presses are generally run by writers. Anthologies are usually edited by writers. It’s always good to know people, in any business.
If you are a bad critic, no one will want to deal with you. They will avoid you, if humanly possible, curse your name when they see it in the slush pile, and kill you in their horror novel. It is very important that you don’t suck at this.
So, how do you go about being a good critic? It takes practice above all else, but here are some guidelines that have served me well:
DO:
- Address structural issues. Do the scenes relate well together. Are there any that would be better suited for a different place in the story? Are there any that seem to drag, or feel rushed? Are there metaphors or mechanisms that don’t work?
- Address characterizations. Are they believable, likable, or above all else interesting?
- Give suggestions. The thing about writing is that everyone has a different perspective. You may have an idea for something in the story that the writer never would have thought of on his/her own. A lot of times, they just need a little nudge to go off in a new, amazing direction.
- It’s okay to admit you don’t know. If you don’t understand something, tell the writer that. If something doesn’t work for you, but you really can’t articulate why, tell the writer. You can’t fix things unless you know they are broken.
DO NOT:
- Do not harp on spelling. Writers have dictionaries. They have spellcheck. They have editors. Unless you have been told it is a final draft and are specifically asked for a line edit, don’t waste their time telling them they misspelled “president.”
- Do not tell them it sucks. I don’t care if it is such a steaming pile of excrement that you have to swat flies away as you read it. Tell them how it can be better. We are in the business of constructive criticism, with the emphasis on constructive. Don’t be an asshole, but do be honest. Being nice about something that doesn’t work doesn’t help anyone, but remember the writer spent time on this story, and has some level of pride in it, regardless of what they say.
- Do not end it on a negative. Writers seek out critiques in order to improve. Leave them with a comment about something you really liked, and encourage them to develop it.
Critiquing is an important part of writing. It isn’t easy. Sometimes, your ego gets bruised a little bit, but it is worth it. One of the harshest critiques I ever got on a story (entirely justified) resulted in a major restructuring of the story, including complete deletion of my protagonist and a change of point of view. The revised story was sold to Bete Noire Magazine and will be part of their Halloween double issue.
Be a good critic, and make your contribution to the craft. We are all in this together, after all.
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