Not only can critiques be difficult to receive, but they can also be extremely difficult to give. How do you even begin to write a constructive critique? Never fear. Below, I have provided five simple tips for giving a helpful and informed critique (that won’t result in you getting a death glare from across the room).

Please note that, in this article, I am primarily focusing on how to critique short stories, however, these tips can also be modified and applied to longer pieces, in addition to non-fiction pieces.

1) Keep a cheat sheet

For every story I critique, I create a “cheat sheet” that helps keep me focused as I read. On my sheet, I keep track of the following:

• Genre
• What’s at stake throughout the story
• Point of view
• What the narrator wants
• Themes
• Inciting incident/hook
• What pushes the story forward

I keep each of the above elements in mind as I write my critique and focus on how they all work together. Are some elements missing? Are there clear stakes that push the story forward? Is the point of view unclear? All of these things are important to note and are immensely helpful to reference when giving a writer feedback on their work.

2) Read the story at least twice

While it’s true that many editors won’t read a story more than once when trying to make a publication decision (sometimes, they might only read the first page), as a critiquer, you should be reading a story at least twice.

It’s almost impossible to pick up on all the different elements and details of a story in just one reading, which is why it’s important to read it multiple times and take notes as you read.

What happens if you don’t take the time to thoroughly and completely read a story? I’m going to be honest, here: one time, I skimmed a person’s story only once before providing a critique. I got the character’s names wrong and completely confused some plot points in my feedback. Cringe!

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to take your time when reviewing another person’s work. Not only will they appreciate your thoughtful and informed feedback, but you will also improve your own writing and reading skills by thinking deeply and critically about every piece that you critique.

3) Don’t only focus on the bad elements

It can be easy to get caught up in the faults of a story. Maybe the characters fall flat. Maybe the dialogue makes you yawn. Maybe the whole thing gives you a stress induced eye twitch. Whatever faults a story might have, it’s important to mention them, however, it’s also important to remember that writers are people, too.

Think of it like this: let’s say you’ve spent hours perfecting a short story. You’ve agonized over the characters, pulled your hair out over word choices, and are brave enough to show it to the world for feedback. Would you feel encouraged by an impersonal laundry list of all the things wrong with your story? Of course not!

That’s why, with every fault that I find in a story, I make it my job to find at least one thing that was done extremely well. Some people are very good at world building, or crafting gorgeous descriptions, so I make sure to mention those things in my critique. Other people write dialogue that leaps off the page, so I make sure to talk about that in the critique as well.

Simply put, critiques aren’t just for talking about all the things wrong with a story. There should also be some time spent discussing everything that was done well.

4) Provide detailed examples

“Your main character annoyed me.”

The above comment is actual feedback I received on one of my first short stories. Not very helpful, right? The comment is vague and doesn’t give me any actionable steps to improve my writing. Instead, it leaves me feeling frustrated and a little bit angry.

So, how can you avoid frustrating and/or angering your critique partners? Simple: be as detailed as possible.

Vagueness is not your friend when you’re trying to give a thoughtful critique. It’s important to be as specific and detailed as possible when you are making suggestions for improvements.

For example, if a story shifts point of view halfway through, don’t say something like “I was confused halfway through the story.” Instead, say something along the lines of: “The POV shift on Page 5 took me out of the story. In order to create consistency, I would keep the POV consistent throughout the whole story, or add a clear section break to signify a definite change in POV.”

Providing such detailed examples gives the writer actionable steps to take in order to improve their work. Now, this doesn’t mean that they have to make every change that you suggest, however, it gives them something to think about and allows them to view their work from a different perspective.

5) Keep the big picture in mind

This is where your handy “cheat sheet” from Tip #1 comes into play.

When critiquing a story, I always try to keep the “big picture” elements in mind. For example, what are the major themes in the story I am reading? What is the writer trying to get across?

As I start to see recurring themes or symbols in a piece, I always make sure to note them on my cheat sheet. At the end of the critique, I will bring them to the author’s attention. Maybe the symbolism was intentional, or maybe the author had no idea that they were exploring a certain theme.

A “big picture” look at a story can be very helpful for writers, especially if they’ve been working on a particular piece for a long time. Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the smaller details of a story and a broader analysis of themes and symbols can oftentimes point writers in directions that they’ve never considered before, or maybe even inspire future stories.

Have you ever received an awesome critique? What are some strategies that you utilize when critiquing someone’s work? Let me know in the comments!

Manuela Williams is a Las Vegas-based writer and editor. She is the author of Ghost In Girl Costume, which won the 2017 Hard To Swallow Chapbook Contest. When she’s not writing, Manuela is busy drinking coffee and spending time with her blind Pomeranian, Redford. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Pinterest.

The post #5onFri: Five Tips For Writing A Helpful Critique appeared first on DIY MFA.

I’ve been working on my current manuscript for a while now. It’s special to me, and I want it to be the best it can, so I’ve had it read by an editor and gotten feedback from other writers and even an agent. I’ve murdered it so much at this point. Like I nixed a simple sentence somewhere per someone’s advice and now my readers are confused. My mom wants me to bring back original first chapter. And an agent told me to bring some parts forward in the timeline. I’ve revised and revised, but I’m not sure what’s what in my story anymore. Ugh.

It’s hard to know who to take opinions from and who not to.

Sincerely,

Unsure

Dear Unsure,

This is such a common problem! Writers are encouraged to seek feedback on their writing, to help it be as effective and and polished as possible. And so they do, but often they end up feeling confused by the conflicting advice they receive. Receiving critique is full of emotion and stress and performance anxiety.

It’s hard going into a critique session, wanting people to like your story, but knowing that there’s something not quite right yet. If you’ve gotten advice on what you should change but it doesn’t quite add up to you yet, sometimes more feedback is actually better. Because reading and story craft is such a subjective art, you can be sure that no two people will experience your story the same way. And adding up all those opinions can lead to a much more satisfying solution.

Law of critique averages

Think of it this way. You are the author. You are the expert on your story. When you send it out for critique, you are collecting data. That data may agree with what you know about the story, but not always. That data may agree with itself, but not always. You’re just gathering it all up, and then comparing it with itself and with what you know about your story. This is what I call the law of critique averages.

When you look at the various reactions that readers (professional and amateur) have to your manuscript, look for what you find in common. What themes from their criticism crop up over and over again? Complaints about backstory near the start or the setup takes too long can mean that you have a slow beginning that you need to spice up or rearrange. If scenes with a particularly problematic character in them keep getting called out, it may be the character who needs a shift, and not the scenes that need to be fixed. Your job is to analyze the data that is given to you and then work your way to a solution.

Trust your intuition

Avoid taking direct advice on how to fix a problem. Good editors and other industry professionals will offer you suggestions in the direction of how to fix something that might be wrong. But we never expect you to take us up on that advice, just use it as a launching pad to actually solving the problem. How I (or that one person in your critique group, you know the one) would fix a plot hole or a particular character is not the same as how you would. It’s your story, your voice and imagination we’re interested in.

You’ll know what is right by what resonates with you. You have to trust your gut in the writing process. And you have to know that whatever you decide to do is in service of the story. It’s not about who likes it or who might want to publish it if you fix it just the way they say to… it’s about what makes the story shine clearly and in the way that you intend for it to on the page.

Again. Receiving critique on your writing is hard, emotional work. It takes mindfulness and a methodical effort. But in the end it should make your story better. That’s the goal.

How to “Ask the Editor”

Send your questions to ekauffman@writingrefinery.com. Limit yourself to a few paragraphs to introduce yourself and the problem at hand. “Brevity is the soul of wit,” after all. And keep an eye out for opportunities to send in longer submissions for critique.

Elisabeth Kauffman is a freelance editor in California. Her favorite genres are YA fantasy, sci-fi, and romance. She regularly obsesses over board games, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter. Come share your ideas with her on Facebook and Twitter and on the web at www.writingrefinery.com. Also, check out her author website and her author page on Facebook.

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So, when Gabriela approached me and asked if I would like to write a column for DIY MFA, the first idea that popped into my head was an Ask the Editor column allowing Word Nerds to email me for writing advice.

Let’s face it. Every writer needs a little advice from time to time—about a character or a theme, about a bit of grammar or a stylistic choice—even if all you need is a confirmation that you should trust your instincts. Writing, an often solitary pursuit, can get a bit twitchy and punchy. After a while you may find you can’t remember how to spell normal words like “half” and “undulation,” much less how to draft a complete sentence or scene. That’s where Ask the Editor comes in.

What to Expect from “Ask the Editor”

I probably won’t call you “sweet pea” but, when you need to get out of your head, when you need an anchor to put your narrative back in perspective, you can count on me to bring you down to earth. Send me your wild and wacky questions, your burning need-to-knows, whatever is keeping you up at night, be it about a piece you’re working on or one you’ve read. We’ll sort it out together.

But we will do so much more than Q&A in this column. We’ll talk about why your writing needs critique, and what to do with it when you get it. We’ll explore how to prepare for receiving critique, what to do with confusing feedback, and how to know when you’re ready to release your work to the world.

We’ll get real about how to give useful critique so that you and your writing partners become stronger writers, not stuck in an echo chamber of empty praise, too-caustic opinions or personal attacks that have nothing to do with the text presented for consideration.

Who is “The Editor” anyway?

As for my credentials, I’ve worked in the freelance editing business since 2012. I’ve worked with agents and publishing houses, independent clients and co-dependent clients. I’ve gazed into the heart of the slush pile and instead of going mad I just… well okay, I went a little mad. Mad because it made me realize I wanted to help as many writers as I can tell their best story. And so I made it my business to offer insight and encouragement, critique and counsel to those who ask for it.

So ask the editor. Let’s get honest. Let’s get technical. Let’s dig in to the nuts and bolts of the craft, the wit and whimsy of imagination. Let’s figure out how to unravel the tangle you find yourself in and find the beauty and the art in what you’ve created.

How to “Ask the Editor”

Send your questions to ekauffman@writingrefinery.com. Limit yourself a few paragraphs to introduce yourself and the problem at hand. “Brevity is the soul of wit,” after all. And keep an eye out for opportunities to send in longer submissions for critique.

Elisabeth Kauffman is a freelance editor in California. Her favorite genres are YA fantasy, sci-fi, and romance. She regularly obsesses over board games, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter. Come share your ideas with her on Facebook and Twitter and on the web at www.writingrefinery.com. Also, check out her author website and her author page on Facebook.

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Remember how two weeks ago, I compared receiving critique to helping your child enter a beauty pageant?

Now imagine you’re a random onlooker, who knows nothing about pageants or kids, and that pageant mom is a close friend of yours. She begs to know your opinion after you’ve just seen the child whine an age-almost-appropriate, cutsey parody of “Baby Got Back” and stumble on her face in the final box step.

Something like, “Your kid’s just not cut out for the stage” is not only unhelpful for the mom looking for improvement, but could deter the world’s brightest little pageant girl from someday becoming Miss America.

If you have any interest in being part of the writing community (and not getting blacklisted from critique groups…true story), here are 4 tips for giving a helpful critique to other fellow writers who are waiting for words like “Genius” and “Inspired!” to fall out of your lips.

1. Think first, talk later.

Here are some things to think about while you’re reading:

• Is it interesting? Do you have to know how it ends?
• Are the characters distinct from each other? Do they have unique voices that flow easily and don’t read like they’re in an Orbit gum commercial?
• Do you care what happens to the main character? Note, this does not mean that you have to like the character as a person. He can be a complete @$$, but you should still feel a connection with him on some level.
• Does the character change throughout the story?
• Does something happen? While I was working as a submissions reader for a small literary journal, I can’t tell you how many stories came in where the character reflected on his pitiful life, but nothing actually happened. That’s not a story, that’s philosophy.
• Do things make sense? Is it clear what happens, or does how it’s written hinder the narrative?
• Do you want to read it again?

2. Make a compliment sandwich.

This is a hard-and-fast rule when giving critique. If you start out with negatives, an author won’t hear anything positive you have to say. And if you end with negatives, it’ll leave a bad taste in his mouth. Reinforcing the positives (“How darling your baby is! How clever! Such potential!”) will boost the author’s confidence and make him much more receptive to hearing the not-so-positives.

A compliment sandwich goes like this:

1. Compliment: “I love your description of the setting. You have such a gift with evoking a sense of place.”
2. Critique: “I’m not clear on what the character is doing here. Is he hiking up the mountain, or peeing on it? Does he have the love interest with him, or did he leave her with the dragon? You could make it clearer by giving a graphic depiction of the love interest getting eaten by the dragon.”
3. Compliment: “You have a really solid start here. I’m anxious to see the next draft.”

See how (mostly) painless that was?

3. Be curious

Nothing is a bigger compliment to an author than being curious in his or her work. Saying “What made your daughter want to sing Baby Got Back for the talent portion?” might unearth something a bit too personal, but it will force the author—I mean parent—to reconsider their set list.

Bottom line: If you’re not sure what an author’s intentions were, ask.

4. Remember to actually critique

This is tough when you’re a person who has, you know, opinions. “Your kid sucks” is not helpful. “Your kid sucks at the box step; lucky for you, I teach box-step lessons on Wednesdays” is a little bit more helpful because it’s specific (although not exactly tactful. Whatever. I’m not the tact police).

In the comments of last week’s blog about taking critique, Danielle said, “A critique is a detailed analysis and a criticism is an expression of judgement based on perceived mistakes. The goal should always be…to help the writer understand how their work interacts and engages the audience…”

Danielle was right. (Fifty points to Gryffindor!) Criticism, whether true or not, doesn’t help the author. This takes work on your part.

But you’re a writer, ain’t you? Use that writerly brain of yours to help give helpful, thoughtful critique that’s going to help other writers rework their stories and in turn give you thoughtful critique later. I guess it’s sort of like this…

Got a question? Tweet me @beccaquibbles with the hashtag #askbecca, email me at becca [at] DIYMFA [dot] com, or just leave a comment below! You could see your question answered right here at Ask Becca!

…………………………….

Rebecca Ann Jordan is a speculative fiction author and artist in San Diego. She recently won Reader’s Choice Best of 2013 for her short story “Promised Land” at Fiction Vortex and has published poetry and fiction in Flapperhouse, Yemassee Magazine, Bravura Literary Journal and more. Becca regularly columns for DIYMFA.com. See more from her at rebeccaannjordan.com.

The post Ask Becca: The Give and Take of Critique: Part 2 appeared first on DIY MFA.