How to Critique Creative Writing
1. Read the piece through the first time as a pure consumer, for interest and hopefully enjoyment. Try to give yourself over to the piece. See what is there. After finishing the piece note how you feel about it. What is your overall feeling or impression? What are the first things that come to your mind about the piece? Write these first general impressions at the end of the piece for the writer.
2. Now consciously read the piece through more critically. Even though you may have been very enthusiastic about the piece initially, that doesn’t mean that now on the second pass, you can’t see some ways to improve it. This second effort really requires critical thinking. Some people take the word “critical” to mean something negative. But it really just means that you’re applying a different way of thinking about the piece. This way of thinking is still based in your feelings and responses, but now instead of simply consuming the piece, you’re actively looking for things which, now that you think about it, didn’t work so well for you. Or it may be that your initial reading left you feeling very unsatisfied with the piece. Now, on this second reading you try to figure out why.
Some people combine these two stages or steps, and process their response to a piece very quickly. This certainly may be appropriate in some cases. The danger it is that you may stop at the first stage and not want to do the harder work of actually critiquing a piece. It may be that you don’t feel trained or qualified as a critic. But you’re not being asked to be the final word on a piece or to write it for the writer. You’re only being asked to be what you already are, a good reader. The writer has reached the point where he or she can no longer “see” the piece, and so needs your eyes and ears and heart and mind to know what is really there.
One thing I always ask myself in responding to a piece of writing is What are the terms of this piece? In other words, what is the writer trying to do? What is the writer’s intent here? It’s nearly impossible to have a helpful response if you don’t understand the terms of the piece. For example, let’s say someone is writing a short story which tries to capture a character who is very analytical, very cold, someone who intellectualizes everything in his life. The writer writes a first person story in this character’s voice using very abstract, intellectualized language throughout. Unfortunately, because the language is so abstract and distanced, the story never engages you. To critique this story, you go through step No. 1, noting your initial reactions, and then you move to step 2, in which you try to grapple with why the story doesn’t engage you and what might be helpful to the writer. You have figured out what the writer’s intentions were, and determined that the technique didn’t work. But because you know what the writer is after, you might have some useful ideas that go beyond simply saying It didn’t work for me. In this case, the writer might need to try a different approach to the material, such as trying it in third person, rather than simply revise here and there. In another case, you see, for example, that the writer is attempting to be humorous or lighthearted. Those of the terms of the piece. You need to address the piece in light of its terms.
So the questions become, What are the terms of this piece? Does the writer meet them? It’s not why not, or are the terms themselves off in some way?
Here are some useful questions to ask yourself as a reader:
1. Did this engage me? Why or why not?
2. Did this hold my attention throughout? Where was I most engaged and why?
3. Are any things confusing to me? Could I follow the piece, or were there gaps, or need for more information? What else did I need to know?
4. What about the opening? Did the piece draw me in? How effective is the first sentence and first paragraph and why or why not? Did I want to keep reading?
5. Do things move along? What is the pace of the piece, and why? Again, come back to the terms of the piece-what is it trying to do and how well does it succeed, and do you question the terms?
6. What about language? How would you describe it? How does it function in terms of what you feel the writer is trying to do?
7. What are you “getting” from the piece? This could be any number of things, but it’s really helpful for you to feed back to the writer what is coming across for you, story or meaning or themes or emotional impact or enjoyment or whatever-wise. The writer is really hungry to hear what is coming across.
https://paulettealden.com/critiquing/
Tips for giving criticism
- Arrive with the appropriate mindset: Please arrive with the attitude that we are all here to help others (and ourselves) get to the next level in our writing. If you don’t have that attitude, then this group is not for you.
- Use the sandwich method: start with something you liked, then provide constructive criticism, then end with something you liked.
- Use “I” statements: It’s better to say “I found this part boring” not “This part was boring.”
- Be specific: If you “found this part boring,” explain why you found it boring. Don’t just say you found it boring.
- Offer suggestions: If you “found this part boring,” offer ways to make it not boring.
- Use polite phrasing: If you “found this part boring,” it might be nicer to say “I found this part a bit slow,” or “this part pulled me out of the story…” and then explain why.
- Never criticize the writer: Discuss the manuscript, not the writer. If you “found this part boring,” never tell the writer “you write boring manuscripts.”
- Don’t rewrite in your own voice: Suggesting word choices or rephrasing to clarify unclear sections can often be helpful, but do not rewrite paragraphs, entire stanzas, or pages in your own voice.
- Don’t take ownership: The writer makes the ultimate decision on whether to accept or reject any criticism. Even if you feel certain a change needs to be made, do not push the writer.
- Be nice & show respect: Even if you hate a piece of writing, the writer has invested time and effort on the manuscript. Phrase your criticism in a way that wouldn’t offend you if it were your writing.
Tips for receiving criticism
No draft is perfect: While you may feel strongly about a first, second, or tenth draft, it likely needs improvement. While the number of changes you make hopefully shrinks with each revision, don’t stress if the editor returns with lots of red markings.
Don’t take it personally: Criticism of your work is not criticism of you as a person. While you have put a lot of effort into the manuscript, try to maintain a separation between you and your writing.
Refrain from getting defensive in the moment: You don’t need to defend your writing. Nobody is attacking it. Let it go if you don’t agree with someone’s critique.
Everyone has an opinion: You might think it’s perfect, others think it’s too long, and still others think it’s too short. Learn to classify voices offering criticism so you can decide which trumps which.
Don’t abuse your power: While the ultimate decision of what goes into your manuscript is yours, don’t dismiss criticism that is harsh or might be difficult to implement. Sometimes following the hardest advice can be most worth it.
Listen: Don’t just hear, listen – especially if it’s something you don’t like. Often the most useful suggestions are the ones you find distasteful at first. Try others’ ideas out. Be open-minded and challenge your assumptions. The more you listen, rewrite, and see improvements in your work, the easier it will become to accept criticism in the future.
Wait: After hearing criticism, let it sit for a day or a week before going back and revising or thinking about changes. You should only make changes in your manuscript based on what rings truest to you.
Remember that ultimately, ownership is yours: As Neil Gaiman said: “When people tell you there’s something wrong with a story, they’re almost always right. When they tell what it is that’s wrong and how it can be fixed, they’re almost always wrong.” Listen to what people think doesn’t work for your story, and then figure out how you want to fix it.
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