HOW I CRIT
by Rachel Bailey
(Article first appeared in RWNZ’s Heart to Heart, May, 2008)

Since I started the RWNZ-RWAust Critique Partner Register, I’ve had lots of requests from people about *how* to critique. The nuts and bolts, nitty-gritty details. Thing is, there’s such a range of critiquing styles, and of the tools used for the task, that it’s hard to give a definitive answer. So I asked some experienced critiquers how they do their critiques and along the way I found some fascinating information and picked up some tips for my own critiquing.

Shelley Munro
Multi-genre and prolific author of books such as the romantic suspense, Wanderlust (April 08, Cerridwen Press).

Basically I tackle a critique for another writer in the same way I edit my own work. I read through the chapters slowly, looking at both the big and small picture at the same time. I use the track and edit feature on Word and will leave notes throughout as well as highlight overused words or echoes. I suggest alternatives or places where the author can add an emotional hit. I try to give reasons for my comments where I might consider a fact in setting or character behaviour suspect since I always like to know "why". Yes, I was that annoying child who wanted to know why all the time. My critique partners probably get tired of me asking "why is the character acting that way?", but better me than the reader. Along with the suggestions for additions and/or improvements I like to comment on places where the author has done a good job and use a lot of smiley faces. At the end of the critique I usually do a "wrap up" of any problems in the plot or with character motivation and will again reiterate the things the writer did well.
 
My approach might differ slightly with a beginner writer. I think at the beginner stage a thorough critique can scare the writer off and overwhelm them. If the beginner has numerous problems I might highlight the worst ones and take things from there, adding another "fix" as the critiquing relationship moves forward and the writer improves with their skill set. Of course I'll also mention the things they've done well. Each author is different and this makes each critique unique.
 
At the end of the day each critique is subjective. The author can take what they like from the critique and chuck the parts that don't work for them. It's not my job to write their book. My job as a critiquer is to help them see any problems they might miss because they are too close to their work. 

Melissa James
Award winning author of Harlequin Romances such as Celebrity Wedding of the Year (in the Conveniently Wed anthology, 2008).

I've had 8 critique partners past and present, and I can say I've been blessed by them all, with not one negative experience. Having so many CPs (currently 5, all very good friends) is great for me. They've all helped me to stretch as a writer and critique partner. I love the challenge of it; I'm learning so much. It's good as a person because while I critique instinctively, I tend to be impatient and blunt in my execution. 

I've learned to say things in gentler ways, to read things twice before I make a comment, and I'm learning to explain more thoroughly. If I know something, the whole world should...not the best way to go about critiquing! I've learned to slow down and show, don't tell on critiquing, showing things I think they could work on. I now don't say it, but show constructive ways to do it. I'll change something, put it in my words, to show them what I mean, and then they're free to do it in their own unique way.  

For critiquing, my best advice is to be both thorough and thoughtful. Everyone writes differently, and they shouldn't have to write the way you want them to. That's what makes every book unique. Hurting feelings is not a constructive way to teach someone. I don't like people saying awful stuff about my work (there are one or two reviews out there about my first book that really hurt at the time!), so I work hard at being positive as well as tactful on suggested changes. 

Honesty should always be bordered with kindness and encouragement - so definitely tell them what you think, but in the most positive way possible. All things you want others to say to you, etc. And this has helped my writing, too. Thinking of new ways to put things has flowed into my books, making me more thoughtful on how my characters should speak or act, making for more likable characters. And that would never have happened without every one of my wonderful critique partners, past and present. 

Barbara Jeffcott Geris
Current holder of the Valerie Parv Award and all round fabulous person.

Sandii and I have been critique partners for over a year so we've become very familiar with what each other needs from a critique. 
 
We use three tools for critiquing. The first thing we do is swap individual chapters as we write them. I use the "track changes" function in MS Word to highlight anything I need to query or something that I think works particularly well. I usually focus on big picture issues as well as mechanical details at the same time and generally do the crit from start to finish in one sitting. As I know Sandii's voice and style very well by now I don't feel the need to do a read through the chapter first, but I would probably do that if I was just starting out in a CP relationship. 
 
If we run into plot problems or need to discuss things like GMC further we do instant messaging on Yahoo. This is great for brainstorming and as everything is saved in an archive it's useful for referring back to later. 
 
Sandii lives in Los Angeles and I live in Marlborough. For the past six months or so we've been talking weekly on the phone using 'Skype'. Skype is completely free and all you need is the downloaded software and a headset with microphone. The call quality is even better than most phone lines. Not only do we have lots of laughs 'skyping', we've also found it a great way to discuss new ideas and as a way to celebrate and commiserate on our writing journey. Sometimes we'll go through crits that we each have up on our screens so we can give even more detailed feedback about what we did or didn't like about a chapter.

Zana Bell
Talented author of the convict adventure, Final Frontier (April 08, Mira Books, Harlequin Australia).

I critique as I go. This way I can give first impression feedback which, after all, is what readers are going on. I really appreciate a mini commentary on what works, what sounds strange in the margins so I try to do the same. Ideally I use the track changes but being a complete computer idiot, some days I can work it and some days I can't. Then I just change the colour of typing!  I always highlight words that for some reason strike me - if they snag my attention, they need looking at. Anything that distracts a reader, even momentarily, spoils the flow of the story. At the end of a chapter, I try to summarise how I felt about something.
 
The worry, of course, is hurting your CP's feelings but I think trust is quickly gained. For myself, I prefer absolute honesty so negative feedback is always appreciated - preferably balanced nicely with some positive comments! The warm fuzzies are what keep us writing but it's the cold pricklies that hone our craft. It also requires some adaptation to the other person's writing style which is why it's important to have compatibility - in either genre or style.  You don't need both but I think if you didn't have either, it would be really hard.

Huge thank you to Shelley, Melissa, Barb and Zana for giving such thorough insight into their critiquing process!