Canadian Writing Critiques: Be Kind

I was listening to the program Q on CBC this afternoon which got me thinking about how we writers can improve our critiques.

It just happened that Q worked it’s way into my conscious as Martin Short was discussing his judging on the TV show Canada’s Got Talent. (Interestingly enough, we came across this show online last week and immediately noticed a remarkable difference in the way the judges behaved towards to the contestants (compared to the American version of the show). The Canada version of the show was much… kinder. Much, much kinder. (And slightly less dramatic.)

Even when the judges said their bit about a truly, amazingly awful bit, the meanest they ever got was “Wow, you’re the fastest we’ve ever buzzed!”

When Martin Short was talking on the radio and was asked by Jian Ghomeshi about what one should say to to contestants who truly suck and have no talent. Should you tell them? Martin paused. He said something to the effect that doing so would be mean. And it would not be very Canadian.

What is the point of telling someone that they suck and will never make it when they just summoned the courage to show something they are passionate about in front of 2000 people? Don’t they have something right there that the rest of us don’t? Drive? Courage? Ambition? A lack of debilitating fear when it comes to public failure?

But really, what is the point of telling them every nugget of the awful truth–or what we perceive it to be? What will your crushing critique accomplish? What is the point?

That got me thinking about writing critiques. Some people feel they should be brutally honest and tell writers that they have no voice, their characters are flat and predictable, their plot goes nowhere, and that they have bad grammar.

But are we doing them a favour? Or should we be Canadian and be kind about it? Can we say, “I liked your enthusiasm. I can tell you really like to write. Something that might help bring you up a notch is to work on the cause and effect of your scenes.” And leave the rest for later.

 What do you think? Should we be honest when we critique or should we be… Canadian?

How to Choose Writing Critique Partners

I have been blessed with several wonderful critique partners, all of whom bring certain skills to the table and push me to improve in different ways. I can say with confidence that I would not be where I am today without their assistance.

While I completely and utterly lucked out with my writing critique partners, lately I’ve noticed a few others haven’t always been so lucky. Choosing a writing critique partner can be very tricky. (If you can, pair up with at least two other writers.) There are so many things to take into account–genre, skill level, depth of critiques, time available, personality, etc.

So… how do you go about figuring out who is right for you when it comes to writing critique partners?

Personally, I would start by finding people who are interested in the same genre, or at least enjoying reading quite a bit in your genre. That goes both ways. For example, it’s difficult to do a good job of critiquing and enjoying sci-fi if you never read it. And that sci-fi writer may have trouble with critiquing and enjoying your teen romance. Critiquing is difficult enough without trying to fake enthusiasm for something that just really doesn’t turn your crank as a reader. (And I don’t recommend family or friends because chances are they aren’t going to give it to you straight, nor are they going to look for all the things another aspiring writer will look for.)

Skill level can be a tricky one. Ideally, you want the skill level to be somewhere close to on par. But you also want someone who is going to challenge you and help you improve. The lovely thing about this is that all writers have a few things that they are best at, and generally, we all have different skill sets–even if we are sitting at approximately the same skill level.

Why do I think being at the same skill level is somewhat important? Well, someone who is just starting out may need more in-depth critiques and time than say, someone who has written many manuscripts and is always learning from workshops, etc., and generally, has spent more time honing their craft. Plus, when there is a difference in ability, the critiques can become unbalanced. It can be hard for a newbie to find things in a more ‘experienced’ writer’s work or even have the confidence to point it out. On the flip side, the newbie may feel a bit slammed when the more experienced writer finds something to be fixed in every sentence.

Depth of critiques ties in with skill level in some ways. If you are putting the final polish on your manuscript, chances are you are looking for someone who has a keen eye and will pounce on every little error and bring up every little nitpick. However, if this is the first time sharing your work, having every little nitpick brought to your attention can be completely devastating.

Time available is another biggie. What if you want to blast through a whole manuscript in 30 days whereas the other person is thinking it would be good to swap a chapter a month? Will you be able to find a balance? (Critiques can take a long time. More than twice as long as simply reading a piece. Especially if you take the time to ensure your comments aren’t super-harsh sounding.)

Personality can be huge. If you are shy about sharing your work and often refer to your story as your baby, hooking up with a writer who is very blunt and to the point can be difficult when it comes to self-esteem maintenance. You may be looking for someone who offers as much praise as criticism or someone who couches their criticism in compliments and only points out the big issues.

If I could offer just one piece of advice on choosing a critique partner, it would be to know what you want/need before you go looking. And once you have a few folks that you want to approach, offer to share one chapter first as a trial–I recommend sharing after you have discussed expectations. After the critique, sit back and let it sit for a day or two (sometimes it takes a day or two for the stinging to go away and for you to realize that this person has just made the biggest discovery EVER in how to improve your story/writing). If, after a few days, you don’t like the way their critiques have made you feel, then move on. (Be sure to thank them though!) Same goes for if you can’t possibly choke your way through more of their work. We don’t love every book in the bookstore, so it is natural not to love every just-written book out there.

While the idea of sharing your work with someone with the intent of gaining criticism can be nerve wracking, it has some very sweet, unexpected bonuses as well. In my case, my writing critique partners are not just a source of ongoing support from folks who truly understand, but they are also someone to bounce ideas off of. And finally, they have also become some of my greatest friends and greatest cheerleaders. And who can’t use a little friendship and support in this isolated endeavour called writing?

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A few places to start your search for writing critique partners:

AgentQueryConnect Wanted Ads

Blogs–find an aspiring writer or group of aspiring writers and approach them

Conferences/Workshops

Writers groups

Authonomy

WEbook discussion boards

NaNoWriMo discussion boards

Really, anywhere aspiring writers hang out and share their work, or even just hang out is a great place to get to know potential partners a little better and approach them about a swap.

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Do you have a critique partner? Where did you meet them? Any advice, tips, or warnings about choosing a critique partner?

Chat and Critique with Literary Consultant, Jeffrey Moores Tonight

Hear ye, hear ye…

We are going to make you the best darned writer this side of the Mississippi tonight. Yes, that’s right, we’ve got Jeffrey Moores (former literary agent and current literary consultant) coming to chat with us on Agent Query tonight. Not only has he agreed to spend an hour and a half with us, he has 8 passages from our charming, intelligent and good looking AQ members. He will not only juggle these flaming passages, but he will catch them in his teeth, while dazzling us with his jokes.

As we enjoy our second cup of coffee/tea/gin of the morning, he is slaving over these 8 passages. He is editing, critiquing, and writing down comments to share with us tonight. He WILL make us sparkle and shine, folks.

So, what do you have to do to have this knowledge siphoned into your juicy brain? Join us! 8pm Eastern in the AQ chat room. This is the link. Click on it. At 8pm, hit ‘join’. You may have to refresh your browser if you get there before it is open. (You also need to be a member, but that is free and only takes 30 seconds.)

Here’s the plan:

I (the moderator) will introduce Jeff and go over the chat rules, etc. I will then paste one of the eight passages into the chat, followed by Jeff’s edits, comments, etc. Then there will be a chance for comments, questions, etc.. Jeff is willing to answer specific questions in regards to that piece and his comments/edits. Then, we’ll move on to the next passage. At the end of the chat, Jeff will have a general question and answer session. This is where members can ask general questions or specific-to-them questions that don’t have to do with the critiquing of the submitted passages.

Jeff is being very generous with his time and we are very lucky to have him helping us out, giving us that inner sanctum eye and showing us what kind of edits can make our work sing.

See you there!

Please note: Only the pre-selected 8 passages will be critiqued and commented upon during this chat. If you were not selected and would like feedback on your work, please contact Jeff at www.jeffreymoores.com to set up an appointment.

We Need Volunteers For Writing Critique!

Spread the word! There is another chat coming up right away over on Agent Query. Wednesday night we’ve got Jeffrey Moores, former literary agent and now literary consultant coming to chat and critique. He’s already given me some great writing tips, just discussing what we’re going to chat about! Holy smokes! You don’t want to miss this one.

If you are a writer and you would like to throw a couple of paragraphs in the hat for a critique, please log on to Agent Query’s online community and put your name in the hat. It’s all 100% free.

Here is the lowdown, straight from AQ:

You need to bring your armored writers skin for this. On the bright side, despite the slings and arrows, you may receive advice that brings you to the next level, or at least helps you see the window you need to climb through to reach the next level.

What’s going to happen is this: AQ members who have nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon, are going to throw their name in the hat, here in this thread. I’m going to randomly draw 10 names tonight around 9 PM Eastern. Within 24 hours, those 10 people will provide about 100 words from one of their manuscripts (completed or in progress) and I will pass it on to Jeff. Jeff will then take a look over the work he gets and make notes, critique or possibly edit the short bit. During the Wednesday night chat, I will paste the original as well as Jeff’s comments/what have you all into the chat room so everyone in the chat can see it. Then Jeff will open the critique up for discussion. In other words, anyone in the chat can comment or ask questions.

By tossing your name in the hat, you are agreeing to have your work sliced and diced as well as commented upon. You are putting yourself out there and willing to face what may roll down the pipe. You don’t have to agree with the comments, but a professional attitude is always appreciated. You are also agreeing to have this piece available as part of the online chat transcripts for any AQ members to see, now or in the future.

What we are looking for are approx. 100 words in the following areas:

Narration: A place in your story where you (the author) are telling us what is happening in the story. This can also be a place in the story where the POV character is reiterating for the reader. For example it could be something like: They ran through the thicket, the sound of heavy footsteps gaining on them. Damp branches swiped at their raw skin. Blah, blah, blah.

Description: A character description, or a place description.

Random: A paragraph or two where you want thoughts from an expert. It can be something that doesn’t feel quite right to you, you have been debating with your critique partners, or even a paragraph you feel is so beautiful, it could make the Dali Lama weep.

* We are NOT looking for dialogue at this time. The goal of this chat is to help writers improve the way they tell their story. They way they set a scene, tell the read what is going on, etc. Dialogue is a whole other ballgame.

Please note that due to time constraints in the chat, there is a possibility that even if your name is chosen and work submitted, it may not be included in the chat.

If you have a paragraph or two that you would like to toss in the hat, please post your name in this thread. If you want to paste your piece here, now, in case your name is drawn, that is fine too.

Best of luck everyone! And a thanks in advance to any volunteers. I’m sure this will be a most-excellent learning adventure for all.