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Critiquing: A Gift You Can Give

© Kim Kay

Members of my e-mail group are encouraged to give critiques to other members. Seems fair to me. You ask for critiques, then you should give them. It never occurred to me that some people were intimidated by critiquing. Some people felt unqualified or inexperienced, others were afraid of being "wrong". Some thought they had nothing worthwhile to contribute and some just didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

First of all, *every* critique is worthwhile even if it's just to say, "Good job. I really liked the plot." (or the main character or some other aspect.) You don't have to be a professional writer to help. In addition to getting our work published, we want it to sell. The people who will buy our books are not professional writers, they are just regular people. When I give a critique, I try to think first like a "writer" and then like a "regular person." Your novel may be structurally correct but not appeal to anyone. If so, you need to know that.

Also, even negative critiques can be given without hurting someone's feelings. The main way to do this is to point out the positives and the negatives. Also, focus on the work, not on the writer. There is a big difference between saying, "This piece could have been written better." and "Your writing sucks." See what I mean?

There are hundreds of opinions on what constitutes a "proper" critique. Some say to ignore the spelling mistakes and focus on the plot. Others say pick out every little thing. Some suggest what is commonly called a "critique sandwich" where you begin with a positive, put all the negatives in the middle, and end with another positive. I say figure out what works for you and stick to it.

The most important thing to keep in mind is a critique should always be constructive. When pointing out something that doesn't work, tell why you think that, and if you can, suggest ways of fixing it. Even positive critiques can be constructive. Instead of saying, "I liked this story." say, "I liked this story because X."

Below, I have compiled a list of things you can include in your critique. You don't have to use all of them in every one you do. It's just to help you get started. Once you get going, you will develop your own style. Focus on your strengths. If you are a whiz at characterization, give suggestions on that. If you know every single comma rule, point those out.

The copyright of the article Critiquing: A Gift You Can Give in Novel Writing is owned by Kim Kay. Permission to republish Critiquing: A Gift You Can Give in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.