In a new blog post, Anne R. Allen offers advice for being a good critique partner. “It’s a delicate business, and not everybody can critique effectively,” she says. Allen offers her top 10 tips.
- Remember Your Purpose. You’re here to help, not demonstrate your superiority, argue a political point, or bash a genre you don’t like.
- Don’t Judge or Condemn. You can point out weaknesses without finding fault with the writer herself. Suggestions for improvement are also more helpful than blanket condemnations.
- Do Use the “Sandwich Method”. Point out something positive, offer a criticism, and conclude with something positive.
- Don’t Make ad hominem Criticisms. Critique the writing, not the writer, and remember that the characters are not stand-ins for the writer.
- Do Listen to and/or Read the Other Critiques. If your critiques are offered in person in a group setting, pay attention to what other writers thought of the work. You might learn some things you didn’t know. In fact, they might love the parts of the story you hated. You also don’t want to repeat what others have said.
- Don’t Mistake Critiquing for Group Therapy. Even if you’re reading someone’s memoir, resist the urge to psychoanalyze the writer or their characters. No one cares that you think a fictional protagonist is a hussy.
- Do Know Your Own Blind Spots. Understand the genre, elements, and topics that you don’t like, so that you don’t confuse your personal aversion to an idea with actual criticism. If you don’t care for violent stories, it’s ok to tell the writer that and pass on critiquing.
- Don’t Enforce Stupid Writing Rules. No one likes a tattletale. Avoid advice that starts with “you can’t…” or “you have to…”
- Do Give Attention to Detail. “Attention to detail makes a good critique,” Allen says. “A good critique can help the author avoid embarrassing mistakes like having four Saturdays in a row, or your hero’s eyes changing color half way through the love scene.”
- Don’t Try to Rewrite the Work. Do make suggestions. Don’t tell the writer how to implement them or how to write their own story.
