Poll #66: Read it First, or Not?

[Andy]

Which of the above do you usually follow?

[Simmi]

No, because then I have to go back and look for what I saw was wrong. Too much time, in my opinion.

[Quietus]

I'm with Simmi... I'll read like a paragraph or two to see if it interests me, but then crit as I read.

[Andy]

I know of some people who read the entire thing first, that way when they do their critique, they can put all their comments in perspective of the whole work.

I don't read it beforehand, so I can give a first-time reader's impressions. Anything I would add in terms of the whole work, I put in a paragraph at the end.

[Majyk]

I don't read it beforehand, so I can give a first-time reader's impressions. Anything I would add in terms of the whole work, I put in a paragraph at the end.

Me too. For me, reading it and then re-reading it to critique it just wouldn't work.

[SprinkleSutton]

I read a post long enough to see if I am interested, but never read the full submission before clicking the quote button. So, I count that as a 'No.'

[Starry]

Depends on how long it is. I definitely read long enough to tell if it's going to be a huge headache to critique or not, and I'd like to read the whole thing first to be able to comment on little things the writer does in relation to the whole, but if it's too long I get paranoid that I had a genius comment to write but will forget it by the second go-around. (This actually happens often enough to not really be paranoia, I have a very short attention span.)

[Gabby]

I usually read it once and then crit as I re read it. ^^ But sometimes I don't, it varies.

[jordanisonfire]

I know of some people who read the entire thing first, that way when they do their critique, they can put all their comments in perspective of the whole work.


That's the sort of thing a good critiquer should do. But who says I'm good at critiquing?

[Emsidian]

I read it as I critique.

[Spacepirate]

To be honest, I think you should read it over once...

... or at the very least skim read it so you have some of the big problems in your head as you write a LBL critique, so that when you write the big things, it'll be easier.

Of course, being a hypocrite and what not, I only really read it through first if it's short. With longer pieces I just don't have the time/effort so write a more general as-you-read impression.

[Clarissa]

I skim read the whole thing, just for fun :P That's generally how I decide whether or not to critique it.

Then again, I rarely critique anything, so it varies...

[FayGee]

I voted no, but I just realized that sometimes I do. Mostly, though, I start critting with stuff like grammar, and if there's something I don't think makes sense, I read the whole story to see if it flows once I've read it all.

[Clawfire]

Yes. I usually see the poem/thing I'm critiquing before I do one...