CRITIQUE & REVIEWS: DOs AND DON’Ts FOR CRITICS
Hej Writer, have ever you been a critique partner? Maybe a member of a writing group? Or, my personal nightmare, had friends and/or family ask you to give them feedback on something they wrote?
I’ve written a series of articles on dealing with criticism, but it was a long time ago now, so let’s revisit this thorny subject. You’d have to search high and low to find a writer who loves criticism, unless they’re the one dishing it out. If I were to venture a guess, I’d say this group is relatively small. They’re often loud and travel in groups, especially on social media, and they love to speak in absolutes, which makes their critique pretty useless for most of us.
With that in mind, I want to start this new and improved critique and reviews series with a talk about dos and don’ts that may actually help you become a better critique partner.
“Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” – Neil Gaiman
One of the main reasons why people struggle to cope with criticism, or any kind of negative feedback, is that it almost always feels personal. Even when it isn’t. As a writer, having someone critique your writing, or the stories and characters you love and care about, can be extremely stressful. These are your brain-children, after all, and no one likes to hear people smack talk their kids.
This is one of the most important things to remember when you’re the one holding the whip. It can tickle and tear, and you have the power to control it. You don’t want to make the writer come out of the session feeling like a complete failure who should never be allowed to put pen to paper again. You’re supposed to be helping them, not to poke holes in their story or self-esteem.
Here are some do’s and don’ts to consider the next time you have to critique someone’s fictional writing:
Things a Critic or Critique Partner Should Do
- Consider your motivation before you start. Are you doing or saying this to be helpful?
- Think about how you would want to be approached if this was your writing. If you were invited to critique or review, ask the writer if they have any particular needs or wishes. If you have not been asked to do this, the first point above is even more important to consider.
- Lift the positive aspects first: What did you like about the text/story?
- Focus on things like story structure, pacing, characters and character development, dialogue, conflict, setting etc.
- If you didn’t like something, tell them what it was and explain why. E.g. “I didn’t like the way ‘Event A’ played out, because…” Or try something along the lines of, “I didn’t understand why…” This is useful information for a writer.
- Aim to preserve the relationship with the writer. Hopefully, you want to be on good terms if you ever meet this person again. Or in person.
- End the feedback with an encouraging statement. Maybe you’re looking forward to finding out what happens next to character X? Perhaps you were blown away by how engaging the narrative was? In short, throw the poor writer a bone – they’ll need a good pick-me-up after this.
Things a Critic or Critique Partner Shouldn’t Do
- Don’t offer to review or critique the work of a writer who’s only really interested in hearing how good they are. Trust me, it’s a waste of time. For both of you.
- If you were invited to critique or review, don’t mention things that you were not meant to focus on. If they don’t want you to mention spelling or grammar errors – don’t. Respect the premise of the party.
- It is entirely possible to be a good critique partner even if the genre is not your favourite. Don’t nitpick or rage review just because you don’t like the genre or POV. Focus on the facts and critique the actual writing or storytelling. That’s helpful. Telling the writer how much you hate magic, romance, elves, alpha males, or spice is not.
- Don’t tell the writer what they should do to “fix” a problem, or how they could improve the story. It is not your story, so your opinion on that matter is as subjective as it is irrelevant. Tread carefully if they ask for suggestions and make sure you reiterate that it is their story, and therefore their choice to make, or problem to solve. Sometimes, if they really want practical help, pointing to similar situations in other stories can provide them with useful reference points. Make them consider what *they* like and why.
- Don’t begin a statement with “You…” We’re looking at a text, not the person who wrote it. Starting the sentence with ‘You’ makes whatever you’re about to say feel and sound personal even if it isn’t. Don’t do it.
Other Points to Consider
I’m mostly allergic to dos and don’ts. Few rules, especially in writing, are universal and I’m usually the first one to say, “Meh, it depends” when people throw their absolutes around. I do believe this little list is an exception though.
The points above are based on consent and purpose. They are not there to say you must do this or that, but as pointers that may be helpful when you’re trying to develop your feedback skills. Asking the writer what they want, and thinking about how you would like to be criticised are excellent starting points.
How do you want people to approach you? What kind of feedback would be helpful to you? What kind of feedback would be utterly useless? Make a list and use that to ask the writer what they want and need from you. If you weren’t invited to critique them, use your list as a guideline for how to present your feedback.
We tend to reap what we sow, and that is well worth remembering when we critique someone else’s writing. If you can’t think of anything nice to say, then maybe you shouldn’t be giving advice on writing and storytelling. Your role in offering critique is always to be helpful, not hurtful. Ask yourself why you want to give a certain kind of feedback. Are you angry? Dissatisfied? Triggered? Make sure your goal is to improve the situation, not to make someone feel ashamed of what they wrote.
Focus on why something is an issue for you, and bear in mind it may be a you-problem. Ask questions, but don’t expect answers. Ideally, the person you’re critiquing should be able to just listen and take notes. They’re not on trial – they’re just looking for feedback.
In my opinion, the best critique sessions are face-to-face interactions, but that’s not always possible these days. If you can’t meet or see each other, at least make sure to put your name and whatever contact details you’re comfortable sharing on your report. There’s something about anonymous criticism that makes people meaner than they should be. Don’t be a dick or a troll. Say what you mean and mean what you say, but do it in a civil way. And again, do it with a view to be helpful and supportive.
If something rubbed you the wrong way, wait until you’ve cooled off before you put pen to paper. Criticism delivered while you were raging is not going to be useful. Give your emotional brain a break and let the thinking brain deal with it. Your feedback will be all the better for it.
Remember that the delivery of critical information should be an opportunity to have a conversation, but never a debate or an argument. It’s important to allow the writer to ask questions if they have any. After all, your criticism is pointless if they don’t understand it.
Questions of the Day
- Have you ever been a critique partner or a member of a writing group? What was your experience?
- What’s your best advice for someone who’s about to critique a fellow writer’s work or WIP?
Let’s talk in the comments below, or email news@aswewrite.com.
With that, I’d like to thank you for stopping by the old ship today! I hope you found our little talk useful, and look forward to seeing you at the next one.
Tack & hej,
//Linn 🤍