Putting Your Writing Up for Critique

 

The poster today made me think about writers and critique groups. Some writers want no part of being in a critique group, putting their writing in front of others to be gone over line by line. Part of the reason is fear of what might be said about what they have written.

Some think they can do just fine on their own. And many can. But, by experience, I can tell you that when others look at your writing, they see things that you do not. It's a simple matter of you editing your work subjectively and other people eyeing it in an objective way. They don't have their heart and soul wrapped up into the story or essay or poem like you do. They look at it from the reader's viewpoint. And isn't it your readers that you are trying to reach? 

What will you learn from a critique by others? The following is a partial list:

A.  Whether the opening and closing is strong or weak

B.  Repetition of words too close to one another

C.  Repetition of ideas

D.  Clarity

E.  Mechanical errors--spelling, punctuation, tense

F.  Is it interesting?

G.  Description--too long, too involved, too flowery

H.  Verbs--are there too many passive vs active verbs?

I.  Dialogue--stilted or believable?

J.  Sentence structure--too long, too many incomplete sentences, or awkward

K. Cliches

Will you hear any positive things in a critique? Of course, you will. I think it's one of the requirements of a critique. Always point out the things you liked, the parts that were well done. Then, go on with the things you suggest be changed or reworked.  

Should you change everything the critiquer has pointed out? Only if you agree. If you feel strongly that you should leave certain parts as is, do it. A critique is nothing more than suggestions to help you create the best piece of writing possible. It does not mean that you will be in agreement with everything that was pointed out. 

When multiple people point out the same trouble spot, I pay attention. If it stood out for several, then there must be something to rework there. 

One of the most important parts of putting your work out for critique is the writer's attitude. If you huff and puff over the suggestions given, allow yourself to be hurt, you probably are not going to benefit. If you go into it with the idea that these people are helping you create the best piece of writing possible, then you'll benefit. They are there to help you, not hurt your feelings. It's rare that any of us create the perfect story or essay or poem. I feel that, in my writing, there is always room for improvement. 

If you are the one doing a critique for another writer, be fair, be kind, be helpful.

Earlier today, one of the writers in my online writing group sent a thank you to several people who had critiqued her latest magazine article. She said that they had helped her write a better piece and also with the clarity of the article. That's one more rule--be sure to thank those who critiqued your work.