The Down sides of Critique

While I definitely advocate participating in a critique group to test your writing and get constructive feedback, there are down sides of critique that need to be addressed.

Individuals give critique based on their own experience. Sometimes this leads to critique that is not useful - for example, when they are not familiar with your genre and expect it to fit a different style. You can ignore most of that.

Sometimes they just heap praise on everything that is read, because they don't have confidence in their own ability to comment. Start by asking for a specific point of comment and eventually they'll grow as a critiquer.

And sometimes a member of your critique group asks the questions that make you realize you need to start all over (again) with major changes in the plot and characters.

That's good critique, but it's also a bummer when you thought the novel was done - at least until you roll up your sleeves and get to work making your story better.

That's where I am right now. I thought the manuscript just need a light polish.

One question made me realize a secondary character really has to take the lead - and appear in the opening scene. I'll have to go through the entire manuscript to make that change work throughout the story.

Another question made me revisit the core mystery - what is in that envelope? I'm updating a novel I first wrote forty years ago. What was in the envelope then simply doesn't have the necessary punch anymore.

The easiest question I'd already been asking myself - will my idea work for the accident? I'd already decided to consult with an expert, which has now been accomplished. The details will be adjusted accordingly.

So, the down sides of critique are that sometimes you need to ignore the advice - and sometimes you need to let it lead to a complete do-over.

Use Critique effectively

Recently, I got some excellent critique from a professional editor who is familiar with current trends. This was on the opening of a novel that had already been critiqued and revised multiple times and had achieved final approval from writers I respect.

The story is about a group of friends and takes place over decades, so it is important to establish the depth of that friendship immediately, but the professional editor pointed out that the current preference of publishers is to focus on action and dialogue because, in a world of instant information, readers have little patience for lengthy narration.

Other elements of her feedback were spot on, so when she suggested a narrator to work in backstory, my first impulse was to try and decide what character could act as a narrator. Then I got home and revisited the manuscript. I decided there were two problems with the input:

• The examples she gave of books using a narrator were science fiction, and my book most definitely is not.

• My book will most likely draw older adults as readers - many of whom don't participate in media that gives bites of information and they may prefer an older style of writing with more narration.

So, I'm compiling a list of books written in the last 5-10 years that use a narrator. I'll read them and note how it's handled and whether any are in this book's genre. Then I'll decide if I really want to have a narrator. I will of course also look at popular books in this genre that have been published recently - looking at writing style and hopefully finding some comps.

However, the feedback was spurred by the writing - the editor felt the opening was too slow due to too much backstory in narration, so I'll also go through the opening chapters to make some decisions about backstory:

• Does the reader ever need to know this? If not, cut it completely.

• When do they need to know it? If it can wait, cut and work it into the story later.

• If it can be worked into dialogue in a natural exchange, do it.

The final word? To use critique effectively, it's important to listen for the reasons suggestions are being given, to know your genre and audience, and to be ready to use the critique to improve your writing accordingly. Writers revise.

www.sherimcguinn.com

Reviews

It did not win in either category, but I requested feedback from the judges involved and it arrived today. They each give a numerical score of 0-5 in five areas: Structure, Organization, and Pacing; Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar; Production Quality and Cover Design; Plot and Story Appeal; Character Appeal and Development; and Voice and Writing Style. They also provided a brief written commentary.

I opened the email with the mainstream category judge’s commentary first. My best numerical score was for Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar, and that was a four. Plot and Story Appeal got a two. The rest were twos and threes. The commentary was negative all the way – I definitely will not be sharing any part of it.

Then I opened the email with the inspirational category judge’s commentary. Everything got five’s – a perfect score – and the commentary ended with “one of the most interesting and useful novels I’ve seen.” I immediately posted the full commentary in the author comments on the book at Amazon.

Now both of these judges were presumably working with the same instructions for scoring – probably a rubric of some kind. I think the key is in the Plot and Story Appeal. The first judge gave that a two, the second a five. The first probably did not enjoy any of the process and got it done as quickly as possible; the second obviously enjoyed the book thoroughly and may not have looked at the technical aspects as critically as a neutral party. While I like the perfect score, I need to keep that in mind when my head starts swelling.

The bottom line is, no book appeals to every reader, including judges and reviewers, and most contests will have a single person doing the first screening read.

So what should you do when you get a negative review or commentary? Munch on a piece of chocolate and look at the details and decide if any criticism is justified. If you can’t make changes to this book, use the criticism to improve the next. When I entered Michael Dolan McCarthy in the Amazon Breakout Novel Awards, I got a full reading of the manuscript by Publisher’s Weekly and that reviewer pointed out my strengths as a writer and places the novel was weak. I hadn’t published yet, so after the initial cringe, I went back and fixed the problem areas. I quote the positives. Alice is already published, but if I write something similar, I’ll revisit both of these commentaries.

There’s sometimes a delay updating info at Amazon, so here’s the full positive review:

Judge’s Commentary 25th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards

“ALICE by Sheri McGuinn is a wonderful short novel that’s an easy read. Yet it contains deep threads along with an important mission. Using the power of fiction, the novelist encourages readers to do something for the community — that is, using abandoned buildings to house the homeless. This is a worthy idea that I hope many will be inspired to adopt. Although it’s been awhile since I had major contact with teenagers, I believe the author captures the voice of a thirteen-year-old very well. The narrator has a sense of wisdom, awe, and inexperience that marks many in that age bracket. Baby Girl is a storyteller I enjoyed spending time with, and I think others will, too. The bright yellow book cover captures the attention right away. The flowers are whimsical, and remind me of the hippie era, which is of course ideal for this book. The back cover design is also whimsical, and lets the reader know what to expect. I would have liked to see an author bio here. The resources listed inside, along with promos for the next book and the self-publishing guide are all practical and helpful. Overall, one of the most interesting and useful novels I’ve seen.”

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