Bad Critiques Vs. Good Critiques

Speaking of what fills a writer’s bathtub, how about critiques? A good critique can add a few litres of water to a writer’s bathub whereas a bad critique can instantly evaporate a few litres and continue to do so for some time.

As I get busier and more comfortable critiquing other people’s work, I find that I am less inclined to cushion what I say with compliments or to take a slow, gentle approach. And I think that is not exactly good. When meeting a writer online, it can be difficult to gauge where they are in the their writing. Are you the first person to see their work? I.e. are you likely to crush their poor little writer’s spirit if you aren’t careful? Or, are they a veteran writer who wants you to go hard and slice and dice their work and going easy will serve as unhelpful? How do you know? I say, you have to ask them.

Here are some possible questions to ask: What kind of critique do you want? Is there something you are working on at the moment that you would like me to read for? For example, dialogue, pacing, or grammar. Have you had a critique before? (It is always best to get a couple varying opinions before changing anything as well as to make sure that any changes feel right and work for your story and your characters. It can also help to have people within your genre critique your work–although some critiquers from other genres can help pick out things people within your genre might not be able to.) Also ask how much feedback they want. For example, do they want you to highlight the one thing that you feel could improve their work in the biggest way?  Hint: NEVER rewrite another writer’s work. That is a BIG no-no. However, giving examples of what you mean can be okay when done right.

Lately, I’ve been chatting with a writer via email and we’ve both been reflecting on where we’ve been as a writer and where we are now. We’ve both had crushing experiences in terms of critiques. I had one a year ago that was difficult to take. Nary a compliment in the whole critique. The other day, I looked back at some of the notes. They really aren’t that bad. In fact, they are much more helpful now, a year later (and me being a year better in terms of my writing and understanding of what makes good writing) than they were at that time. At that time, it was too much, too soon. It was so negative. What I think happened, was the critiquer assumed I was further along in my writing confidence and slammed me (trying to give me the biggest bang for my buck) and critiqued me as I would want to be slammed today. However, I was still at the point where I wanted to hear good things as well as receive a hand to help me improve. Pointing out everything that was wrong left me stumped. Okay, so I suck, but what can I do to make my writing better? It would be wonderful to have that same critique again now. Now, I’m ready. I’ve got by back pushed up against the wall so the blasts won’t knock me over. Give me your best shot.

Down to Work

Now that I am back, I should get down to work, shouldn’t I?

I made a plan/goals chart before I left. So far, I’m a bit off track. How sad is that? The plan is only a month old and I’m already veering off. Then again, it is only August 4th. There is still time to reign this month in. Besides, I think my plan for the month was to do some reading and research–stuff that is easy to do when family is around and fun is abound. Only problem is that one of my critique partners came up with a nit pick that immediately morphed into this FANTASTIC black moment for my story. That means, I have to write it! Because I haven’t written it, because it didn’t exist before her critique–I had something lame instead. That big black moment was just another one of those small details I didn’t really think about when I wrote this story. So what this all means is that she is waiting for me to write this ‘moment’ because it is what happens next in the story so that she can critique it. And I am slowing everything down in our critique exchange. That means I have to put my head back in the game.

In other news, I finally got my crappy query chomped on by the Query Shark. She was actually pretty gentle and I LOVE her version. She rocks. I knew my query wasn’t so great. I wrote it before I beta tested Molli’s e-book chapter on queries. In other words, I was still pretty lost. Anyway, I am very grateful to Shark for doing the critique. Thank you!

I have three people waiting for me to critique their chapters. I better get on it!

Cheerio folks!

Critiques Give Author New Knowledge

This just in…

Main characters who do not realise that they are to thaw a turkey before cooking are considered to be TSTL. (Too stupid to live)

In unrelated news, you can have jeans fitted. The word on the street is that you can ask the store to fit you. Asking a member of the same sex to join you in a change room bearing a measuring tape will not imply that you are gay and coming on to sales clerk. Attempts at past fittings without measuring tape and/or sales personnel have resulted in the sage advice, “Try another size” and “Sorry, that’s all we’ve got. Try Wal-Mart.”

In other breaking news, you can ask liquor store clerks for advice on what wine goes with what foods. Reports have stated that you will not hear the previously assumed reply of, “Coors Light?” but actual, helpful advice.

While the findings of this informative and oh-so-helpful news article have not been geographically tested, the results are guaranteed in upper-end larger city locations where citizens have great wealth and time on their hands.  In all other locations (i.e. the rest of the universe), the advice is still considered worth heeding or at least pondering before discarding with great mirth.

This post has been brought to you by waffles.

Overwhelmed

I feel like I am on the cusp of irreversibly destroying the opening scene on my ‘best’ ms. I had another writer critique it and she made some very good points. I had chopped about half of the scene previously which has left a lot of unanswered questions. I could go in yet again and tinker, but I am starting to worry that it will be the one too many edits that breaks the scenes back. But it needs it. So, do I rewrite it?

I think I’ll sit on it for a few days. Maybe my brain needs a vacation from writing. But then what? Just sit around all day and not think about it all and not write? It is probably what my brain needs seeing as how I have learned an incredible amount in the past two weeks.

To add to my agony, I put two of the main characters into a room and let them go. Turns out they pretty much hate each other, even though they have been best friends for decades. Great. Just great.