The role of a critiquer isn’t always the same. In many groups, novels are critted a chapter every week or so. That’s helpful for some issues, but not so much for over-arching story issues. My personal favorite way of giving–and getting–critiques is by the entire novel. Here are some things I look out for in a novel crit:
Read the entire article here: Checklist for Critiques: 10 Things to Watch For.
Great post!
I’ve appreciated the different styles of various critiquers I’ve had. (Ahem!) Sometimes, it’s hard to hear that something didn’t work–especially when it worked in my head. It’s like shopping all day for the perfect outfit and then having my hubby wrinkle his nose when I try it on later.
However…
I’d say that just about every time a critique points out something that’s difficult for me to hear, it’s because I already knew it deep down and fought against it.
Since I know it soooo well (lol), I’ll say that I truly, truly appreciate your crit style, Val. It’s so very helpful, often funny in a snarky kind of way, and has made me a better writer. Truly.
Aw, thanks Nicole. For some reason critiquing was on the top of my writing thoughts this week. I wonder why…
Also, it's only fair to point out that critiquing makes a person a better writer. I don't know how often I've nit-picked at a buddy's manuscript, then turned back to my own…only to turn beet red as I see the very same issues in my own writing. They'd been invisible to me until then.
It might surprise you to hear that I critique as a reader. Yes, it takes me a long time, but reading a chapter a day or so (adding in extra time for comments and the like) is pretty much how I I read books at this point too. That said, as a reader, I notice the things you've detailed and so I mark for them, but it's not a conscious looking. I prefer to experience the book and write comments on what blew me away or pulled me out because it's hard, otherwise, not to see things that aren't really errors but I notice because I'm looking for them…if that makes any sense at all.
Yep, it makes sense. I don't consciously look for that list either, most of the time. It's basically a list of issues that I'm likely to notice. Sometimes, when I'm done the read-through I'll sit and think about the plot rhythm or character growth and whether it works, but only if my gut tells me something is amiss.