Critique Guidelines from Joan Y Edwards

                                     How to Make Helpful Critiques (c) 2018

By Joan Y. Edwards

Are you in a critique group? Are you floundering for ideas of the best ways to offer your suggestions for improvement? Do you make sure you give positive feedback as well as changes that might need to be made? Good for you. These simple steps will help you.

How to give a good manuscript critique?

When you have someone critique your own work, ask them five of the following questions.

When you critique a manuscript, do a good job. Ask the author to choose three questions from the list below that they would like for you to answer. Choose two or three of your own questions.

If you don't know the writer's wishes, choose five of the following questions and write them at the beginning of the manuscript you're about to critique. It will help you focus on the story's strengths, as well as give the author places that need enrichment.

In your critique, make your opinions clear so that the author is able to tell what you think. Tell the author both ways to correct the manuscript and ideas to enhance the manuscript. Here are ideas to guide you and ensure you give a good critique.

25 Questions for a Critique

After reading a manuscript, answer these questions.

1.   What are three Blue Ribbonpassages (great paragraphs)?

2.   Write down any questions that come to mind as you read the manuscript. Share them with the author.

3.   Point out any pet words that the author uses over and over again? A thesaurus might have synonyms to use in place of them.

4.   What are three main errors in punctuation and grammar the author needs to correct?

5.   Point out where the writer needs to show, not tell. SHOW, DON'T TELL.

6.   Mark examples of passive voice so that the author can change them to active voice.

7.   Use quotes from the story to support your idea. Point out passages that show the author's meaning as it unfolds.

8.   After reading the story, can you write a short (25-100 word) summary telling the beginning, middle, and end? Do so. If not, tell the parts you can and explain the parts of the story that are missing.

9.   Explain where the story hooks you and why?

10.What is the setting (time and place) and how does it influence the story? Would a different time and place enhance the story?

11.What is the point of view? Through whose eyes do you see this story?

12.What does the main character) want?

13.What is the main character) willing to do to get what he wants?

14.What is the conflict that keeps the  (main character) from getting what he wants?

15.Does the hero get what he wants? How?

16.What are the mistakes that the main character makes?

17.What are the main character's flaws? (He’s got to have flaws.)

18.What is the lowest point in the story when the main character felt like giving up or he feels that his situation was hopeless?

19.Did the main character change? How? If the main character doesn't change, who does or what does change. Someone or something has to change in a story or there is no story.

20.What does the main character learn about life from his experiences in this story? (Theme)

21.Name the characters in the story and what each one wants.

22.In the dialogue, does each character have a distinct voice of his own? In the descriptions, can you tell which character is on the page?

23.What do you want to know about the characters that the author didn't tell you?

24.Does the story make sense? If not, note in the manuscript which parts that don’t make sense.

25.Does the ending satisfy you as a reader? If not, why not?

Ways to Make Your Critique Notes Stand Out:

1.   Use a separate piece of paper for your notes. Copy noteworthy passages there.

2.   Do critique on actual pages of manuscript.

3.   Put in blue text at least three Blue Ribbonpassages - my name for words, sentences, phrases, paragraphs, or scenes that are especially well-written. In this particular manuscript, these parts win First Prize - the Blue Ribbon.

4.   Highlight in yellow or put in red text, and/or cross out words. .

5.   Use all caps for your input. WHAT A STRONG BEGINNING!

6.   Or do your own thing. Be creative.

I wish you great success in your writing career. Thanks for reading my blog post. You honor me with your presence. Please  leave a comment. I'd love to hear your ideas on how to give a good critique. Tell me about the best critique you've ever received.

References:

1.   Sheryll Clark. "How to Critique a Short Story:" https://www.ebooks4writers.com/2011/04/how-to-critique-a-short-story/ 

2.   Montgomery Kentucky Schools. "Guidelines to Writing a Short Story Critique:" http://www.montgomery.k12.ky.us/userfiles/1501/Classes/686/shortStorycritique.pdf

3.   Victory Crayne. "How to Critique Fiction:" http://crayne.com/howcrit.html

MORE ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST BLOGGER

Joan Y. Edwards is an inspiring author, motivational speaker, and she blogs about writing, marketing and illustration. She is a retired elementary school teacher who loves to read positive thinking books and fiction. She enjoys writing to inspire and motivate people to Never Give Up. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Carl. They love to watch humorous mysteries, such as Columbo and Monk. She loves to connect with you, her readers!  She is the author of  Flip Flap Floodle, 
Joan’s Elder Care Guide, and 
80 Gospel-Based Crossword Puzzles for Year B.

Joan offers three free gifts to subscribe to blog: https://www.joanyedwards.com 

Learn more about Joan at:

Twitter handle: @joanyedwards
Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/Joan-Y-Edwards-Author-111310278911077/

Email: joanyedwards1@gmail.com

Website: https://www.joanyedwards.com

MORE ABOUT THE SHARING WITH WRITERS  BLOGGER


Howard-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter (where she talks more about choosing and the advantages of winning contests and how to use those honors)  and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is  How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com )

New Scholarship for Writers News and Honoring Phyllis GeBauer

Before I tell you about this new scholarship, let me tell you a little story about Phyllis Gebauer. When I went back to writing creatively, she was one of my first teachers in the art of writing a novel at UCLA. She was an amazing woman, fluent in English and Spanish, a member of Phi Beta Kappa and author in her in her own right.

As an instructor, she always went a step (or more!) beyond what the syllabus promised. The first class I took from her was a long weekend course and she went to the trouble afterward of suggesting that four of those in her class form a critique group because we wrote “in similar genres and had compatible goals.” Several years later when she was writing her memoir, she contacted us and asked if she could join our critique group.  It was as if the tables had been turned and now we were helping her. Honestly, it was a bit intimidating but she assured us that by now we were as professional as she and knew as much about writing as she. Yes, we were a bit puffed up about it. 

She was with our group for several years and in the midst of a new cozy mystery when she died of lung cancer. It was a professional loss to us and to UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) and I miss her terribly.

Now I learn there is a new scholarship offered in her name. She was always interested in helping those who didn’t have the means to jump start their writing careers with the kind of vetted education required to speed along their progress. And now this! 

I hope you will apply for this scholarship if you qualify. If not, I hope you will spread the word about it on your social networks, your blogs, your critique groups and libraries—anyone who is in a position to spread the word to writers. Please feel free to copy and paste this article into your blog or Facebook page without permission.

Learn more about it at http://writers.uclaextension.edu/scholarship/?utm_source=unex&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=17995w1_SU16_Phyllis_Gebauer_Scholarship

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 Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Making Critique Groups Work for You in Three Easy Steps

I am in a couple of critique groups and I founded a critique group for the Glendale Library system and facilitated it for a while. Generally speaking, critique groups sort of passed off my radar but now I’m hearing more about them again, probably because it’s a frugal way to learn more about our craft (though we could sure learn more about marketing our books the same way!)

If you’re considering starting a critique group, or joining one, you should know there are open and closed groups. Open groups tend to draw mostly newbies and, in that case, the information that is gleaned there may be very valuable if the group members keep in mind that the critiques are more like advice and opinions that would come from a general reader rather than from someone experienced in writing.  They usually don't work very well without a facilitator.

Closed groups may have an experienced facilitator or not, but they usually invite members based on their genre or writing experience. 

Though open critique groups can be valuable (poets can learn from novelists and novelists can learn a lot from screenwriters!), I believe that advanced writers will get more from closed ones.

Having said that, I think the best critique groups are those that writers assemble for themselves. Here’s how to do it:

~Take a class in writing in the genre you prefer with a well-vetted instructor. You'll be more assured you'll get expertise if you choose classes offered by universities or by respected program like Gotham in New York or UCLA Extension Writers’ Program—both on campus and online.

~After you have a handle on who you're compatible with, who will bring some experience to the group, etc., ask them to become part of your newly formed group.

~Assign the most critique-group member as a facilitator or--if you choose not to use one--set critique group guidelines to avoid the many pitfalls that plague critique groups.

In my first class at UCLA Writers' Program, our teacher took the time to put people she thought would be writing-compatible together. She is now part of the very critique group that she put together for us. In ten years we had come such a long way she felt that we had something to offer. (-:

Anyone interested in having a copy of the guidelines I put together for my group may e-mail me with CRITIQUE GROUP REQUEST in the subject line. The address is hojonews (at) AOL (dot) com.  I’ll send it as an attachment.

You can use it as a guide for your own group or share it with others, but if you do, please credit me. It is my own method based on principles used in therapy group, well run twelve step groups, and the ones I used in my classes at UCLA and the ones I  observed when I took classes myself.-----

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:

Q&A a la Ann Landers: Deconstructing Rejections

In most issues of my Sharing with Writers newsletter I run a question (and answer it) from subscribers or from those who have purchased The Frugal Book Promoter or The Frugal Editor. This one is from a writer with lots of writing experience but not much publishing experience--yet! She will soon have clips all over the place, though, because she is doing her homework.)


Question:

I wrote a small story about a girl who wants to help her mom in the kitchen but the mother is an extra careful lady and doesn't trust her daughter. Finally she finds an opportunity to help her mom and wins her mother's trust. I have included a fun recipe.

I submitted the story and the cover letter to my crit groups several times and got a nod from them. But the story was rejected by various magazines. I can take rejections very well because it's a part of our profession. But what I don't understand is why the story is being rejected? If I know the reasons I'll have an opportunity to learn from my mistake. It's a very small story. It would be a great learning for me if you have some time to just glance at my story and tell me where am I going wrong? Please do not think I'm taking an advantage of your kindness and helpfulness. It's just a request. Opinions from experienced writers like you make a lot of difference and that means a lot to me.

Thanks for your time.
Regards, Priya Iyengar, freelancer and writer of fiction for children and adults

Answer:

Dear Priya:

I am flattered that you thought of me at a time of obvious frustration.

As to your request. I would be happy to peek at your story at no charge, or edit it and give complete input at my regular editing fee. Having said that, here is my guess and I'm almost certain that I'm right because you have been through critique with it, etc. And here it is. There is nothing wrong with your story. Here is what may be wrong that you can help:

1. You may not have read the magazine or media you are submitting to--at least not with a critical eye. Your story may not fit well with their style or goal and those rejections have nothing to do with the quality of your story. Just that it's not right for that magazine or that editor.

2. Your story may be similar to one that has been published in the last few weeks, months, or even years. That's another good reason to try to keep up with the magazines you submit to.

Here is what may be wrong that you can't help:

1. There are just so many writers and the places available for them to publish are dwindling.

2. Publishers are having trouble making ends meet in this economy (and actually long before). Thus they are buying less and producing more of their copy/material in-house.

I have one last idea and that is the critique group you may be using may not be strong enough. I talk about how to put together a critique group suitable for your writing level and your genre in my book the Frugal Book Promoter. But here is what may be wrong with yours.

1. None of your fellow critiquers have any expertise in children's literature.

2. Perhaps none of them has experience in the publishing world.

3. Your group may be doing little more for one another than typo hunting or grammar checks.

So, you may need a facilitator. Or it may be time for you to take a class from an accredited university writing program and try to put a critique group together from those who take the class. Fellow students will have already had some guidance from a professional.

If you would like to see regular Q&A features like this, you may subscribe to my Sharing with Writers newsletter with the sign-up box in the left column of this blog or send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject box to me at HoJoNews@aol.com.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

The Tale of a Ten Year Critique Group

February was our tenth anniversary. I didn't know it. Leora Krygier showed up with three little gifts in those delicate mesh tie-bags. Each contained candles, votives in zen-like frosted cups. It was our critique group's tenth anniversary. Phyllis Gebauer, one of UCLA's renowned writers' program instructors, had put us together ten years ago. We lost Iris Fabrikant to the land of cherry trees and monuments but the test of us, Leora, JayCe Crawford and I stayed intact.

Phyllis came to our first meeting -- to get us started with correct critique procedure. No, she didn't charge us. It was value-added teaching, the UCLA Writers' Program way. (-: Then, about a year ago, Phyllis asked to be part of us. Naturally we were flattered to be considered suitable critique partners for our mentor! She had always been with us, of course.

Our mode of meeting has changed over the years but our approach to our craft has been nearly the same. Tough. Loving. Accepting. Appreciative. No punches pulled. Everyone loving it. It has only gotten better with age.

Ten years. Oh, the changes we've seen. In our careers. In our writing. In our personal lives. Such friendships are one of the many blessings that writing carries with it. Writing, as you see, can be pure magic.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.