So you’ve decided to join an online critique group? Good for
you! When guidelines are established up front and followed, online critique can
be enjoyable and boost your writing level.
An underappreciated aspect of critiquing other writers’ work
is that you are less emotionally tied to every word and can discern where
something stops working. It has been my experience that
evaluating how a story is put together will cross over to your own work and
help you to elevate your craft.
For critique to be constructive, praise the parts that are
working as well as note where something doesn’t work. Articulate in a kind and
helpful manner why it doesn’t work for you. Offering suggestions on possible different
directions to take may be welcomed.
Who is a good match
up for you?
(This may surprise you.) Any publication-minded writer who
is familiar with story structure, who has a keen eye, and who has a kind way of
phrasing their observations. I have had critique partners since the 1990s, so I
know this to be true. The genre matchup between your work and your critique
partner(s) need not be identical. Also, while it may be helpful if the other
members of your critique group are at a similar place on their publication
journey, it doesn’t matter as much as you might think.
Family members, best friends, or anyone who might
rubberstamp your work to avoid hurting your feelings are rarely desirable for critique partners. Also, be on the lookout
for toxic critiquers. These folks find fault with everything, and their input
is rarely constructive. My advice? Bow out of that situation and try again.
What are your
exchange parameters?
In general, the larger the group, the smaller the page count
swapped (i.e., it would be arduous for a group of six people to swap 25-30
pages every week; 10 pages is a better amount for a larger group).For groups of
two or three writers, 20-25 pages is a good ballpark number. Most groups use
standard margins of one inch, double spacing, and a standard font such as Times
New Roman size 12. Using Track Changes in Word gives you a way to add comments
in the margin of the page. If your members aren’t familiar with Track Changes,
another option is to use all caps or a different color of font for your
remarks.
Clearly define what input you are seeking. For a piece that’s
highly polished, a writer may want to know where you were tempted to put it
down. For a first draft piece, a writer might want to know if the story flows,
if the characters are believable, and so on. This may be author-specific or
manuscript specific.
If you have more than two people in a group, decide if the
critiques go back to the author or to the entire group. It can work either way,
and it can also stimulate a discussion post-critique, if that’s what your group
wants to do.
When will your group
meet?
Keeping to a schedule is a good idea. That way, there are
fewer surprises on submission dates. Decide upon frequency of submission and
expected time of response. Some groups exchange weekly, some every other week,
or some only at the beta reader stage. Whatever works for your group is the
right answer.
Where will your group
meet?
Most online critiquers opt for getting the exchanged files
in their email Inboxes. Some may set up private social media groups for the
exchange of files. Others may elect to connect via phone or a video chat
service such as Skype.
How to critique
Avoid stomping on someone’s dream. It takes a high degree of
trust to put your work out there for peer review. The same people you are
swapping with are also reviewing your work. Instead of offering negative
feedback, provide constructive comments.
It is easy to make line edit suggestions, but grammar and punctuation are rarely
the primary focus of an online critique group. Instead, critique partners often
note story construction weaknesses, characterization inconsistencies, timeline
issues, lack of setting in a scene, slow pacing, opening or closing hook needs
strengthening, missing beats, untagged dialog, head hopping, and so on.
Showing vs telling is a common critique comment. If you
notice an author “told” something instead of “showing” it, make a constructive
comment to illustrate a showing in this situation. The goal is not to rewrite
the work, but to offer a suggestion so that the author may own that revision.
Give praise where praise is due. A particularly well-drawn
character, hero or villain, is a treat to readers, and the author should be
praised for getting this right. Perhaps the dialog sparkles, the pacing is
spot-on, or the settings are three dimensional – make sure you tell the author
you noticed.
Writing styles vary. You want your critique partners to
respect your style, so respect theirs. Style and voice are individual, and your
goal as a critique partner is to make sure the work you are reviewing reflects
the author, not your personal style.
Be kind. Nuance, humor, and tone don’t come through well during
a critique, so make remarks in a neutral way. If you don’t understand
something, say that instead of saying “you did something wrong.” Asking for
clarification will help the author figure out what areas of the work need
strengthening.
In summary, offer constructive feedback on writing craft
elements in a neutral manner. Respect voice and style. Provide an example, if
needed, for clarification of your remark. Praise aspects of the sub which are well
done. Remember to be courteous and professional in how you phrase your remarks.
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