I registered on Critique Circle a few years ago, but I never really liked it. The site is too bloated for my liking and the queue system did my head in.
I'm on Critique Circle. I've found it helpful. Also, for the womenfolks, I appreciate that CC has a block function that actually blocks.
TL;DR thank you for being cool, Critique Circle.
You're right guys.
The good thing on CC:
* You can put the whole chapter there at once
The bad thing on CC:
* You must wait for your turn. (Don't ask. Those, who have experience on CC, they can explain.)
I registered on Critique Circle a few years ago, but I never really liked it. The site is too bloated for my liking and the queue system did my head in.
Who is this Critique Circle? Can we trust them?
Well, things have changed a bit. Now the writer can see all the feedback at once. She can see A's, B's and C's feedback at the same time. It has its good sides. One can see one's problems quite well, if two or more says about the same thing.The thing I do like about it is that people critiquing can't see the other comments so there's less worry about any 'bandwagon' effect and when each person points something out, it's definitely something that needs fixing.
I just signed up at Critique Circle yesterday. As with AW, I'm still just finding my way around. I hope to get my feet wet over the weekend.Anyone here also a part of the critiquing group at Critique Circle?
IMO, if you're going to pay for a novel critique, you're better off hiring a professional editor (who is familiar with your genre and who has a strong track record of getting authors published) to do a substantive and/or line-edit, depending on what the ms needs. I think @gtanders did that recently and found it a worthwhile investment with a quick turnaround time (as was, I understand, hiring current/ex literary agents to assess their query letter).I've been exploring Critique Circle for a couple of days, but I noticed something today that I hope I've misinterpreted. Is it true that if you want to get a novel critiqued (one chapter at a time) you have to pay for the Premium account?
I've been exploring Critique Circle for a couple of days, but I noticed something today that I hope I've misinterpreted. Is it true that if you want to get a novel critiqued (one chapter at a time) you have to pay for the Premium account?
It's not an unusual model. Critters does something similar. So does Viable Paradise. When I co-admin'd a niche-genre writing forum with a critique section, I also had a crit-to-be-critted requirement; otherwise, the long-term members ended up doing all the thankless critiquing work for fly-in, fly-out newbies who came only for what they could get out of the community and refused to contribute a single thing. AW can get away with it, I think, because it's so much bigger.I do remember that one "bought" critiques by critiquing other works through the search feature. I think it was three check marks critiquing others to get one of mine critiqued.
The thing is, if you feel your work is good enough to be critiqued (with the hope of eventually selling it), you must have some confidence in your abilities. Whether that's big-picture stuff or novel ideas or strong grammar, any of those are aspects that you can apply to critique of other people's work. Honestly, pretty much all writers never feel qualified. If they get to the point that they feel they know it all, they won't be joining critique groups.I was not comfortable being forced to critique others when I did not feel qualified.
But, in the end, writers are all readers. And reader reactions are priceless. Even readers who don't know diddly squat about the craft of writing.I was not comfortable being critiqued by others who might feel the same but be doing it just to get the required number of check marks to get their own work critiqued.
It's not an unusual model. Critters, IIRC, does something similar. When I co-admin'd a niche-genre writing forum with a critique section, I also had a crit-to-be-critted requirement; otherwise, the long-term members ended up doing all the critiquing by the fly-in, fly-out newbies who came only for what they could get out of the community and refused to contribute a single thing. AW can get away with it, I think, because it's so much bigger.
The thing is, if you feel your work is good enough to be critiqued (with the hope of eventually selling it), you must have some confidence in your abilities. Whether that's big-picture stuff or novel ideas or strong grammar, any of those are aspects that you can apply to critique of other people's work. Honestly, pretty much all writers never feel qualified. If they get to the point that they feel they know it all, they won't be joining critique groups.
But, in the end, writers are all readers. And reader reactions are priceless. Even readers who don't know diddly squat about the craft of writing.
Caveat: I have no experience with Critique Circle so I can't recommend or not-recommend it, just saying that crit-to-be-critted is an established model, and requiring authors to write crits really does improve their writing (and critiquing) skills, which is a desirable outcome.
Okay, genuine question here: How did you (or how does anyone) learn to critique to the point where they do feel qualified? Is it by a) becoming a better writer with better skills in the craft which then translates to knowing how to critique; or b) by reading but not participating in a critique system to absorb how to/how not to critique; or c) by actively critiquing, starting with crappy ol' "this wuz gud" or "it made me laugh" and working up to comments on characterisation, pacing, etc?For me, it was critiquing specifically that I felt unqualified for, not my writing.
I agree that it's preferable to be able to choose the pieces you crit, rather than being assigned.For me, being able to chose to crit or not gave me the freedom to feel I could give feedback at a level I was comfortable with rather than feeling like I was filling out a form I was obligated to fill out.
Okay, genuine question here: How did you (or how does anyone) learn to critique to the point where they do feel qualified? Is it by a) becoming a better writer with better skills in the craft which then translates to knowing how to critique; or b) by reading but not participating in a critique system to absorb how to/how not to critique; or c) by actively critiquing, starting with crappy ol' "this wuz gud" or "it made me laugh" and working up to comments on characterisation, pacing, etc?
When I first started critting, twenty five years ago, it was because I'd written my first short story, got it rejected, and the editor (bless you, Steve Algieri) recommended I join a critique group. So I did. My first critiques were solely comments on grammar, spelling, and punctuation, because that's all I knew. I had zero clue about the craft. Reading other people's critiques of the same stories I'd critted was an eye-opener. Getting critiques on my own story was highly instructive as well.
And, while my SPaG critiques were not nearly as useful to the authors as in-depth structural edits, they did still have value. I critted a novel for one author solely for SPaG (cuz that was still all I knew) -- the author had written a very good book but was dyslexic and couldn't copy-edit prose. My very prosaic ability to perfect the English got them over the hump to publication.
Critiquing, like writing, is a craft that is honed over time, but IMO you have to start somewhere, and nobody starts out as an expert, and all genuine feedback is useful.
I agree that it's preferable to be able to choose the pieces you crit, rather than being assigned.
But this is a soapbox of mine, I know. Particularly in Query Letter Hell. The mindset that "I have written a novel that I think is good enough for Random House, and I have written a query letter that I am actively sending out to agents but want to polish a bit more since I haven't had a great hit rate, but I don't know enough to critique anyone else's query letter" is just not something I can wrap my head around. It's like applying to go to a Cordon Bleu cooking school and proclaiming that you're ready for a job at a five star Michelin restaurant while saying that you don't know enough about cooking to taste somebody else's pasta dish and let them know whether you think it's too salty.
Perhaps I'm just lacking the ability to empathise, and most certainly I am a cynical, judgmental beeyotch, but to me, the I-will-take-but-I-can't-give-back position is always a cop-out.
Thanks! I'm going to stick with it for a while until I get a sense for myself as to its usefulness, but I'll take what I get with a grain of salt. I'm having many of the same concerns you describe.It's been over a year since I left and didn't look back at that site.
As I remember, one posted short works, I don't remember a word count. I don't remember if chapters from novels mattered or were posted differently than short stories as long as the length was similar.
I do remember that one "bought" critiques by critiquing other works through the search feature. I think it was three check marks critiquing others to get one of mine critiqued.
I was not comfortable being forced to critique others when I did not feel qualified. I was not comfortable being critiqued by others who might feel the same but be doing it just to get the required number of check marks to get their own work critiqued.
I remember it being free, novels as well as short stories. But it was over a year ago and policies might have changed over time. Free or paid subscription, it might be exactly what a different writer is looking for.
For me, in my opinion, even though it was free, it was not worth my time investment or other intangible costs it might have had over time. My experience was leaving and not looking back.
Thanks! I've posted the first chapter of a WIP to Crit Circle just to see what happens. I've been trying to find low-cost (read: "free") options for things, but I'm coming to realize that you get what you pay for in this situation.IMO, if you're going to pay for a novel critique, you're better off hiring a professional editor (who is familiar with your genre and who has a strong track record of getting authors published) to do a substantive and/or line-edit, depending on what the ms needs. I think @gtanders did that recently and found it a worthwhile investment with a quick turnaround time (as was, I understand, hiring current/ex literary agents to assess their query letter).
Regardless, though, I'd advise you (sorry if I'm teaching your grandmother to suck eggs here) to "vet" your prospective editors/beta readers. Take a look at critiques they've provided for other people. Is their style something you could live with? Are they catching the kinds of ooopsies or confusing bits in other people's work that you want them to find in your own? Ask them to crit your first page or first scene or first chapter. Do they respond in a timely manner? Is their critique thorough and helpful and of use to you? If yes -- and if the reactions are vice versa if you're planning to do a beta swap -- then commit to a full novel beta read and a timeline.
Thanks! I'm going to stick with it for a while until I get a sense for myself as to its usefulness, but I'll take what I get with a grain of salt. I'm having many of the same concerns you describe.
I can't help but think that soliciting critiques should be more like a dating service: You shop around until you find one or two people that you can communicate with, and who seem to know what they're doing, and then you establish a working relationship with them. The whole social media shotgun approach seems inefficient somehow. The writer has to spend so much time and effort critiquing the critiques, so to speak.As I said, my personal experience then. It might have changed since, I don't know.
And to be fair to those who did crit the one work I submitted over in CC, I did receive similar criticisms when I was able to have my work critiqued here.
Same problem as friends critiquing. They know your work and might not be honest, might miss things, might be biased in favor of your work, etc.I can't help but think that soliciting critiques should be more like a dating service: You shop around until you find one or two people that you can communicate with, and who seem to know what they're doing, and then you establish a working relationship with them. The whole social media shotgun approach seems inefficient somehow. The writer has to spend so much time and effort critiquing the critiques, so to speak.