How to Critique Creative Writing
Don't critique the work without first being asked to., Understand what kind of critique the writer expects., Be well-read, preferably in the genre of the writing., Be able to write reasonably well yourself., Read the manuscript over carefully.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Don't critique the work without first being asked to.
The writers who are most open to having their work read and evaluated by others are those who ask for it.
Usually, writers who can't handle feedback aren't willing to put their work out for critiquing. -
Step 2: Understand what kind of critique the writer expects.
Discuss what kind of feedback the writer is looking for before you review the manuscript.
If the writer tells you he or she has had trouble writing a particular passage within the manuscript, focus your efforts on that passage.
If the writer is looking for help with spelling, punctuation, and grammar, provide that to the best of your ability.
If the writer comes across solely as looking for an ego stroke, you may want to politely decline the request to do a critique. , Your critique will be more effective if you have a background in the genre or area of the writing, such as being an avid reader of science fiction if asked to critique someone's science fiction manuscript.
If you aren't well read a given genre, you may still be able to critique the work for the overall quality of the writing, if that's what the writer looking to be critiqued is asking you for. , Being well-read and being able to write well usually go hand-in-hand, but not automatically.
If you regularly confuse words such as "tenant" and "tenet," write incomplete sentences without good reason, and punctuate irregularly, you're probably not the best candidate to critique someone else's writing.
However, if you do write well, recognize that your style of writing is not necessary the only or best way to write a given story or article.
You should be familiar with several writing styles and points of view in order to critique creative writing effectively. , Reading a manuscript to critique it requires reading in more detail and depth than reading for pleasure.
You're reading the text for content, consistency, grammar, punctuation, and style.
Read the text carefully, making notes as you go, either in the margins of the manuscript or on a separate piece of paper.
Re-read any difficult passages and, if you have time, the entire manuscript.
If you're reading the manuscript in a word processing document, you can use the word processing program's comments feature to make comments.
If you run into a word you don't understand, look it up, either in a hard-copy dictionary or online.
Also look up any historical or scientific information included in the manuscript that you have questions about. -
Step 3: Be well-read
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Step 4: preferably in the genre of the writing.
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Step 5: Be able to write reasonably well yourself.
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Step 6: Read the manuscript over carefully.
Detailed Guide
The writers who are most open to having their work read and evaluated by others are those who ask for it.
Usually, writers who can't handle feedback aren't willing to put their work out for critiquing.
Discuss what kind of feedback the writer is looking for before you review the manuscript.
If the writer tells you he or she has had trouble writing a particular passage within the manuscript, focus your efforts on that passage.
If the writer is looking for help with spelling, punctuation, and grammar, provide that to the best of your ability.
If the writer comes across solely as looking for an ego stroke, you may want to politely decline the request to do a critique. , Your critique will be more effective if you have a background in the genre or area of the writing, such as being an avid reader of science fiction if asked to critique someone's science fiction manuscript.
If you aren't well read a given genre, you may still be able to critique the work for the overall quality of the writing, if that's what the writer looking to be critiqued is asking you for. , Being well-read and being able to write well usually go hand-in-hand, but not automatically.
If you regularly confuse words such as "tenant" and "tenet," write incomplete sentences without good reason, and punctuate irregularly, you're probably not the best candidate to critique someone else's writing.
However, if you do write well, recognize that your style of writing is not necessary the only or best way to write a given story or article.
You should be familiar with several writing styles and points of view in order to critique creative writing effectively. , Reading a manuscript to critique it requires reading in more detail and depth than reading for pleasure.
You're reading the text for content, consistency, grammar, punctuation, and style.
Read the text carefully, making notes as you go, either in the margins of the manuscript or on a separate piece of paper.
Re-read any difficult passages and, if you have time, the entire manuscript.
If you're reading the manuscript in a word processing document, you can use the word processing program's comments feature to make comments.
If you run into a word you don't understand, look it up, either in a hard-copy dictionary or online.
Also look up any historical or scientific information included in the manuscript that you have questions about.
About the Author
Brandon Johnson
Committed to making practical skills accessible and understandable for everyone.
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