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To
Crit or not to Crit
By Rachel Robinson
There’s so much
written and said about critiquing – some people swear by it and
others recoil in horror at the mere thought. So I decided to don
my investigative hat (the purple fluffy one) and find out the
low-down on critting from some RWA members.
I started with
Christine Wells who said, “A good critiquing partner is
invaluable. Someone who makes you feel energized and positive
about your work, but also won’t let you get away with any laziness
either.”
Next I asked
Tracey O’hara, and she told me, “My work was vastly improved by
the very first critique group (the Claytons Critters) I belonged
to. I learnt more in a few months with them than I had in an
entire year before. I really have them to thank for getting me on
the right path.”
The topic of
critiquing so interested Lisa Barry that she’s researching it
during her Master’s degree in Romance. Among other things, she
found, “If we trace critique groups and critiquing back through
time we go a long way. So far my research has discovered that C.
S. Lewis & J. R. R. Tolkien had a group named the Inklings. They
read their compositions aloud and expected immediate criticism.”
So, let’s get a
bit more specific. What can a good critique really do for you?
Anna Campbell said, “I came up with the ending of Claiming the
Courtesan from an American judge's critique. The original
ending was a real fizzer and very Pride and Prejudice-y with the
heroine's sister running away from school and Kylemore proving
himself heroic by finding her. A judge in an American contest
pointed out that I already had a perfect and very striking villain
in Kylemore's mother, yet she appeared at the beginning and never
came back into the story. I thought about that, realised it was a
great point and thought up the ending where the Dowager Duchess's
mania for power really does lift the stakes enormously. Thank you,
American judge!”
Sue
Burgess-Thompson added, “When I was developing my new voice it was
great to be able to put my work forward and receive the
encouragement I needed to push ahead with my story. Having a
target of producing a chapter a month was also useful.”
So if you find the
right partner or group, you get something really useful, and in
exchange you have to do the dreary work of critting for the other
person, yes? Apparently not. Many people admit they get as much
out of giving crits as receiving them. Melissa Haack said, “It's
so much easier seeing others' mistakes, rather than your own. And
you definitely do learn from their mistakes!”
Sue
Burgess-Thompson agrees. “Giving critiques forces you to look at
structure, character, dialogue, etc and sometimes what you see in
another's work is what you might need to apply back to your own
WIP. Critiquing gets you thinking in an analytical way about your
own work.”
What about down
sides? The picture emerging was too rosy. I needed to adjust my
purple fluffy investigator’s hat and ask the hard questions. Anna
Campbell rose to the task. “My negative experiences with
critiquing have mainly been based on the critiquer having an
agenda. Sometimes it's to make themselves feel better by putting
you down. Sometimes it's to turn your work into theirs. Sometimes
it's just to have a little power trip because they've got the pen
in their hand, you know! I've also struck well-meaning critiquers
who just haven't been tuned into the story or my style or my
characters - I'm not talking about failures in the writing here,
I'm talking about a fundamental lack of empathy. In that case,
accept their critique, thank them kindly for it and just stick to
your guns. You can't please all the people all the time!”
Serena Tatti has
also had some negative experiences. “I think we've all had those,
and I admit that it took me a while to get over the remarks and to
have faith in my own voice again. At the time, one writer
approached me and asked if she could look at the scene. She gave
me some great feedback and encouraging remarks. She became my
first critique partner. She taught me that the main thing is to
get over it and keep going no matter what. Remember it's only one
person's opinion and, really, the only person whose opinion
matters is the editor of the line you're targeting.”
Christine Wells
had this advice on working with a critique: “Don’t follow every
suggestion blindly. Critiquing is subjective. It’s someone’s
opinion, not Gospel. I recommend reading through a critique,
fixing errors like spelling and punctuation the reader has pointed
out, then putting the critique aside and forgetting about it. When
you come back to do your own revisions, you’ll remember the good
advice when you’re going through. If you don’t remember it, it
probably wasn’t advice you should have taken.”
Serena Tatti is of
a similar mind. “The most important thing to remember about any
critique or even competition feedback from a judge, is that it's
the individual's personal opinion and what they might think is
wrong for your story might, in fact, be right. You have to read
all the comments by different people and decide whether it applies
to your piece or not. How au fait are they with the genre?
e.g. single title is a far cry from category/series writing and
individual series have different types of characters, settings, in
fact the entire flavour of the book is different.”
Obviously, then,
we have to be careful in the suggestions we make as we critique
for others. I needed advice on how to give suggestions
appropriately. Lisa Barry is not only studying romance, she’s also
a member of the critique group Hearts of Gold. “We use the Triple
K method or Kiss Kick Kiss,” she said. “This involves saying
something nice about the author’s work. You’re there to encourage
as well. Remember, as many authors attest, writers have fragile
egos.
“After saying
something nice, the HOGs then mention nitpicks. This includes
everything, from spelling and grammar, to POV and Conflict. The
HOGs finish the critique by saying some more nice things about the
work and encouraging the author to provide another chapter soon.
Sometimes, the group’s opinions differ. Subsequently, we brain
storm. We bounce ideas around and help the work to grow.”
More advice on
giving critiques came from Tracey O’hara. “One of the most
important things is respect the other writer’s voice. You can make
suggestions but don’t push things because it is the way you would
write it. It’s their story so it’s ultimately up to them.”
So what advice do
these wise people have for choosing a partner or group? Christine
Wells says, “You must have someone who understands and appreciates
your genre. People who don’t read romance can have a different
slant, which might take you down a path that won’t lead to
publication. I started with a general historical fiction critique
group, which was extremely helpful with things like craft and
historical accuracy but didn’t quite have the emphasis on romance
that I needed later on.”
Melissa Haack
thinks, “A CP has to at least enjoy your style of writing/plot
etc, because their dislike isn't going to help make your work
shine.”
And Sue
Burgess-Thompson had this to add, “I think as you grow in your
writing experience, your critiquing needs might change. For
example, early on, when you're developing your voice you might
need a gentler approach. Later, as you grow in confidence, you
might be able to take more detailed and stronger criticism.”
So how many
critiquers is a good number? Anna Campbell said, “I would advise
against having too many people critique your work, especially in
the early stages when you're trying to find your voice/your
characters/your story. Too many critiquers can spoil the broth!
Everyone has a different take and too much input can just destroy
your chance to tell your story your way. Pick a few trusted people
and even then, if what they're saying isn't chiming with your
fundamental vision of the story, go your own way! One proviso,
though - if six people point out exactly the same problem, revisit
it. Chances are it really is a problem.”
And one final
pearl of advice comes from Christine Wells. “Don’t rush into a
committed CP relationship. Even though when you start and you’re
desperate for feedback and comradeship, the wrong partner or group
can have a detrimental effect on your writing if you’re not
careful, or very stubborn!”
So our panel of
wise experts seem to agree that there are two sides to the coin,
but if you choose well and protect your voice there are rewards to
be reaped on Planet Critique. Time to take off my purple hat and
get back to critting for my own CP. But first, some parting words
from Serena Tatti:
“Mostly I have had
positive experiences with critiquing. This comes from having a
trusted few critiquing buddies who understand how I write and vice
versa. It also helps to have someone cry their hearts out at the
*big R* or to jump with joy when you finally get *the call*! I
wouldn't be without my critiquing buddies!”
Rachel Robinson is the 2007 Category Emerald Award winner and
lucky critique partner to several fabulous RWA members. She’s
started the RWA/NZ Critique Partner Register to help others find
their own perfect matches and can be contacted on
critpartners@romanceaustralia.com for more information. |
