- Do you actually want your work critiqued, proofread, or both?
_____It’s possible that you will already know what content changes (if any) need to be made to a story but you have a hard time correcting the punctuation/grammar. You just want someone to proofread.
_____You may have no problem placing your commas and semi colons, but something about the story itself feels lacking to you and you want another opinion. You just want a critique.
_____You may want someone to look over the content and the punctuation. It's important to decide what you want so you can give the proper instructions to the person who will be reading your work.
- **Choosing the right person.
_____The person does not need to be a writer, but she should pay attention to detail. Her goal should be to help you, so she should be supportive, honest, and fair:
- You may know someone who majored in English/is a writer/teaches writing for a living/etc, but if this person is constantly trying to undermind you, tear you down, or hurt you -- she's NOT someone who should critique your work.
The person who critiques your work should also be able to express herself clearly.
- If the woman offering a critique does or does not like a part of the story, you should expect her to be able to tell you why.
If you choose a person who has never offered a critique before, make sure to she reads Writing A Critique first. Give her a copy of your story, but you should have the original as a computer file.
**Of course, you may find yourself in a situation where you are sharing your work with a group (such as a writer's workshop).
- Dealing with the critique itself.
- Don't take criticism personally.
- The suggestions made are not meant to be a death blow to your ego.
- Your command of punctuation/grammar rules is not an indication of your self worth.
- If your stories is awash in a sea of red ink because periods and quotation marks are in the wrong place, it doesn't mean that you are stupid, etc. It just means you just have to review the rules of punctuation.
- Take a minute to enjoy the compliments/nice things said about your writing.
- A good critique will also highlight what the reader liked. Don't be so engrossed with the suggestions that you forget/ignore the compliments.
- Evaluate each suggestion before taking action.
Compare the reader's suggestions to your vision of the story or poem. Remember, your reader's opinion is colored by her own ideas and experiences; they may be radically different from yours. If you think the suggestion will make the piece better, follow it. If you think the suggestion will not enhance your work, don't follow it.
Here's an example:
- Reader says, "I think the character Maria is flawed. At first, she seems like a strong, black woman, but I hate that she is so desperate for love that she will sleep with anybody at the drop of a hat."
- Your Vision -- Maria is a radical woman because she can separate sex from love. When she's having sex, it's to fulfill a physical desire, not because she's looking for love and is hoping that the next man or woman could be the one.
- What you should do: Make sure that it's clear in the story that Maria has sex because she wants (and gets) physical satisfaction, but don't change her character.
Here's another:
- Reader says, "The hot tub scene has a problem. April sets the temperature at 400 degrees -- that's not a relaxing, that's cooking. They would literally be boiling/poaching herself."
- Your Vision -- April and Monica are having a romantic evening in the hot tub -- not being cooked!.
- What you should do: Change the temperature in the hot tub to something more realistic.
Bottom line: The story is your baby-- and your responsibility. You have the final say on any changes/fixes/etc.
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