The Critique: A Wondrous Tool

By Paulette M. Eberle

As writers, our work cannot exist in a vacuum. We need to nourish ourselves on the critical input of our fellow writers if we are to continue to produce our art. We may have talent, but that is rarely enough to get our work into print. Publishers and editors insist on scrupulously clean copy. A single typo, a misspelling or a first paragraph that doesn't grab the attention of the editor can land your work in the trash can.

Fortunately, we have a way to stop that from happening. It's called a critique. A critique is the most valuable tool that any writer has for improving her skills, spurring creativity and increasing her chances of being published. A critique, as opposed to a review, which is designed to direct a reader to a piece that he might find to his liking, is meant for the writer's benefit only. Its purpose is to point out errors such as typos, spelling and grammar mistakes and to pinpoint inconsistencies and any lack of clarity. It is also the place to discuss any problems that we, as readers, have found with the piece. If we've found that certain sections drag, the writer is telling and not showing or the piece is not firmly within its genre borders, this should be pointed out.

It isn't necessary to be an expert on the subject the author is writing about. In fact it can be a benefit to be totally in the dark on this matter. For example, if I were critiquing an article on plumbing and the author stated that I would need a No.10 thingamajig for a particular job, I would point out that I, as a lay person, had no idea what that was and if the author intended his work to enlighten the do-it-yourselfer, it would help if he told us what a No.10 thingamajig was.

The first step in offering a critique is to read the piece as a reader would, straight through, making no attempt to catch errors. After reading, the "critter" should go back and check each sentence for errors and anything that she finds jarring in the text. Sometimes a problem with a piece can be as simple as a word used twice in close proximity. I once used the phrase "unconsciousness overtook her" and used "dreams overtook her" in the following paragraph. The person doing the critique found this unwieldy and mentioned it. I changed the first phrase to "enveloped her" and left "dreams overtook her". The word flow greatly improved with this change and added a polished tone to the entire work.

Don't hesitate to offer a critique because you see that others have done so before you. Even if you feel that you're re-stating a nit that somebody has already picked, the writer may be spurred to take more than a second glance at this item since two people have made the same comment. I learned a valuable technique from a person who did me the honor of offering a critique of one of my pieces. She copied my work and placed her critical comments in the body of my text using parentheses and italics. I find this style of critique makes it easy to apply the comments to the piece and I have adopted it as my own.

Avoid phrases such as "I hated this" or "I liked this without giving a reason why. Praise or criticism is useless without explanation. The only insights that these comments offer are about your personal tastes. Stating a reason for a comment will have a two-fold effect. It will lend credence to your critique and it will enhance your own understanding of why a particular method may work better in a story.

Courtesy demands that a critique be couched in terms that don't offend the recipient. You might begin your critique by listing the positive elements that you've found in the piece. If a piece is great, say so. If not, don't say it, but give the writer something tangible with which to work.

A critique is not the place to spew venom. Always remember, you're there to encourage excellence, not to discourage writing. I was recently told a story by a professor about one of his journalism classes. Most of the students in this class were graduating that year and many had hopes of working as reporters. As the class neared its end, the students began to view each other as adversaries in the highly competitive world of journalism. One of the final exercises in this class was to write a non-fiction piece of approximately 5,000 words. These would be randomly distributed to the class so that they could critique each other's work. Almost every one of the students went into the project with fangs bared. They ripped apart their classmate's work, showing no mercy. When all was said and done, each person had gained 30 enemies and had absolutely no knowledge of how his work might be improved.

At this point you're probably saying "Oh God! That's a lot of work to do for another writer!" Yes, it is, but you will receive far more than you give from taking the time to do a critique. As you go through another writer's work with a critical eye, you are increasing your own ability to do professional revisions of your own work. You'll also gain an understanding and respect for the editors who must wade through your work, preparing it for publication. Best of all, you might be repaid with a critique of your writing.

The recipient of a critique has been given something of great value, literally. Most literary agents will read your work for a fee. They make no promises of taking you on as a client, but they will offer a critique of every piece sent to them along with payment. These fees range from $50.00 to $250. When you participate in a writer's forum, group or club that encourages the exchange of critiques, you're not only gaining skill in the craft of writing, but saving yourself a great deal of money.

Once you've posted a piece and received several critiques, the onus is on you, the writer, to make use of it. A word of caution here: the suggestions that you've been given are just that - suggestions. You must develop a belief in your ability and be able to accept what might make your piece better and discard what you think will not work. My personal approach is to take my critiques and play with every suggestion. You can always discard what doesn't work for you. Some writers have a tendency to treat a critique as if it were Gospel. In doing this, they incorporate so many voices into their piece that it becomes a Tower of Babel, with the author's voice being lost in the cacophony.

Another pitfall for writers is to become so protective of our words that we begin to treat them as sacred. While it's understandable that we treat the pieces we've given birth to as treasured children, we must always be on guard that we don't over-protect them. Just as a child will fail to flourish to full bloom in that atmosphere, so will our work. Set aside any hurt feelings as you read your critiques. Allow your imagination to run with them.

An unwritten rule among writers is, "a crit for a crit". If somebody has taken the time to read and critique your work, honor demands that you repay in kind. As you begin to participate fully in a "critique circle", you'll develop a rapport with many of the people with whom you exchange critiques. These people will have become familiar with your strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to offer even more in-depth criticism.

As you increase your portfolio of workshopped pieces (and I strongly suggest that you keep first drafts and the critiques you receive on them) you will be mastering the craft of writing as well as increasing your creativity. When you find yourself at an impasse, with nothing to do but take another stroll around the writer's block, you can spend some time with these crits and draw inspiration from them.

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