Sometimes when I’ve got my writer hat on (conferences, signings, publicity things), I’m asked to look over someone’s draft, short story, or manuscript.
If I’ve got the time (and usually I try to make time if it’s something short-ish), I’ll do it. The only thing is—I’m a horrible critiquer.
I really am—I’ve sat in critique groups before and heard people give really sound advice on someone’s WIP and thought, “Gosh, yes. That’s absolutely right. Why didn’t I see that?”
I’m great at proofreading. And I know when something is good or if it needs work. But I just can’t successfully edit anyone’s material but my own.
I read two short stories for someone this week. I realized one was far superior to the other…but couldn’t figure out why.
At some point I realized this failing of mine and banned myself from writing critique groups. During these groups, I’d found myself saying, “I thought this was great!” with absolutely no reason why I thought so. Or really disliking something and thinking, “Ick.” But I’d have no ideas on how not to make it icky.
My favorite way to help aspiring writers is by getting them connected to online help. There’s so much information out there on finding an agent or publisher, on honing your writing skills, on writing a killer query. I hope that I can be more helpful with the links I have.
When friends ask me to help them write a letter to a business or a school, I just write the letter for them. So much easier than trying to tweak theirs!
The funny thing is that my father is an English professor and wonderful at critiquing. So maybe it’s not a genetic thing.
Maybe some writers are just lousy at editing. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade. Let an agent or an editor who is paid to make someone feel rotten give the bad news. I’m glad to just do a swift proofread and give grammar tips and help making connections online. And after all, maybe the content that I dislike will be more appealing to other readers than it was to me.
As a teacher, I’ve had a lot of experience critiquing and spend a lot of time assisting others to complete work and writing (though after hours I’m kind of exhausted from assisting and am ready to simply say ‘whatever’ so I try not to read too many people’s work in that light).
I also know I cannot apply those skills to my own work because I have way too much of an emotional connection to my work. I can proofread – to a point – but after that I have an awful lot of trouble figuring out what to keep and what to discard, and what is working and what needs a serious overhaul. I’ve tried to work on this and distance myself from my writing but I’m not sure it is going to happen anytime soon.
From the sounds of it, it doesn’t actually sound like you are so much bad at critiquing as not wanting to offend the person by causing then to have to make numerous changes to something you know they’ve worked hard on.
This is funny to me, because I have the exact opposite problem! I find I’m better at editing (and editing other people’s work) than I am at writing. Interesting to hear your perspective.
I think writing and editing require two very different skills. One you need to create from scratch. The other you need to look for consistency, plot holes, unreasonable situations etc.
Bargain with the Devil
My primary working hat is editor. I’ve learned that I can’t edit my own work and shouldn’t edit the work of close friends and relatives. Editing and writing are two different animals. When I’m in edit mode, I’m working with a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces are scattered around the table. They’re all there – my job is to straighten them out.
http://www.karenkbrees.com
I actually enjoy editing. Both self-editing and editing for other authors. But I ALWAYS have a pro editor go over my own manuscripts after my self-edits are done. Impossible to be objective as needed with your own stuff.
The Old Silly
Like other things, critiquing is a skill that can be developed.
Maybe you just need to read a lot more writers’ works? :)
Editing aside, you’ve hit on THE point that differentiates a great teacher from someone following a lesson plan: The ability to explain why. I’m very much in the same camp as you. I know what’s good or bad in my work…usually, (Duh, how hard is that; it’s all bad) and how to fix it–delete. In the work of others, not so much.
I also try very, very hard not to fall victim to the, “It’s not the way I would have written it” syndrome. Under this illness, nothing is quite right because, you guessed it; it’s not the way I would have written it.
Best regards, Galen
GalenKindley.com
I have the same problem and that’s the reason I’m not a very good book reviewer. I either like something I’ve read or I don’t. Sometimes I can explain why but often I can’t.
JaneKennedySutton
Critiquing is fun. I’m a good judge of talent but a lousy editor. Consider it an honor when someone asks you to critique their work, even if you pretty much know in advance you’re not going to be able to un-ickify their work. Being the bearer of bad news isn’t easy, especially if the story is so bad you just can’t read it. And there are a lot of bad stories out there. Few things in life worse than reading a really bad story.
– STeve Tremp
I’m not really a writer, but as a reader I know what I like and don’t like. Sometimes, just getting a litmus test on whether something is appealing helps plenty, so you shouldn’t worry about it too much.
As an illustrator, it is a lot harder for me to critique an author’s manuscript than an illustrator’s art, though. The language is just totally different, even if I can react to the two mediums in the same way.
I think as a writer what you are writing is a part of you and your creativity. As an editor you are reading the piece from a different persepective.
Nancy, from Just a Thought…
I think y’all are right—different skills are required with editing/critiquing. And, like Alexis mentioned, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Because, really, who am I to say?
Like Jane, I thought about doing some book reviewing for the paper or something. But then I remembered what I foul critiquer I am…and stopped myself!
Alan, you just want me to suffer! :)
Elizabeth
Critiquing is a useful skill and a good way for published authors to mentor new writers. I’m also a big fan of critique groups. I receive as much valuable feedback from the unpublished writers in my group as I do from the published. It’s something we learn through experience.