You are graded on your critiques as well as the work that you submit. You are required to do at least one critique per week. By the final week you will have done between 10 and 20 critiques and you will be graded on five critiques that you will choose as your best work. Your critique will consist of a posting to the board and a filled out rubrics form that is located in the "Documents" area of the course. Do not post rubrics to the discussion. Send them to the author and your instructor as e-mail attachments.
How to Critique
Make time to do a short but detailed, useful critique. If the document you are critiquing is an early draft, focus particularly on style. A final draft will require more work, especially if it's about to be submitted for a grade. It's always helpful if the author states whether he/she wants to focus on particular issues or a general critique. Don't read other critiques before giving your own. An author needs feedback on work before submitting it for grading (or publication).
There is a difference between mere criticism and a critique. A good critique reveals a work's weaknesses as well as its strengths. A useful critique will let the author know what criteria was used to critique the work and will provide solutions to problems and possible directions.
The method
Read each piece through at least twice (we sometimes miss things on the first reading). Cut and paste the criteria into your posting and answer the questions contained in the criteria. Feel free to make comments that are not addressed in the criteria.
How to BE critiqued
Do not be too in love with positive feedback and do not take negative feedback personally. Remember that a critique is a review of that particular story; it's not an attack on you or your abilities as a writer. If you can defend your experimental techniques, that is fine but remember that in the future, the editors will have to be as much of a genius as you are in order to "get it."
You don't have to change anything based on what your reviewer said, but I do expect you to respond to it. If you do change anything, please resubmit the story.
If you dislike a critique, get more feedback from other people in the class that you meet in the discussion. If more than one person points out the same problem, it might be worth a revision. Always remember, though, the story is yours, and only you know how it needs to be told and how it should ultimately be written.
The Criteria
This is the criteria we will be using. This criteria is not set in stone. This criteria will be more applicable to some stories than others. You may cover as much of each element as you feel is necessary to do an accurate critique. This document is a starting point and may be changed, debated and rewritten.
You may alter this for your use where appropriate or you may come up with one that is more useful to your author. Just let me know what criteria you are using.
A. Style
- Is the grammar, spelling and punctuation consistent with professional standards?
- Are there too many adjectives, sentences in the passive voice, etc.?
- Are there sentences that can be tightened for clarity?
- Are there any long passages of exposition that detract from the story?
B. General Impression
- Do you enjoy this story? Why or why not?
- Are you engaged in the work as a reader?
- Can you define any themes or symbols?
- Do you have a sense of person or place?
- Does the writing show rather than tell?
- If the story is experimental does the experiment work?
- Does the story need more? Less?
C. First Paragraph
- Does the story begin with a good opening hook?
- Is the conflict clear?
- Are the characters and setting established?
- Does it set the tone and mood of the story?
D. Point of View
- Is the point of view consistent?
- Would another point of view work better?
E. Characters
- Are the main characters well developed?
- Do the characters behave consistently?
- Is their motive/conflict clear?
- Do you know what they want?
F. Dialogue
- Does the dialogue "sound" right?
- Does the dialogue advance the story?
- Can you tell who is speaking?
- Are there too many substitutions for "said?"
- Does the dialog present conflict or create tension?
G. Plot
- Is the story believable? Why or why not?
- Does the story begin at the right place?
- Can you easily summarize what happens?
- Are there any unnecessary scenes in the story?
- Are the transitions between scenes smooth?
- Does the story contain a consistent internal logic?
H. Ending
- Is the ending believable?
- Does the story end at the right place? Should it end earlier or later?
- Is there a satisfactory resolution?