As writers, we’re often asked to critique other writer’s
stories. Or we’re asked to judge a contest and make suggestions that will help
a fledgling writer. Over the years, I’ve come up with a few techniques that I
try to follow.
First of all, before you start tearing down a manuscript, find
several things you like about it. Even the worst stories usually have gold in
them. Point out what the writer is doing well and let that be your first
comment.
If the manuscript has a problem with telling rather than showing,
take one of the telling sentences and reword it so that it is showing what the
character is doing. Don’t rewrite the whole manuscript, though. The writer
should be able to take your example and apply it to other telling sections of
the story.
Same thing with dialogue, most writers don’t have an easy time
with dialogue—often it is stilted or formal with little or no contractions and
spoken in complete sentences. We don’t talk in full sentences; instead we use
fragments as well as contraction. I always suggest that a writer read his
dialogue aloud and not just to an empty room but aloud to someone.
It is amazing how problems will jump out when you do that.
Suggest craft books that you believe will help the writer your
critiquing. There are so many good craft books dealing with different aspects
of writing. One way I know which craft book to suggest is because I read at
least five craft books a year. Right now, I’m re-reading one on how to show
instead of tell.
Another thing we as writers need to be aware of is trying to fix
a problem when there is really no problem. Case in point. I was brainstorming
with a friend. I wasn’t all that familiar with her story, but when she told me
her hero died, I said, “No, you can’t do that.”
Her shoulders dropped a notch or two. “But…but that’s the way it
has to be for the next story.”
I was adamant. “You can’t kill the hero. Nobody will buy your
book.”
We discussed it back and forth for a bit, and I could tell I had
shaken her writing confidence. Since that day, I’ve done a lot of thinking.
Conclusion? I had no right to tell her how to write her novel. Even though I’ve
always believed that a romance must end with “and they lived happily ever
after”, or at least have the promise of a HEA, I am not an expert. Nicolas
Sparks writes romance and in many of his books, the hero or heroine dies. And
he’s made a decent living off his stories.
My friend did not ask my advice about her hero. She knew how she
wanted to write her story—it wasn’t my story—and I made her doubt her writing
ability. That was a grievous error.
Now for a word to all who have been on the receiving end of a
critique, reading is subjective. Not everyone will like what you write, so
don’t let someone else tell you how to write your story. Tell your story in
your voice to the best of your ability. I’m not saying you shouldn’t consider
what a critique partner says, but unless three or four of your critique
partners (or your editor or agent) say the same thing, don’t be pressured into
changing it or your voice. We all have our own stories to write in the way only
we can write them.
In conclusion, when critiquing another writer, start out with
positives, move to constructive advice on how to make the story better, but
never try to change another writer’s voice.
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Patricia Bradley, a 2018 Carol finalist and winner of an
Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense, lives in North Mississippi
with her rescue kitty, Suzy. Her romantic suspense books include the Logan
Point series and the Memphis Cold Case Novels. When she has time, she likes to
throw mud on a wheel and see what happens. I love connecting with readers on my
blog every Tuesday where I have a Mystery Question for them to solve: www.patriciabradleyauthor.com/blog
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/ Follow me on BookBub for the latest releases and specials: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/patricia-bradley
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