Critique Ettiquette
Nov. 30th, 2007 09:52 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
aeriedraconia.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
writers_loftIn my travels through some of the writing communities around LJ over the last few years I ran across a person who often put work up for critique and then behaved badly when people critiqued the work.
The writer was really looking for adoration rather than help improving the work. This writer defended every point, a lot of which were valid points and didn't want to see or hear anything that countered the work as it stood. In fact, the defense was so adamant, the author would inevitably fly into high orbit and hit meltdown. Every single time. This would, of course, make the others in the community jump on meltdown author in a feeding frenzy. Flame wars ensued.
About a year later I saw that the author had posted one of those pieces of work in another community, completely unchanged.
So, I bring you critique Etiquette.
Giving a Critique
1. Do not criticize, offer constructive criticism.
2. Don't forget to point out what is working as well as what isn't.
3. If your manner has sharp corners on it try to blunt the edges, creative types are fragile.
4. Set aside personal biases and look at the structure of the work.
5. Write thoughtful and descriptive responses so the writer understands what you mean and so the comments will still be meaningful later.
6. You will probably need to read a work more than once to really see it.
7. Don't keep the writer waiting forever, finish your critique in a timely manner.
Receiving a Critique
1. If you don't really want an honest opinion, don't ask to have your work critiqued.
2. Do not throw tantrums if someone points out the flaws in your work.
3. Try not to justify/defend every point a critique partner has made, take a look at what they've said and ask yourself if they might have point.
4. Try to be objective.
5. If the feedback upsets you, go away for a few days to regain your equilibrium. Then, revisit the feedback. Are the comments valid after all?
5a. The feedback may not be as snarky as you think, go away for a few days and then come back and reread the feedback.
6. Not all feedback will be helpful, take it all with a grain of salt.
7. If more than one person says the same thing, they may be on to something.
8. Use spell check and fix the obvious errors before handing your work off to your critique group.
9. Thank your critique partner for their efforts and for taking the time to read and critique your work (even for the feedback you didn't find as helpful).
10. If you feel you have to explain things for clarification you may need to rework that part. You will NOT be there to explain things when an agent or editor is reading your work.
Discussions are great but flame wars will not be tolerated so keep things grown up and civilized.
Does anyone have any more critique etiquette to add?
What do you need from a critique?
What makes a good critique?
The writer was really looking for adoration rather than help improving the work. This writer defended every point, a lot of which were valid points and didn't want to see or hear anything that countered the work as it stood. In fact, the defense was so adamant, the author would inevitably fly into high orbit and hit meltdown. Every single time. This would, of course, make the others in the community jump on meltdown author in a feeding frenzy. Flame wars ensued.
About a year later I saw that the author had posted one of those pieces of work in another community, completely unchanged.
So, I bring you critique Etiquette.
Giving a Critique
1. Do not criticize, offer constructive criticism.
2. Don't forget to point out what is working as well as what isn't.
3. If your manner has sharp corners on it try to blunt the edges, creative types are fragile.
4. Set aside personal biases and look at the structure of the work.
5. Write thoughtful and descriptive responses so the writer understands what you mean and so the comments will still be meaningful later.
6. You will probably need to read a work more than once to really see it.
7. Don't keep the writer waiting forever, finish your critique in a timely manner.
Receiving a Critique
1. If you don't really want an honest opinion, don't ask to have your work critiqued.
2. Do not throw tantrums if someone points out the flaws in your work.
3. Try not to justify/defend every point a critique partner has made, take a look at what they've said and ask yourself if they might have point.
4. Try to be objective.
5. If the feedback upsets you, go away for a few days to regain your equilibrium. Then, revisit the feedback. Are the comments valid after all?
5a. The feedback may not be as snarky as you think, go away for a few days and then come back and reread the feedback.
6. Not all feedback will be helpful, take it all with a grain of salt.
7. If more than one person says the same thing, they may be on to something.
8. Use spell check and fix the obvious errors before handing your work off to your critique group.
9. Thank your critique partner for their efforts and for taking the time to read and critique your work (even for the feedback you didn't find as helpful).
10. If you feel you have to explain things for clarification you may need to rework that part. You will NOT be there to explain things when an agent or editor is reading your work.
Discussions are great but flame wars will not be tolerated so keep things grown up and civilized.
Does anyone have any more critique etiquette to add?
What do you need from a critique?
What makes a good critique?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}