All posts tagged critique

  • October 3, 2011

    Giving feedback – critique not criticism

    Thanks to William for his recent article ‘How to get feedback’. In it he recommends that one way to get feedback is to offer reciprocal critique to others.

    This is a double-edged sword and should be approached carefully.

    For me, hard and truthful feedback, no matter how painful to read, is necessary for me to develop as a writer. Having said that,  I have enough confidence in myself to take notice of just critique whilst ignoring out-and-out criticism. For some, offering their work for critique is a much more scary process. The idea that someone will find something ‘wrong’ with their work is frightening and exposing a precious story or poem to another human being seems a huge risk.

    If someone asks you to critique their work, they are putting a lot of trust in you and your responsibility as a fellow writer/ friend/ loving husband etc. is to give truthful, useful feedback in a constructive manner. This can be pretty difficult at times, especially if you’re faced with something you don’t like. Here are a few simple suggestions to give useful feedback without breaking the heart of your fellow writer/ friend/ beautiful and talented wife:

    1. Start with the positives: Even if the piece you’re reading is largely awful, there will be something positive in it. Perhaps the concept is really exciting, even if the execution isn’t? Maybe you like one of the characters? Do you like the font they’ve used? Seriously, there will be something positive to say, and you should start with this. Remember that it is hard to ask for feedback
    2. Try to pinpoint what IS working and WHY: Get used to giving more detailed positive feedback, if there is a section or aspect of the work that seems to be spot on, tell the writer why.
    3. Be sincere and truthful: Don’t just nod and say ‘mmmm, yeah it’s great’ when you think it isn’t. Don’t be afraid to point out bits that aren’t working but try to offer a positive solution instead of just being negative. Phrase your feedback in terms that suggest this is your personal opinion and not concrete fact, this should encourage the writer to explore your suggestions without feeling too disheartened.
    4. Critique the piece not the author: Remember that you’re giving feedback on the piece of work, not the writer. Avoid overly personal remarks (especially if you don’t know the writer too well) and try not to make generalisations. Remember not all work is autobiographical, even if it is written in an autobiographical style. If your vicar shows you a story he has written about cross-dressing vergers, don’t go ringing up the WI in horror, it doesn’t mean it’s based on reality!
    5. Don’t be vengeful: Never use critique as a method of revenge! If someone else has critiqued a piece of your work and upset you, don’t reciprocate! Judge the piece, not the writer, stop being childish and (quite frankly) grow a pair.
    So, follow the points above and enjoy the process. Giving and receiving feedback both help you to develop as a writer and by reviewing other people’s work, you make yourself more aware of your own style. Keep on writing!
    by Claire Jones

     

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  • September 6, 2011

    How to get feedback

    By “feedback” I do not mean proof-reading (which is most usefully done as quite a separate activity).  I mean criticism: getting some-one else to read your work and say what he or she likes or dislikes about it, in some detail.  I mean commentary on the value of the writing, not the correctness of the text and layout.

    One thing I am not including in this article is professional critical services – in other words: paying for feedback.  This is a form of literary prostitution.  Like its sexual equivalent, it has its place in society, and the people who carry it out are human beings like the rest of us, but it is not something that I would recommend to any-one who has an alternative.

    Getting feedback is a skill which can be learnt and perfected.  For a writer, it is part of one’s marketing skills.  At the beginning, how likely a piece of work is to receive feedback depends on the behaviour of the author, not on the work’s intrinsic value.

    In order to be worth having, feedback needs to be of good quality as well as sufficient quantity and detail.  In this article, I will describe things to be avoided as well as things to be sought and cultivated.

    Avoid “Hooray!” feedback

    Let us say that you are a member of a writer’s forum and that most of the people on that forum are your on-line friends.  It is likely that these people will be supportive of anything you post.  Forums are valuable sources of emotional support.  They are therefore a good place to go if, for example, you are lacking the motivation to write anything.  But emotional support is not feedback.  Feedback needs to be detailed and it needs permission in advance to be critical or negative where necessary.  A group of people shouting “Hooray!” is no use.  I therefore recommend that you avoid relying on writer’s forums.

    Keep moving

    Be persistent and thorough in your search for feedback.  If you send something to some-one or (by ignoring what I have just said) post it on a forum and you get no reaction after a reasonable period, send it somewhere else.  Keep doing this until you do get a reaction.  The duration of “a reasonable period” depends on the context.  If somebody says to you, “I’ll get back within 2 weeks” take his or her word for it.  Timing is a balancing skill that comes with experience.  Be neither too impatient nor too patient.

    Recruit

    Be constantly on the look-out for people who might be useful as critics.  If you take a course, try to remain on speaking-terms with the tutor and the more able students.  If you attend a festival, get the email address of any like-minded people you talk with.  If you have friends who read, exploit them.  Try to develop a spectrum of different kinds of reader to reflect the scope and subject-matter of your work.  Be open-minded about who might be interested in your writing.  Take your readers as you find them.

    Advertise

    Portray your work in a way that does it justice, even when just asking for informal comments.  If you cannot decide what tone to strike, tongue-in-cheek is probably the best.  A genuine conviction of the work’s merit is off-putting to most people.   I came across a feedback request recently which had been entitled “Something to make you think, perhaps.”  This is a classic example of how not to do it, and is wrong for two reasons.  (1) “Perhaps” shows a lack of conviction.  If you cannot believe in your own work, you should not expect the reader to do so for you.  (2) Do not under any circumstances let on that the reader might have to exert any effort.

    Reciprocate

    One of the best reasons to give a prospective reader for providing you with feedback is that you have done so for that reader.  This, again, is partly a matter of timing.  Do not allow the reading of others’ work to eat into the time that you need for your own writing.  Do however bear in mind when offering to provide feedback for others what you might get in return.  Some people might think this is mercenary but I call it professionalism.

    As you improve as a writer, you may eventually find that people volunteer to give you feedback, because they are looking forward to seeing your work.  That is when you know you are getting somewhere.   It is also time to begin (if you have not done so already) thinking about how you are going to market the piece of writing itself.

    by William Thirsk-Gaskill

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