How soon is it to revise after getting critiques?

1. Yes.

2. It's generally a good idea to digest critiques for a few days. Blind, knee-jerk revisions aren't the goal; learning to see your writing as others see it, figuring out if you're telling the tale you think you're telling and effectively communicating is what critiques are for.

Be patient. It may take a few days for people to get back to your revised thread; jobs and reality can be very distracting...

Members who took the time to critique your work generally appreciate it if you take some time to digest and apply the feedback before you repost the revised edition. Even two or three days are better than a few hours. This can depend on the length of the piece, however.

It's also advisable to post it as a response to the original thread. You can edit the post that contains the first version to indicate that critiquers should see post # for a revised version. This tends to work well and people enjoy seeing a writer's work evolve.

I have ventured over to SYW and taken the time to critique queries, say, for instance and made suggestions that the writer could improve on, and then they post a new version a few hours later or a day later and, to no one's surprsie, the new version is making the same mistakes as the previous one, completely ignoring the suggestions of not only me but others. This knee-jerk, quick-fire approach truly doesn't benefit the writer at all. I think letting it all digest is key.

As to how long to wait before revising, I generally wait a week to soak in what others have said and think up my plan of attack. I've found when I don't wait, I correct everything that is pointed out without thinking how it actually impacts what I want to say.

Definitely take time and digest like others have said. Take time to not just read the advice, but understand it and how it can and should apply to the rest of your work. Something may be pointed out in one place, but it happens in many. Some advice may be hard to swallow such as being told to kill a darling and your first instinct would be to ignore it. Some advice may not actually need to be changed. All told, it's all just advice, and you have to learn how to pick and choose which to follow. One person will tell you a scene is great while another will tell you to scrap the whole thing. Take time, read it over multiple times, and decide for yourself what your story needs using the critiques as guidelines.

For an example, I asked my best friend and writing buddy to be my beta. She read it, sent it back covered with crits I'd asked for, and you know how I felt? Angry. Wronged. She was wrong, this scene was just fine. Did she really want me to change THAT? I thanked her for her effort and put it aside. Later, a few weeks maybe, I went back to it and reread the story and comments, and this time I could see that she was often right. I needed that downtime to really understand what I had done wrong and see my story through the reader's eyes. When I really understood what was wrong, then I was able to fix it. It's like a difference between putting a piece of duct tape over a problem or actually getting into the nuts and gears and replacing all the broken parts.

I'd say you're probably around the level I was at your age, and if you keep working at it, especially using the advice you get here, you'll definitely surpass it.

Yes, posting it in the same thread is right.

I don't find it automatically necessary to put off applying revisions and reposting. It's obvious to me when I'm overwhelmed and confused by critiques. If I'm not, then it's much better to get it done while I'm into it. Critiques are not food and don't, by definition, need to be "digested."

I've worked with a few different critique boards and I prefer the "no system" system used here to the point systems. However, one drawback is that there's no built in "tit for tat." So I messaged people whose critiques I found helpful and who I had critiqued for in the past, asking them to critique it if they had time. I think people find it flattering to be asked. And of course it's only a request. They can always decline.

Also, I wouldn't usually critique the same thing a second time, if not specifically asked. I figure I've already had my say and would feel like I was hitting them over the head with my suggestions to go through it again on my own.

So, as long as you're also critiquing for others, why not ask some people directly to critique it? Good luck.

xYinxx said:

Thanks again! But btw, surely my writing isn't bad for my age group, right?

Click to expand...

First, let me start by saying that I don't read a lot of what people in your age group are writing, so I can't say anything on that definitively.

However, you're writing. You're smart enough to know that your stuff needs work, which is why you're putting it in the SYW section. You're dedicated to getting better.

That alone puts you ahead of most of your age group's "writers", who do a poem or two, maybe a short story from time to time, and let their friends gush over how awesome they are without ever having to really put themselves out there.

FWIW though, ever age group has those types

It depends on what level you're at. What you're writing. How close you are to it. How you do with critiques. It will be different for everyone.

5-10 years ago, I needed time to let a project sit. I was less experienced and made far more mistakes. Critiques often got overwhelming. Also, I was still learning how to revise and edit and how to sort through critique, pick, choose, then implement.

Now I only give my writing group something that I know is "close." Often, I will sense when something isn't clicking and they will help me hone in on that.

So, to answer your question for MYSELF only: I revise pretty much right when I get home from the critique session. It's all fresh in my mind. And honestly? I want to move on as quickly as possible and focus on other things.

I find that if I wait now, I lose that momentum that comes from the writing group.

Again, others will be different. Some might need to take longer (for whatever reasons). The whole thing comes down to what works best for YOU. If you're asking this sort of question, my guess is that you haven't found what works best for you yet. Don't be afraid to try different approaches right now. Something will lock into place.

Good luck!