On Writing Critiques

An Essay
by Carter Jefferson

Doing critiques is a daunting task. Whenever I comment on somebody's work, make suggestions for improvement, I wonder if I'll hurt feelings. And will I actually help?

The other day I got a message from a member of the IWW that touched me deeply. I want to tell you about this because I think others, especially people fairly new at the workshop game, must suffer just as this person did. My answer to my correspondent may give a few people enough courage to dive in and do it, no matter how lacking in confidence they may be.

Here's the note I received:

"I know I've not been very active around here this summer, during which time I seem to have lost my nerve on the critting side of things. So, I've sat down this week and gone through a lot of other crits and find yours so helpful. Perhaps its reading your comments for others, but in reading them, I have found answer to many of the pointers that trouble my own attempts at writing, making both the errors and the options that much clearer.

"Just wanted to tell you I'm benefitting from your comments to others even while I'm taking time out. Your positive and helpful remarks to others is giving me the incentive to get back into the writing saddle again."

Here's my reply:

"Hi, friend -- and thank you.

"I haven't been very active, either, and I'm sorry about that, especially if somebody actually reads the crits I do.

"I've been travelling on and off, but mostly I'm up to my ears in a new project, The Internet Review of Books. It's absorbing, and I think it will be a success, but it's also one hell of a lot of work.

"I'm particularly glad you find my crits helpful, because I'm like anybody else -- it takes chutzpah to pick apart somebody's work, to suggest I can do something better than they can, and every time I do it I wonder about the person on the other end. I don't want to hurt feelings, but I want to help.

"What gives me courage is that other people's crits have given me so much help. Ten years ago I knew absolutely nothing about writing fiction, but stuck my neck out and started posting stories to a Usenet group in which some of the writers obviously knew what they were doing. They helped some, and then I joined a group like this one (but not as good), and then finally came here. Along the way some of the crits I got really hurt, but they still helped me get better. I learned a great deal. I also got some crits that were of no use at all, and some that told me to do things I knew wouldn't work. But all of them helped, no matter how inept they were. The semi-useless ones at least told me where I was failing to get through to somebody, and that's useful.

"All I can say to you is that any crit you do, no matter how off the wall, is going to help the victim, if that person has any sense. So gird up your loins and go after them. Call it tough love. You may not be an expert, but you know some things, and there are people who need all the help they can get -- including me, still."

How to Critique Fiction

A new member responded to our question "How did you find us?" by noting that the Internet Writing Workshop is mentioned on the Web pages maintained by Victory Crayne,
Victory Page for Fiction Writers, an independent editor, writing coach, and mentor.

Exploring her site, I found this resource -- "How to Critique Fiction."

In it, Crayne covers everything from the simple to the complex, ranging from openings, conflict, plot, point of view, to grammar and spelling. She even has her own take on that favorite subject of discussion, Show versus Tell.

The IWW welcomes new members continuous, and it's sites like Crayne's that provide a quick but thorough resource to jump-start participation. If you use her site, I suggest sending a message to thank her -- and to tell her to send more budding writers our way.

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Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

Self-publishing: Ten tips to make your book shine

By Bob Sanchez, an IWW member

We self-publishers fight a lonely battle, finding readers for our wit and wisdom. We write alone, and now we sell alone and search for ways to market our work. How do we entice readers to open their wallets?

Those questions are often premature. Before asking how you're going to cope with all those book orders, you need to make sure you have a quality product. Because you won't have a publisher's editor or copy reader working with you on that, you need all the help you can get.

So here are ten tips to make your book, fiction or non, the best it can be.

#1 Use a spell-checker, but only as a first line of defense. Then you look for misspellings the spell-checker won't catch, such as then/than, to/too/two, tail/tale, or its/it's.

#2 Read your manuscript critically, as though you weren't the author. Some things to check include complete chapters, well-organized paragraphs, complete sentences, and accurate punctuation.

#3 Be consistent. If you capitalize a word once in the text, chances are you always want to capitalize it. Decide whether you want one space or two at the end of a sentence, and stick with it. Never change your font or type size without good reason. If your work consists of more than one file, be sure that every file is formatted identically.

#4 Get honest, competent critiques. Leave your mother and spouse alone; your family has better things to do than fawn over your work. Avoid critiques from anyone who has an emotional stake in making you happy, because that isn't what you need. The Internet Writing Workshop is an excellent source of constructive, informed criticism.

#5 Use your judgment. Even good critiquers may give you conflicting advice. Remember that it's your project, so the final decision is always yours.

#6 Refer to a style manual such as the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the most widely accepted guide for standard writing.

#7 Make a style sheet. A novel or other large manuscript can involve lots of small stylistic decisions by the author. Keep a pad of paper with a running list of things you don't want to have to keep looking up. For example, a cartoon I liked showed a bank robber writing a note and asking the teller, "Is holdup one word or two?" Think of words you often misspell or don't know how to capitalize, and write them correctly on the list.

#8 Follow your publisher's guidelines religiously even if they don't insist.

#9 Repeat tip #2.

#10 Review the publisher's proof carefully. When you receive the publisher's proof isn't the time to look for typos; you should have done that already. The publisher may even charge you if you fix many of your own mistakes at this stage. Instead, look for their errors. Are illustrations in their proper places? Are pages and chapters numbered properly? Look at every page's overall appearance. Is each one properly aligned? Is any text missing?

If you follow these simple (but not always easy) tips, I can't guarantee best-sellerdom for your book, but I can promise you this: Your book will be far superior to the vast majority of self-published books. You will have a quality product.

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Bob Sanchez is a retired senior technical writer who recently self-published his comic novel When Pigs Fly (iUniverse, 2006). Kirkus Discoveries declares that "Sanchez's breakneck narrative never lets up," while Midwest Book Review states, "Bob Sanchez writes like Carl Hiaasen on speed." He is working on his next novel and plans to self-publish again.

Why You and Any Other Writer Might Like the IWW

Long-time member Kate Reynolds reminded me recently why she values the Internet Writing Workshop. She referred to her article printed in the Writer's Digest Magazine -- "Improve your writing and expand your network of writing friends by joining a critique group you can attend from the comfort of your home."

There's good information in Kate's essay, but it was printed before the IWW administrators took the initiative to purchase a domain name and server space. The URL shown in the article's sidebar is incorrect.

We're here!