Critique
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love, love, love when people critique my work. Tells me what to do next. What to write, what to keep, what to change. But when critique goes from helpful to pointless, it’s a waste of the author’s time.
So, I present the Guide to Critiquing Properly.
Step one: Write legibly. Use pencil. I don’t care if you’re giving the most amazing, helpful critique on earth, no one will be able to use it if you write in bright yellow highlighter and your handwriting is horrible. Take a few seconds when you write. Don’t rush. And you’ll have legible comments.
Step two: If someone else has commented on the same manuscript, don’t comment on their comments. As a writer, this annoys me when some people comment “bad comment” to another person. That just wastes my time, and the other person — who’s already done with the manuscipt — won’t see the comment. It’s totally and absolutely pointless.
Step three: Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT try to change the writer’s style. Don’t start yelling at them because they write with a lot of page breaks, or, when they’re trying to accent something once every hundred pages, they. Write. Like. This. With. The. Periods. And. Stuff.
Step four: Have fun! You’re not reading this for school. Comment on stuff you like with smiley faces, and go random and spazzy in the margins. Make the author smile. They’ll thank you.
And that’s the simple, four-step guide to being a good critiquer. Write legibly and in pencil, don’t comment on other comments, don’t try to change writing style, and have fun.
Oh, and don’t bash everything you read.
