Critiquing and Being Critiqued

by A.K. Cotham

The following is a brief list of tips for those who are going to critique a writer's work and for those who are being critiqued. It provides the following tips:

Know What's Expected
Lay the Ground Rules
Stay Focused
Be Specific
Wrap up

Know What's Expected

For the reader:: Ask what the writer wants to know. Do they want a serious, layered criticism, an overall view of the work, a simple proofread to catch typos and misspellings, or some other kind of critique.
For the writer:: Think about why you are asking for a critique. Are you having a hard time developing your characters? Are you having problems with your plot? Do you want a thoughtful eye to go over your entire draft? You must know what you want otherwise the person who critiques your work won't know what to look for.

Lay the Ground Rules

For the reader:: Ask how the writer wants you to relay your information. Are there specific words and phrases that might freak them out, regardless of their context, such as hate, stupid, quit while you're ahead?
For the writer:: Know yourself. Be very clear about how you want your information relayed. If you tell the reader you can handle anything, you better be ready to back it up. A good exercise is to imagine how you might react if the reader comes back with the worst possible reaction -- it's highly unlikely, but a good exercise anyway. If you're not ready to handle anything, say so up front. That way, the reader will have a chance to figure out a more well-thought-out opinion.

Stay Focused

For the reader:: Plan your words. Stick to the writer's rules, no matter how much you think they need to hear something/everything/anything else. If they wanted you to comment on the plot but not to comment on the dialogue, respect that. They've already respected you enough to trust you with their work.
For the writer:: If the reader strays from the rules you want followed, don't be hesitant to steer them back. No need to be mean about it; just remind them that's not what you were asking for. On the flip side, if you change your mind halfway-through, let them know. They might have opinions or suggestions that they've been keeping quiet while they were focused on the feedback you initially asked for.

Be Specific

For the reader:: Have examples, and a few suggestions, ready to back up your opinions. For example, if you think a character is rather two-dimensional, explain why. Then offer up a couple of ways it can be remedied.
For the writer:: Giving the reader questions ahead of time as to what you're looking for is preferable; they will then be more attuned to your thought processes. But if you didn't, now is the time to have questions ready. Ask the reader specifically about the issues you want addressed; don't wait for them to bring it up, because they may not. It may have never occurred to them.

Wrap Up

One last note for the writer, and this is both a critical and delicate line: think about who your reader is, their expertise, and where they're coming from. Consider why you asked THEM to read your story instead of someone else. Some readers are more attuned to character development; some just like a good fast fun read. Some professional writers may not get a dialect you're trying to establish while others may not get a joke. This could be because of something in their background or personality or it could be the way you wrote it. Consider all angles. Nearly everyone's opinion is worth something, if you know what to take from it. However -- be careful not to disregard someone's opinion just because you don't agree with it or like it. Even if it hurts your feelings, it may still be valid!

A fiction writer and poet since the age of six, AK Cotham also uses her storytelling skills for the power of good as a staff writer for Solano Magazine. She is currently preparing for the November agony that is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writer's Month).