Alright-
So I don't know how many of you are part of or have ever participated in one of those online critique forums. I recently jumped on www.critiquecircle.com and man was it an experience!
For those of you who aren't familiar, the basic idea is that you submit your work and let other writers critique it for you. It's a reward system, so let's say for every three you critique you're then able to submit your work online. It's similar to the system bachelor/masters students have to share each other's work when trying to get published, only it's with a large group of complete strangers. It's scary at first, and sometimes you'll feel as though you're too scared to read what other people have to say about your work.
The first critique I received was really nice! They liked my story and my idea, and I felt overwhelmingly confident afterwards:
Its interesting and I think its original also that it fits the described paranormal and mystery genres well.
Especially since its the prolouge this is quite good and really , truly easy to like.
I can't wait to see what else happens in this story.
Its interesting and I think its original also that it fits the described paranormal and mystery genres well.
Especially since its the prolouge this is quite good and really , truly easy to like.
I can't wait to see what else happens in this story.
Now the second was not as warm. It was from a script writer and published short story author *damn*. They really analysed and examined it, and I was left feeling a little frightened to continue working on my novel afterwards. (What I'm about to show you was one of the nice parts!):
First observation: from just a quick scan of the piece, my impression was that the writing was too dense. I have made some notations and suggestions to show as example in the Inline critique. Density of prose can be problematic and should be addressed. I try not to repeat the same observation multiple times even though what I've written may be something that applies to the whole work.
First observation: from just a quick scan of the piece, my impression was that the writing was too dense. I have made some notations and suggestions to show as example in the Inline critique. Density of prose can be problematic and should be addressed. I try not to repeat the same observation multiple times even though what I've written may be something that applies to the whole work.
Woe is me! How could I ever consider myself a writer?
My third critique was the best for development purposes. They really analysed my strengths, pointed out where I could improve and what I was lacking:
After that in-depth critique I felt a little better. I even emailed my second critic and asked for more tough love on my first chapter (and trust me, her critique was even worse than the first time!)
All three of these critiques were really helpful, and as I now have seven critiques I learnt the following:
1. What I was trying to do in my prologue was confusing to 3/7 readers.
2. I repeated myself needlessly.
3. I wasn't descriptive enough.
4. People like my writing style.
My last critique (who I lovingly refer to as good old no.7), was the one that made me feel the best:
I can't wait to read the rest of this story! You have amazing potential... if you continue to write like this, publication may be imminent!
So after having being sceptical at first, I now highly recommend this exercise to all aspiring writers. Sometimes we as writers are too close to our work to see where it needs help. I'm glad to have found a community online that's designed for these things.
So if you're thinking of submitting some work for some critique, here are my five tips:
1. (I know it's tempting to do it but) Don't rush to edit your work after receiving one critique. Wait until you've received several so you know exactly where all your strengths and weaknesses are. Just because one critic saw it that way, doesn't mean that everyone else did.
2. Be careful with what you absorb from the critique you receive. If one person didn't understand or connect with what you were trying to do then their advice probably won't help you.
3. If your story line becomes completely different after your critique then your voice isn't strong enough, and perhaps that's what you need to work on the most.
4. This is a really good exercise to learn how to grow a thick skin. I know your work is your baby, but these critics are a small taste of what's awaiting us in the big bad world of publishing. It provides you some insight into what your agents, publishers and audience are thinking when they first read your work. REMEMBER: You only need one person to be good old no.7 to get published, so don't take what anyone says too badly!
5. Above all -
Don't let what anyone says deter you from writing.
Trust me on this one. Not all of my critiques have been sunshine and rainbows. It depresses me for a little bit, then I get right back on that horse and continue writing.
Don't get the wrong idea, and don't be prepared to be completely slammed by nasty critiques online. It's a wonderful experience for writers, as it can give you the positive boost to keep on going. Just prepare to learn things about your work that you may have never thought to consider.
REMEMBER: You have to give critiques in order to get them, so phrase them in a way that is constructive and helpful. Be honest but not rude; always show respect to your fellow author. We're all struggling and passionate about what we do. Admittedly some writers are better than others but we're all trying to get better, we just need to know where and how if possible.
I do hope you'll consider giving it a go! Please leave a comment to let me know if you've tried, will try, or what your thoughts are about online critiquing forums.
If you're already on Critique Circle let me know - I'll be happy to give your work a read.
Happy writing!
My third critique was the best for development purposes. They really analysed my strengths, pointed out where I could improve and what I was lacking:
I really loved the desperation in the second-to-last paragraph. See if you can have just a few more hints of that voice earlier on; I think that will really add to your main character's voice.
Great job! Would love to read more.
After that in-depth critique I felt a little better. I even emailed my second critic and asked for more tough love on my first chapter (and trust me, her critique was even worse than the first time!)
All three of these critiques were really helpful, and as I now have seven critiques I learnt the following:
1. What I was trying to do in my prologue was confusing to 3/7 readers.
2. I repeated myself needlessly.
3. I wasn't descriptive enough.
4. People like my writing style.
My last critique (who I lovingly refer to as good old no.7), was the one that made me feel the best:
I can't wait to read the rest of this story! You have amazing potential... if you continue to write like this, publication may be imminent!
So after having being sceptical at first, I now highly recommend this exercise to all aspiring writers. Sometimes we as writers are too close to our work to see where it needs help. I'm glad to have found a community online that's designed for these things.
So if you're thinking of submitting some work for some critique, here are my five tips:
1. (I know it's tempting to do it but) Don't rush to edit your work after receiving one critique. Wait until you've received several so you know exactly where all your strengths and weaknesses are. Just because one critic saw it that way, doesn't mean that everyone else did.2. Be careful with what you absorb from the critique you receive. If one person didn't understand or connect with what you were trying to do then their advice probably won't help you.
3. If your story line becomes completely different after your critique then your voice isn't strong enough, and perhaps that's what you need to work on the most.
4. This is a really good exercise to learn how to grow a thick skin. I know your work is your baby, but these critics are a small taste of what's awaiting us in the big bad world of publishing. It provides you some insight into what your agents, publishers and audience are thinking when they first read your work. REMEMBER: You only need one person to be good old no.7 to get published, so don't take what anyone says too badly!
5. Above all -
Don't let what anyone says deter you from writing.
Trust me on this one. Not all of my critiques have been sunshine and rainbows. It depresses me for a little bit, then I get right back on that horse and continue writing.
Don't get the wrong idea, and don't be prepared to be completely slammed by nasty critiques online. It's a wonderful experience for writers, as it can give you the positive boost to keep on going. Just prepare to learn things about your work that you may have never thought to consider.
REMEMBER: You have to give critiques in order to get them, so phrase them in a way that is constructive and helpful. Be honest but not rude; always show respect to your fellow author. We're all struggling and passionate about what we do. Admittedly some writers are better than others but we're all trying to get better, we just need to know where and how if possible.
I do hope you'll consider giving it a go! Please leave a comment to let me know if you've tried, will try, or what your thoughts are about online critiquing forums.
If you're already on Critique Circle let me know - I'll be happy to give your work a read.
Happy writing!
