In the last 7 Rules post – on Rule #3, choosing the right critique group for you – I talked about the etiquette for giving and receiving critiques. Before moving on to Rule #4 (about revising), I wanted to go into some detail about one of the guidelines for giving a critique: Be specific. Sounds terrific, right, but just how do you do that?
I heard a great comment from my editor’s mom about getting out her red teacher’s pencil. Here are some things to consider when you have your red pencil poised over a manuscript.
* What rivets you? Where does your attention flag?
* What engages you emotionally—scares you, makes you laugh, makes you give a damn what happens to these characters?
* What gives you a sense of urgency-a feeling that something important is at stake? If urgency is lacking, can you identify why?
* Does the pacing offer a satisfying balance between dramatic high points and quieter interludes? Are the high points pumped up, given enough space and volume?
* What details give you a vivid sense of character and setting? Where do you want more?
* Does the dialogue sound natural for these characters in this situation? Do the characters sound consistent in terms of the language they use and worldviews they express?
* Does dialogue convey emotion and relationship as well as information? Beware info dumps!
* Is the narrative logical and believable in terms of the story’s fictional reality? What jars you and pulls you out of that reality?
* Does the writer take you along when making a transition from one scene to another, or is it a bumpy ride? Do you ever get confused about where you are in place or in time?
* Does the narrative flow, sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph?
* How does each scene advance the overall story?
And remember, from Critique Etiquette, people learn from hearing where they’ve done their best writing, as well as hearing where they need to improve; we really get too close to know when we’ve done it well.