Types and Tips: Notes on the critique of various genres

In the ideal critique group, members write in the same genre. The advantage is they read a manuscript from the same perspective. It enables them to help one another with problems particular to their genre. They respect the critique from one of their own over writers who are not familiar with what their reading audience wants.

For recreational reading, writers tend to stick to their favorite genera—the one they write in. In a mixed-genre group they have doubts. Will the poet receive an adequate critique from a journalist who never reads poetry? Conversely, is the poet confident she can critique a children’s picture book? She lacks the expertise needed to evaluate it, doesn't she? Maybe not.

A writing mixture comprises most groups. Since, from a critique standpoint each writing type does present its own challenges; your critiques improve when you expand your reading.

Six Reading Suggestions to Improve Your Edits and Critiques 

1.      Read outside your genre, and when you do, read with a critical mind. If you write hot romance, pick up a contemporary novel from a Christian bookstore. How does its author handle love scenes? For an example of sizzle without smut, read “Just Down the Road.” by Jodi Thomas.

2.      Are you a mainstream novelist? Spend spare minutes with popular magazines or essays for a month. Borrow an armful of picture books and read to a three-year-old.

3.      Raise your level of attention to what you see in print throughout a typical day. If your style is literary, give business letters extra attention. When you use the Internet, notice what grabs you and what you find annoying. Have you noticed how much “computer help” is written in techie jargon?  If given the chance, could you advise those writers on how to inform or instruct in plain English?

4.      Pick up a readers’ guide to poetry to gain insight into the craft.

5.      Notice travel guides. Compare them to travel advertisements.

6.      Ask members of your group for a list of their favorite books. Chances are they will lead you to their genre’s classics. You’ll gain an idea of what those writers are aiming for, and you may gain new respect for that writing variety.

Learning takes time, but there is a payoff. As you gain knowledge of genres outside your comfort zone, expect a ripple effect: the analytic prowess you develop will give you fresh insights to your own work.

In the meantime, if your ability to make specific pointers is limited, you can lubricate a writer’s gears. Freelance writer, Gilda Bryant suggests this critique sandwich: encourage, make suggestions, encourage.

© 2012, Bernice W. Simpson

How to Deliver a Thoughtful Critique

Think trip. Foray. Fun. Your destination is CCC, a meeting place reserved for Competent, Confident Critics. Since you're traveling with others, and groups vary, be ready to tailor these tips to fit your organization's arrangements.
Inexperienced? Don't let that deter you. You are a reader, right? You don't need to drive the bus to move along the road. Get on board and join the conversation. Your comments count.
Essentials on Your Packing List
Like the toothbrush and clean underwear in your bag, you need to pack your mind with a few essentials before starting out.

• Respect. When you regard each person in your group with professional dignity, it will be easier for you to criticize fellow members' writing. You will make purposeful comments even when a genre is one you don't normally read, or an author's opinions differ from yours.
• Friendliness. When you are a team player, you'll find a place to draw a happy face on each manuscript, and be compelled to compliment each writer when it's your turn to speak.
• Flexibility. When you understand the author's target audience, and what kind of critique s/he wants, your notations will be more appropriate and concise than they would be otherwise. (To save time, the author should provide a brief note stating background to the piece, audience, and the degree of thoroughness wanted in the critiques. It may be anything from an overall impression to as detailed a critique as time allows. If you need clarification of the term "audience" do the exercise below. It illustrates audience differences.

Stuffy Nose Stuff

 Instructions: draw lines to match the words to their owners

1. Exudates                 a. A six-year-old

2. Mucous                   b. A Medical professional in formal writing

3. Snot                         c. An adult in polite company

A Time to Be Picky

If a manuscript's next stop is an editor's desk, mark anything you think could hamper its sale. Look for errors that discredit the writer, such as improper agreement between subject and verb, an extra space between words, a comma accidentally left in when a sentence was changed. Watch for what a computer's spell-check may not catch: peer/pier, foreword/ forward, and so forth. Your careful inspection might give the manuscript the extra horsepower to beat traffic on Publication's super highway.

Pick Three

Try to make three comments about each manuscript you read. Do you need ideas? Below are a baker's dozen. Need more help? Use the "Comments" space below the blog to request it.

1. Awkward construction. If you read a section more than once, sentence construction may need improvement. If you can't think of how to fix the problem, indicate how many times you read it. "read 2x, 3x," etc.
2. Cliches. These are fun. For your own writing practice, make a list of cliches and your original substitutes. Be ready to replace the nondescript tires with the best on the road.
3. Descriptive phrases. Did you find one you liked? Give it a diamond.
4. Dialog. Comment on the dialog. Does it reveal character? Is it easy to follow? Where, if at all, do you think dialog would improve sections of narrative?
5. Echoes. Is a word or phrase repeated several times? Circle them.
6. Flow. If the piece read smoothly, say so. If not, can you spot what interrupted your reading flow? Remember to mention it in your verbal critique.
7. Hook. Do the opening sentences grab the reader? If not can you suggest a better hook?
8. Inconsistencies. Look for characters out of voice, time discrepancies, illogical elements or even contradictions to known facts.
9. Interest. Mention specifics that made the reading interesting to you.
10. Purpose. Does a piece fulfill its purpose? For example, does it instruct, entertain, provoke thought, or soothe your soul?
11. Setting. Does a scene lack (and need) a stronger sense of place? Comment on details that enliven the setting.
12. Verbs. Applaud the superlative. Check your thesaurus for active, expressive verbs to replace the passive or nondescript.
13. Zingers. Hopefully your group members are closing chapters with zingers. Give them a "Like" in fancy letters.

During the oral critique, direct your comments, prefaced with a positive word of two, to the writer. In a well-attended meeting, limit your observations to three points so others can have a turn. Be honest. Be compassionate. But remember the session's purpose: writing improvement. You should not, by your omissions, steer a writer down Rejection Road.

*Answers to Stuffy Nose Stuff: 1. b, 2. c, 3. a.

Excerpt from an unpublished book, CRAFT: Create, Rewrite, And Fine Tune

(c) 2011, Bernice Simpson