June 2014
With the start of Last WriYer Standing, let’s talk about...
Critique and Criticism
What is your method of critiquing a piece of writing?
I read though the entire text twice, once to get an idea of what I'm reading, and the second so that I can pick up on what I missed in the first read-through. Then I either start talking, or jot down notes if I'm "critiquing" in google documents or via email. In Google docs, I highlight what I'm talking about and leave comments. In an email, I quote and then write my impressions, and highlight the text with suggestions.
What do you expect out of people critiquing your work?
My expectations mostly depend on what is being critiqued. With letters or reports, I mostly want a human grammar checker and feedback on whether I am communicating my ideas effectively or, if not, how to better get my point across.With fiction writing, I'm mostly looking for feedback on overall feel or plot and character realism.
Bonus: Here’s a non-blog bonus: go into the Read Me, Feed Me forum and critique someone’s work. They’ll thank you for it!
