How to Critique Fiction by Victory Crayne (with a checklist to use on your own work and others)
How to Critique and Be Critiqued by Rick Walton
How to Cope with Critiquing by Rich Hamper
The Diplomatic Critiquer by Andrew Burt
It's Not What You Say, But How You Say It by Andrew Burt
Examples of how tiny wording
changes in critiques make all the difference by Andrew Burt
For a good laugh about critiquing, try, SAGP - How To Critique a Story
The realities of critiquing from one critiquer's perspective: I will not read your script
New Writers-Critiquers: Again, before you attend your first meeting, please take a moment to honestly examine your needs and expectations. Even if you don't expect the group to tell you how great your novel/story is, the first critiques can be unsettling in unexpected ways. The group's feedback will never be malicious or destructive, but always expect the group to offer suggestions to make pieces better and/or publishable.
In the beginning, before everyone gets to know each other, it's dangerously easy for expressions and signals to be misunderstood. New writers/first time critiquees need to be especially aware of how being critiqued is affecting them. All writers have moments of discouragement and self-doubt, but critiquing should ultimately empower you with the sense that you're developing as a writer and that you're acquiring the tools to improve your work.
At the first sign that you're more discouraged than empowered, take action. Don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed, but don't quit! You will, however, need to figure out what works for you. Consider bringing shorter pieces for critique, asking for lighter or shorter critiques or critiques on just one or two aspects of a work, completely taking a break from being critiqued by not reading at the meetings, and/or doing some self-study with how-to books and courses. Also, please speak up and tell us what we can do to help get you over the hump!
Sorry, we're not an online group, nor do we offer online critiquing!
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Updated September 10, 2009