Hi, Casiopeia!
Just a little correction: A critic (CRIT-ick) is the person giving a critique (crit-EEK). A critique is a review or evaluation.
Thanks I thought something was amiss.
Pharosian said:
In a critique group I belong to, we try to give our reviews a "what worked" and "what didn't work" structure. Let the person know what you thought was good, or what made you laugh or cry or feel some emotion. Then also let the author know whether any phrasing made you stumble, or that you didn't understand.
If you have the time AND the knowledge, you can offer suggestions for improving the grammar and punctuation and choice of words, etc.
* Always make sure your comments are aimed at the writing, not the writer.
* Don't use derogatory words such as "stupid," "moronic," "crap," etc.
I really agree with eric's item 3: if you can't find anything positive in a story, then it's probably best just not to try to review it.
As for your concern that getting a lot of feedback will somehow make us all write the same... If you mean we'll all use proper grammar and punctuation and write syntactically correct sentences, then I only hope you're right. But if you mean that it will somehow homogenize the style and we won't be able to tell one author's writing from another based on style, I don't think there's any danger. We each have different ways of choosing words and telling stories that are so ingrained in who we are and what our experiences have been that I don't think it's possible to lose that sense of individuality in our writing.
I am concerned that our critiques be based on the very things you guys are mentioning and not if someone likes our writing style. After all, the variety of genres on this forum and even the cross-genres makes us diverse and really quite extraordinary. I have seen in the SYW forum people making comments like, your story just sucks. Or that is idiotic in some cases. One person even wrote that the author should just throw the piece away. Those aren't helpful critiques.
All three of you have made really good examples for me and I am very appreciative. Though I am not given to personal slanders with someone's writing, I just want to make sure I am not only polite and considerate but also helpful in articulating my thoughts on someone's work as a reader.
I do think there is a danger however that we can become so caught up in the genre we write in that we consider other's work with that same measuring stick in other genres where it might not appropriately apply. For example, I notice that AnnieColleen tends to write more literary and fantasy fiction. That is very hard for me to critique as a reader because I just don't read it very much and I am a mystery/suspense/thriller writer. So I leave it up to others to offer her a better critique. Don't be me wrong, I hope one day to be able to offer my opinion on other genres. I am just hesitant that I will be influenced by my own genre in evaluating their work. If that makes any sense.
I do like how AnnieColleen makes mention that we should say, "I am confused", or in your case, if it works or not for me as a reader. That takes a great deal off pressure of both the writer and the reader.
I agree with Eric that giving suggestions on what "might" be another way to write it is actually very helpful. And of course, like Thumper said, "If you can't say nothin' nice, don't say nothin' at all." But to be clear, saying that something isn't working for you as a reader isn't a bad thing to say. It is honest and can be helpful if specifics are given. I just cringe when I read things like, that is really a stupid story...give it up...start over...your writing is crap. I have even seen someone say, "well, I've seen worse." That just isn't helpful.
I would like to give an example that Pthom said to me. Which is the proper way to say something that is negative. "I have difficulty suspending my disbelief...." That is his reaction and not aimed at me.
For me as a writer, I want to see comments like:
1. That sentence is passive and it shouldn't be.
2. Corrections in my spelling and mis punctuations. (yes I make mistakes, I have a particular form of dyslexia so it helps.)
3. Comments on if people found my story plausible. (I loved it when MacBeth, I believe it was, said my last story in FF was cold blooded. It meant I actually got the feeling across I wanted.)
Those are just a few things I want to be talked to about.
Anyway...thanks for your comments you guys. I am forming ideas now for the next time I do a critique (thank you for correcting me

) and I hope to be of more help and maybe learn from doing the critiques how to better my own work. After all, I think Pthom made that point to me. Who benefits from the critique? The person receiving it or the one giving it?
