Paper Hearts: Some Writing Advice

Ten Steps to Giving an Effective Critique

1. Find a balance between positive and criticsim. Most people err on one side or the other--too nice or too mean. Give the positive, as it's important for people to know what works. But give the criticism to make it better. You need both. 

2. Be as specific as possible. 

"Page 43-65 had slow pacing" is better than "the middle was a little boring." 

"Your character doesn't think about the repercussions of her action in this scene" is better than "she sounds mean."

"I don't understand how the characters moved from this place to that place after this happened" is better than "wtf?"

3. Err on the side of professionalism. Even if you're friends with the person you're critiquing, err on the side of being professional. It'll work best for both of you if you're professional. This isn't a friendship here at this stage, it's a business relationship. 

4. Try not to give suggestions. You're a writer, too, and it's hard not to think you know the direction the story should take. But avoid telling the person you're critiquing what to do. That's not helpful. Find the problem that makes you want to suggest a change, rather than suggest the change. Your job is to identify problems, not make changes. The author is the only one who should make changes. 

Instead of giving suggestions, try phrasing your comments in the form of a question. After all, it's the author's job to give the answers, not yours.

5. Admit your biases. If you know you particularly like a type of story--or dislike a type of story--be up front about it. This may mean that you say you won't critique a manuscript. For example, I personally don't like angel books. It's not my thing; I don't like them. So I would never crit one--my biases would make me too harsh. At the same time, there are a few things I really love in stories, and when I see them in a book I'm critiquing, I usually say something like, "I really love this element, but I have to admit that I'm biased for them." It's important for the author to know this--he'll need to take a more critical eye to make sure it's as good as possible. 

6. Be clear on what's going to happen. Ideally, the author has given you a clear timeline of when she needs the crit by, and a few ideas on what she most needs help with. Either way, communicate back to her your own timeline and ideas of the main issues your identifying. 

7. Focus on the story, not the author. Something as simple as changing your phrasing will help separate the author and the story. It's not the author that needs work, it's the story. "You need to rewrite this scene" isn't helpful; "this scene needs to be rewritten because...." is.

8. Don't beat a dead horse. Sometimes, we make the same mistake. Rather than highlight every single time the author makes the mistake, just make a note of that with a reminder that the author needs to address it throughout the book. "Most of the chapter endings are a bit weak and could use a little more of a cliff-hanger." is better than highlight every single mistake. Seeing the same comment fifty times can be overwhelming. 

9. Follow up. After you give a crit, follow up with the author. See if she has questions about your crit. Ask if he needs to brainstorm.

10. Don't be afraid to call it quits. Look, sometimes critique relationships don't work out. And honestly, if it's not working, end it. It's not easy, especially if you've become friends. But don't put your career on hold working in a critique relationship that's just not...working.