October 9th, 2009

At some point or other in your writing career, and probably when you’re just starting out, you’re likely to be asked to give a critique of another writer’s work.

It might be that you’ve joined a critique group online, or that you’ve joined a writer’s circle. Whichever it is, a good working group will focus, at least part of the time, on reading and commenting on pieces of writing.

By the time you’ve been writing for a while this won’t present much of a problem: you’ll know what makes a story work and be able to identify areas that need further work or rewriting.

But if you’re just starting out, offering a critique can be a pretty daunting prospect. It’s important to remember that even non-writers are capable of and qualified to comment on a story, so as a writer, (even a beginning writer) you are certainly qualified.

As a reader you’ll know instinctively when a story is going off-track, when it’s a bit confusing, when it rambles on too long, when it makes you feel impatient or bored.

You’ll also know when you’re enjoying a story. The trick in offering a critique is to identify what it is in the text that is making you feel the way you do.

The following checklist is a guide to particular areas of a story. It’s by no means exhaustive as there are many aspects to storytelling, but by keeping these few pointers in mind you will be able to offer valuable and constructive comments.

Overall, keep these three questions in mind:

1. Does it capture your attention from the beginning?
2. Do you want to read on?
3. Are you curious/concerned about the characters?

And as you read or listen, concentrate on:

1. Characters

• Are they real?
• Do you see them walking and talking?
• Do they arouse your emotions or do they leave you cold?

2. Dialogue

• Can you hear the voices?
• Do the words sound natural?
• Is the dialogue in keeping with the character?
• Does the dialogue move the story forward?
• Is it believable?
• Does it flow smoothly?

3. Plot

• Are there holes, or places where it goes off topic?
• Are there irrelevancies that should be cut?

4. Theme

• Can you identify the theme?
• Does it say something to you personally?
• Is its presentation original?

5. Mood/Tone

• Does the tone fit the subject?
• Is it constant throughout?

6. Language

• Does it complement the theme/plot/tone?
• Is it appropriate?
• Is it repetitive?

7. Overall Effect of the Story

• Does it deliver what the opening promises?
• Will it stay in your mind for a while after reading?
• Have you seen it a hundred times before?

8. How did you feel when you’d finished the piece?

Happy? Sad? Confused? Bored? Satisfied? Pleased? Admiring? Can you identify why you feel the way you do? Could you explain it to the reader so that they can appreciate what they did to make you feel that way?

Don’t always focus on the negative.

Look for what’s good too.

Maybe the story overall doesn’t work but there are probably a few sections where things are going right. Nothing is more destructive to a writer’s confidence than a barrage of negative criticism, so try to give your critique some balance. Find the good bits, identify the writer’s strong points and remember to point those out as clearly as you point out the areas that need a rewrite.

At bit of empathy goes a long way. Put yourself in the writer’s shoes and ask yourself how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of your critique?

Be honest, but be constructive and always give reasons. Rather than just saying ‘the characters are wooden’ try to pinpoint why you think that, and if at all possible try to suggest a solution.

As a last tip, never get high-handed about a critique. You’re offering an opinion, nothing more. The writer doesn’t have to accept your comments and you must respect their right to disagree with you.

Ever wondered how you sort out the jumble of vague ideas in your mind, or how you find order amongst the clutter of available magazine markets? This quick and easy-to-follow five-step guide will help you find your own personal path to publication success.

The deceptively simple decision to become a writer can easily give way to a daunting collection of hopes, ambitions, questions and doubts.

Finding a route from mind to magazine can be as challenging as locating the lost cities of Peru with only a penknife and a torch.

It is as if we are cast upon a lonely shore before a dense, dark jungle, with only a vague notion of either the final destination or how to get there. A confusing number of little trails seem to lead into the forbidding, but beckoning interior.

Which trail to follow? Wouldn’t it be great to have a map?

Now is the time, as we stand on the threshold of this metaphorical jungle, to peek at the maps of those who’ve gone before. They have left markers along the way, but we need to look carefully as they are easily missed in the rush to get going. That imaginary penknife and torch may at first seem inadequate, but we soon find that they are all we need.

What follows is a five-step route plan that will shine a light on your own personal path and help you cut through the jungle vines that might otherwise trip you up.

Step One: Narrow the Beam

At first, the number of publications and possible writing outlets is overwhelming. Narrowing it down to types of publication is no real help.

How can you choose between fiction or non-fiction, books, articles, plays or screenplays, magazines, newspapers, trade journals, periodicals, overseas markets, e-zines, newsletters, speciality magazines, political, satire, comic-strip… enough, we’re getting lost already.

Let’s back up a little and instead of trying to tame the whole jungle, we’ll take our penknife and cut straight through to our own particular interest. Choose one, just one, magazine that you read regularly.

If you are a bit of a butterfly when it comes to reading magazines, flitting from one to the other as the fancy takes you, try to decide which you like best. If all the magazines you like were laid out before you, which would you read first? If you never read magazines, take a trip to the local newsagent and pick the one that catches your eye and holds your attention for more than a moment.

Read it. That is, really read it, from cover to cover including adverts. What attracted you in the first place? How does it make you feel? What is it asking you to believe? What is it promising you?

Once you find the answers to these questions, you have an idea of the kind of material that you may enjoy writing, and a target to aim at. Stay with that one magazine and experiment with a few ideas that match the topics already published.

Step Two: Take tiny steps.

By going through the first exercise you have already taken the first tiny step. Your imaginary torch is trained on just one of the little trails leading into the jungle. Hold the spotlight steady over the next few weeks and get to know that particular trail as well as possible. Don’t be tempted to widen the beam just yet or the confusion will creep back in. Like toddlers learning to walk, we need something to hold onto. Be patient. Tame one jungle tiger at a time. Take tiny steps.

Step Three: Keep your eye on the ball.

Concentrating on one step at a time focuses the mind. Confusion creeps in when we start trying to juggle. Grasping at all of the magazines on the shelf makes us spoilt for choice, off the path, and back in the jungle.

Dipping into directories such as The Writer’s Handbook and The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook can also lead us astray. That is not to suggest they should be avoided altogether. On the contrary, they can be of invaluable help in searching out new markets. But remember the emphasis is on ‘new’.

When we are starting out we don’t need thousands of markets paraded before our eyes, we need just one; one that we personally like and enjoy. One that we identify with, that speaks our kind of language. In short, one that will help focus, rather than scatter, our creative energy, and so give inspiration.

Step Four: Write every day and keep everything you write.

It is an old adage, but an often ignored one. An athlete trains every day, a dancer dances, and an office worker goes into the office. A writer writes. If we want to be published and get paid for our efforts, we practise every day. Make a start on a couple of the ideas you came up with in step one.

Practise writing them up as though you were actually on assignment. The golden rule is that five minutes writing is better than five minutes thinking about writing.

Hoard every word you write. You never know when an old idea or an abandoned piece will spark off something new. Ideas can be so fleeting that they’re easily lost or quickly discarded. Reading through old work can reveal new slants, or at the very least show the improvement that regular practice brings.

Step Five: Keep the kettle boiling.

You have shone your light on a small section of the jungle, you are taking little steps, your eye is on the ball and you are staying focused on your one chosen market. You are writing everyday and keeping all the results, the not-so-good as well as the good.

Your creative cauldron is bubbling. All you have to do is keep at it. Stick with your chosen first market until you have written a few stories or articles that you think would be suitable for it. Whether you send them off is up to you but after doing the work, why not try it?

With those first pieces of targeted work completed, whether they are published or not, you are ready to progress further.

Go back to the beginning and repeat the process. Choose another magazine that appeals to you and compare them. How do they differ? While the difference may be subtle, it will be there, and it is our job as writers to spot it.

Look back at your original ideas for market one and determine how they would need to be changed to suit market two. Sometimes ideas for one magazine will spark off ideas for the other. Immediately you begin to see how targeted writing generates more writing, and all you have to do is follow the five simple steps.

Keep your penknife and your torch close to hand, enjoy the adventure, and good luck on your journey.