How to Critique

[Andy]

Critiques are the most important part of this website. A critique is like a review. If you point out what you like and don't like in another person's work, that person will be able to fix any mistakes they made, and become better at writing.

And in return, that person will hopefully return the favor and help you improve your own writing.

The main purpose of critiques: To identify the weak points and give constructive advice in a way that will help improve both the writing and the author's ability to write.

There are right and wrong ways of writing a critique, and this guide will attempt to teach you all of them.


1. Don't Read Other Critiques Before You Write Yours

Before you even write your critique, DO NOT read any other critiques of the same piece. If you do, your critique will be biased. You'll likely end up pointing out the same things as the other critiquer, and what good are two critiques which are nearly identical? Not much. Your critique should be your observations and opinions, not someone else's.

As Shaun noted, it's okay if you point out or suggest the same things as another person, as long as you did it without being influenced. Don't go deleting stuff from your critique because someone else said something similar.

2. See What The Author Wants

Also noted by Shaun: Sometimes writers specify what they want in a critique. Maybe they only want help with descriptions, or maybe they want to know your thoughts on something in particular. If this happens, go ahead and follow their request. You'll save yourself work commenting on stuff they don't need, and it'll help them improve what they're focusing on.

3. Write Down Weak Points

If something sounded awkward, or if something doesn't look right, say so. Critiques are all about finding weak points in the writing. For example, you might say something like these:You misspelled "receive" in this sentence.

Here, it says Bob was left-handed, but later he uses his right hand to write.

This sentence is a little confusing.

There's not much description here, so it's hard to visualize what's happenning.4. Offer Suggestions About How To Improve the Weaknesses

Your critique will be even more helpful if you give suggestions on how the writer can fix a problem. It's also helpful if you give specific examples of how the author could change it. For example:I think you should make this sentence shorter. Instead of saying "The letter was written by him and it took a long time," say "He wrote the letter slowly."

I think you should describe what is happenning in this paragraph more.

Can you tell me what this character is thinking? What she sees is very unusual for her, so there should be a reaction.5. Give Praise When The Author Has Earned It. Don't Sugar-Coat

If the writer has written a beautiful description, or if a conversation is very well-thought-out, don't hesitate to say you loved it! Then the writer will know to do that more often.

At the same time, don't overpraise it. If you're giving praise every single paragraph, then it will seem like your praise is earned too easily, and it won't be taken as seriously.

"We all need to be told where we are very good as well as where we are very, very bad. We cannot grow, otherwise." - Pete Murphy


6. Be Polite

Critiques are tricky. You need to point out what you feel the writer did wrong, but in a way that doesn't anger or offend them. Remember that a lot of new writers aren't used to being criticized, and if you really hurt them, they might give up writing or leave.

Follow the green examples. Don't do the red:I can't believe you actually bothered to post this rubbish.

This part is pathetic.

Throw this away and start over.

I think you could improve this part a little. Here's how...

Maybe instead of doing this, you could write ....

I love this part! Don't change it! ;)7. Do Not Give One-Line Critiques

These critiques will not help the author to fix flaws or improve at all. Would you be able to IMPROVE your own work if you got one of these?This is the best story ever!!! Write more!

This is the worst poem ever! Yuck!

I thought this was okay. Could be better, but it's okay.8. Conclusion

So there you go! Now you're ready to start critiquing! (Sorry, I can't think of anything else to conclude.)

If you're interested in learning how writing critiques can benefit YOU, read this thread:

The Benefits of GIVING Critiques (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/showthread.php?t=17)

[Zuzy]

I have to applaud you for number one, it's something I strongly believe in. Go Andy!

[Nyx]

Nice guide. I read through once but I think I'll go back to it when I crit the next piece of work:)

[Shaun]

You might also want to add that it is perfectly fine if you repeat what someone else said as long as it was from your perspective and not from having read what they wrote. That might seem obvious, but wanted to clarify. If you and Bob crit Jim's story, and both of you say "I think the character is too mean and needs more development", it's fine, as long as you wrote it having ignored Bob's crit :P.

Good stuff on here though :).

Another point to take notice of:
Listen to the author. Sometimes authors ask for very specific things in a critique. Pay attention and give that to them.

[Andy]

Thanks, Shaun. I've added your suggestions to the guide.

[Beautiful]

I like thsi giude. I'm definatly going to Crit more. :)

[Beautiful]

I got crited really badly. It may be my last day here.

[Rafael Domination]

Where was this incident?

[Litharukia]

I remember critiquing something, and I was extremely gushing about how good it was, simply because I couldn't find more than one or two flaws in it.

The writer felt so highly complimented-they were used to harsh, 900 word critiques which pointed out every little flaw-it was awesome. But I think you have to build up a reputation, at least with the specific writer, before you can gush over it.

[Carraka]

Even when I gush over something, I still have suggestions. I have yet to read something perfect, thank goodness. Otherwise, I'd quit and become an accountant.

[Litharukia]

I pointed out a couple things but it was one chapter I couldn't find much wrong with.

The rest of the novel, that's another story.

[Carraka]

I don't mind when people gush about what I write. Of course I'd rather have suggestions, but sometimes when I'm feeling down, I go and read posts in which people gush about me.

[Litharukia]

I don't think I've ever had a gushing crit. The closest was 'I really liked it' from a reader's POV and some which only pointed out a couple things.

[Carraka]

Define gushing. Maybe your standard for gushing is higher than mine.

[Litharukia]

A gush is where the person is like 'oh my god this is amazing, I really like this' even if they DO post corrections.

I was like, in love with the chapter pretty much, and after every correction I was like 'but it's still a good chapter'.

[Carraka]

Oh, yeah. Okay. I get lots of gushes, then.

xP

Nothing left to say now.

[Litharukia]

I don't XD

At least not on Critique Circle.

[Carraka]

Oh, that makes sense. I've never been on CC, but it sounds like it has higher standards than we do ...

Not that that is bad, as we're all young and teenage-ish. Except Imelda and Shaun and -- that other person.

[Litharukia]

CC has very high standards, and that's what I love about it.

Besides, it's fun. I've had more people gush over my critiques than my work... and yes, I've had people gush over my critiques over there. :D

[Carraka]

Really?

Go critique my shtuff!

I want to gush over your critiques!

[Litharukia]

Sure, why not?

I had one person on CC DEMAND that I put some of my own writing up so they could return the favour with a crit.

[Andy]

CC has very high standards, and that's what I love about it.

Besides, it's fun. I've had more people gush over my critiques than my work... and yes, I've had people gush over my critiques over there. :D
CC definitely has high standards. But the one thing that drove me away is how long it takes for your work to get critiqued. Once it took 3 weeks. And if I have 33 chapters...I just didn't like waiting.

[Litharukia]

I don't like the waiting either; to be honest I use CC mostly to read other people's work and crit that. I'm not a particularly big fan of the public Queues.

However, my mother's offered to-if I make my Nano goal and she can afford it-pay for a premium subscription to CC!!!!!!!!!!!

My mother can be wonderful, at least when it comes to writing stuff-she can also be downright AWFUL.

[Sofiel]

*Reads crit guide*... oh crapola. I think I do everything it says not to do. Well, I'll have to do better now, don't I?

[Zombified]

Seriously, all you new members need to read this.

I am gone all weekend and I come back and I have to delete over 40 posts for spam, bad crits and just useless crap?

No.

Before you critique, read this.

And this is not an acceptable critique, damnit.

"great job, i thought it was interesting"

[Rouge]

Seriously, all you new members need to read this.

I am gone all weekend and I come back and I have to delete over 40 posts for spam, bad crits and just useless crap?

No.

Before you critique, read this.

And this is not an acceptable critique, damnit.

"great job, i thought it was interesting"






I agree. I've been getting a lot of these kinds of critiques lately and, instead of making me feel better, they just piss me off.
BECAUSE they aren't helping me. In fact, it makes me think that you haven't read it at all and you're just saying that to make me like you.

Please, tell me what's wrong with it.
Don't be nice to me. :3

[Rouge]

But, this site doesn't have an amount of posts you have to have before you can post a story, does it?
I wish they wouldn't do it. It's really annoying.

[Majyk]

We have points instead. So they just post in the literature section to get enough points to post their stuff.

There was one person once who seemed as if they just copied what the crit before them had said. That annoyed me.

[Starry]

Do you think we could add, like, a minimum word or character count on crits to prevent that from happening? Because even though that doesn't happen with my work (I'm lucky to get any crits at all) it still really pisses me off to see that.

Except that would kind of screw up crit tickets, then, wouldn't it? Hmm...

[Rouge]

Do you think we could add, like, a minimum word or character count on crits to prevent that from happening? Because even though that doesn't happen with my work (I'm lucky to get any crits at all) it still really pisses me off to see that.

Except that would kind of screw up crit tickets, then, wouldn't it? Hmm...

That's not a bad idea, and you could say that you're going to give them a crit-ticket in their profile or through PMing. Pibs crit-ticketed me through my profile yesterday, so it wouldn't be a big deal.

[Majyk]

Do you think we could add, like, a minimum word or character count on crits to prevent that from happening?

We have one. It's four characters :p

But yeah, that might work better.

[Rouge]

We have one. It's four characters :p

But yeah, that might work better.

They should fix that. :P At least for the Literature section.

Hey, starry, perhaps make a thread in the suggestions section. It was your idea, after all.

[Shaun]

Seems like we might consider that, starry, since Zombie is a lazy freaking bum. Get off your butt and mod already jerk! :P

[Silence Says It All]

Thankyou for posting this! I am very grateful that you posted this, since I tend to avoid critiquing unless I absolutely have to because I hate hurting people's feelings. So again, I say thankyou! :)

[Andy]

Thankyou for posting this! I am very grateful that you posted this, since I tend to avoid critiquing unless I absolutely have to because I hate hurting people's feelings. So again, I say thankyou! :)
Glad to be a help. ;)

[MetallicGryffon]

Andy, you were born to make guides. Another thing you might want to add is, you need a good imagination to crit or all of you crits will say things like " I dont get this" or "How did he do ( insert impossible thing here.)"