KRW Writer's Corner
5 Tips For Giving a Great Critique:
• Always focus on the positives of a work first. This is a good time to remember the "Golden Rule." You want to leave the writer feeling hopeful and encouraged, the same way you would want to feel. Start positive, and keep returning to the positives throughout your critique. And keep in mind that newer writers tend to be discouraged by overwhelming criticism. Be kind!
• Come to the critique with a healthy dose of humility. We are all flawed as writers. Before you tell another writer to "never" do something, you must be 100% positive. Don't be dismissive.
• Focus on the big picture, not the tiny details. You're not reading as a copyeditor. Think about what are the largest ideas that would have the biggest impact on this piece of writing. Share those ideas, and don't linger on things like comma placement. Your critique should focus on quality over quantity.
• Resist rewriting the draft yourself. Gentles suggestions are great, but you should avoid telling a writer to write the story you'd prefer.
• Soften your critiques by posing question or using words like "perhaps" or "maybe" in making your suggestions. For example, "Perhaps this information might be included elsewhere in order to speed up the pace?" is a much nicer and more helpful thing to say than, "Ditch the infodump. I'm bored."
