The Backward OX

Do you both give and seek critiques?

Here’s a challenge for when you’re wearing your critique-giving hat: Go back to a piece you’ve critiqued some weeks earlier, and without looking at your original comments critique it again, then compare the two. You might be surprised.

And when you’re wearing your critique-seeking hat, think about what I’ve just said.

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How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb

Ilasir Maroa

NTO, a good point, but there could be many factors involved. So critiques aren't useless, or only made in the moment, but that doesn't mean different things won't come through to the critiquer at different points in time. But still a good point.

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Foxee

It helps me to read the piece twice...once for the full effect and enjoyment of it (hopefully) and a second time with a critical eye. I've very seldom made points I didn't mean in a critique this way.

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Mike

Ain't I supposed to critique a piece based on what mood I'm in?

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- Mike

strangedaze

I dunno. I go through a story and as I'm doing that I make notes pertainting to things that stick out. If I go through it a second time and have different thoughts, well, it's not my job to sort through which notes are useful and which suck ass. I think putting any onus on the reader / critiquer is ridiculous. I'm taking the time to read your story, which you've posted for feedback. I don't need to be told to keep anything in mind as I'm doing so. If you think what I'm saying in a crit is stupid, then you can disregard. If you don't want to hear what I have to say, tell me not to read it. But there's no wrong way to read a piece. If a hundred people love something and I hate it, my opinion is no less valid. You probably won't take my critique to heart in the midst of overwhelming praise, but that's a choice you make as a writer.

So, in summary: I refuse to think about anything when I read a piece of here. I just read and say what's on my mind. If there's some kind of hat everyone else is wearing, then I'm behind the times

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His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.

lilacstarflower

I tend to usually only read a piece once and make notes if I have somethnig I want to say about it.

If the writer has asked for something specific in the feedback, like pace, I'll read it again and focus on that aspect.

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Wintermute

Depends on who's giving the critique. I find anybody that says, "Show, don't tell" utterly useless.

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"How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?
Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;
And wit depends on dilatory time." - Iago

Taxiday

I think ALL critiques are valuable! Each person has a different viewpoint and sometimes a little note is enough to make one aware of something they can't see because they're too close to it.

velo

Every viewpoint is important to me. But we all pick and choose which ones really affect us enough to actually make us change what we've written. Some crits I wholeheartedly disagree with because to follow the suggestion would completely ruin what I intended for the piece to be. Others are real head slappers and I think, "DUH!" Those are the ones I really value, the ones that get me thinking about my words in a new way.

"Show, don't tell" can be a useful crit but it needs to be backed up with some examples. I agree that just using the phrase is pretty worthless.

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Are you kidding Velo? Even Malone won't touch this one-adrianhayter

Carpe diem, quam minimum credulo postero -Horace

Lorlie

Personally I don't like to wear a hat when critiquing, I wear a giant crown made of lemon skins and daisy chains,. LOL

Ok sorry, but surely the whole point of giving and receiving critiques is the feedback of the reader at that given moment in time.
Twenty people could read the same piece of published material but they are not all going to have the same opinion.
I take the positive and allow it go to my head for a moment, I take the negative and look for the reasoning in it.
I think honesty and not brownie points is important in putting critique on someones work, don't say sweet things in the hope of gaining sweet things, because you will learn sweet eff all.

Lorlie

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HarryG

A belated comment. I always welcome critiques, but seldom ask for them. And I hardly ever give any, I feel that I'm not qualified to do so. But, without critiques, how do we know where we've gone wrong?


It's a conundrum. If we were able to vet our critics, which is impossible, we could arrive at the perfect situation, the advice received would be helpful and invaluable.


The best we can do in the jungle is to use our machete to cut down the obvious dangers and hope that we don't destroy too many genuine plants along the way. And, we are in a jungle.

strangedaze

I'm always puzzled when people say they don't feel qualified to give a critique. Whenever you read a book or a story in a publication, you think, wow that was good, no that was bad, this part made no sense, what the hell was s/he thinking when that section was written, etc. Over the years, I've noticed that a lot of writers critique pieces as writers, instead of as readers. Sometimes that's a good thing, but often I think I'd just rather show it to someone who's never written a word, who will comment on its entertainment power, or its ability to move someone.

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His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.

mwd

Yep, definitely agree with all of this. No one's forcing you to take the critiques you receive.

That said, I don't think I've ever received a critique where I couldn't find something of value, even if I disagreed with some of the points raised. Obviously you have to filter it through your own perceptions, but if you find yourself thinking most of your critiques are wrong or unreliable, well, you should probably take another look.

SeattleGhostWriter

Honestly, I read the piece, paying attention to the sentence structure, how it attracts me as a reader and how it flows.

The critiques I provide are the same critiques and ways to look at a piece for the purpose of cleaning it up and pointing out places that need attention.

How many times have someone gotten upset because a particular person critiqued their work and they said "Bwwwwaaaaahhhh!!!! You are mean spirited and don't like it." and applaud someone who says "I love this piece of work, keep it up, good job" and other such accolades. All the while the piece is poorly constructed and flows awkwardly.

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