One of the most important skills to have as a writer is that of being a skilled reader. Knowing how to criticize another writer’s work can give you great insight into your own writing. Critiquing writing forces you to consider all of the elements of story carefully, which in turn refines your future work. But how does one approach such a situation?
As a general rule, you need to be honest, but professional, as well as objective. Here are a few tips on how to constructively criticize a piece of fiction (or any type of writing):
Start With the Positives
It’s not sugar-coating, it’s just good taste – before you dive into what you think needs work, talk about what already works well. Are the characters strong? Is the plot intriguing? Engaging? Make sure to lay this all out. In addition to being encouraging, it is of great assistance to any writer to know if their work is having its intended effect on the reader.
A (perhaps obvious, but) necessary note: you should aim to keep your language positive throughout the critiquing process. Never, ever use words like, “stupid,” “pointless,” or “bad.” Not only will the writer feel as though they are under attack, they will probably also resent your approach to the situation, and thus disregard your comments, which may be really useful, albeit poorly delivered.
Balance the Objective and the Personal
While you do not want to let your personal feelings towards the subject interfere with how you critique a piece of writing, it is still important to acknowledge that your reading of the work is just that: yours. Your personal experiences will change how you respond to certain subjects, the same way your taste in writing will have an effect on your preference for certain words, speech patterns, etc.
Basically, it is acceptable to point out that in your particular reading, you interpreted the story a certain way, but you also want to take the work for what it is. Beat literature, for example, may not be something you have a passion for, but you need to be able to recognize when a writer can emulate the style well with their use of language and rhythm. So don’t try to impose your personal style on your fellow writer, but do elaborate on how you read it.
Remember You’re Not the Writer
Finally, when critiquing someone else’s writing, keep in mind that anything you offer is a suggestion only. It’s important to stay humble and remember that this isn’t your work. You may have missed the point of a paragraph or page, making your comments irrelevant. A lot of the time, criticism is being made after the first reading of a story, and it is easy to gloss over a line or two here and there. On a second or third reading, your opinions may change drastically, so don’t blurt anything out if you’re not sure you’ll mean it 30 minutes down the road.
Bottom line: before you make any criticisms, consider what you would want to hear regarding your own work, and how you would want to hear it. Be thorough, positive, and professional. After all, most writers would agree that any work is always a work in progress.
 |
