In SleuthSayers Sandbox postings last April concerning a potential SS project under discussion, a question came up which led to the topic of critiques. And, that led to this article.
At one time or another, most authors could use a critique of their work before their manuscripts are submitted to an editor. Often, the authors are too close to their work for them to see any defects in their creation, much the same way a mother perceives her newly born baby. It's only later that mom starts shaping the way her child acts.
Hopefully, the items mentioned in a critique help the receiving author to correct any errors or problems in his or her written creation, thus increasing the chances of their manuscript being liked and then published by an editor. Unfortunately, not all critiques are equal in their presentation, and not all critiques are well received by the manuscript's author.
So, here are some thoughts on the critique procedure, most of which have been gleaned from handouts at various writers' conferences, plus some from personal experience.
The Giving:
~ The person giving the critique should keep their personal likes and dislikes out of the critique. After all, the critique is not about them, but rather about helping the manuscript's author produce a salable product. For instance, the critiquer may like or prefer something in the hard-boiled sub-genre or a literary style of writing as opposed to something in the cozy sub-genre or a commercial style of writing, but that's not the goal. The goal is to make helpful comments within the arena in which the author is writing. Just keep in mind that a genre difference or a writing style difference can make it more difficult in how you frame your suggestions, so carefully consider how you say them.
~ There is a difference between a critique (helpful) and criticism (belittling). Statements such as "I hate this" or "This is terrible" are counter-productive and of no help to the author's manuscript. It is better to skip those types of comments and instead point out specific places in need of changing, and then supply helpful suggestions as to how these sections could be written better.
~ Every critiquer has their own areas of expertise, be it grammar, plot, action, characters, dialogue or background. Use your knowledge in these areas to benefit the receiving author.
~ Mention both problems and what's good in the manuscript being reviewed.
The Taking:
~ Let comments in the critique cool for a few days.
~ Consider each comment objectively. If you think the comment is off base, try to figure out why the critiquer made the comment.
~ The work speaks for itself. Don't get defensive, instead ask clarifying questions such as how to improve the critiqued section.
~ If more than one critiquer makes the same comment, then pay attention.
~ Take the positive as well as the negative comments.
~ The important thing is not how high your critique was, but rather what you learned from the experience.
~ Ultimately, it's your created work, so you'll write it the way you want.
EXPECTATIONS VERSUS REALITY
Expectation: Reality: Yeah, but:
You'll receive a high rating Odds are probably against it You'll learn something anyway
Your work is flawless Everyone can use some work You may find flaws you didn't
know existed
Critiquers are impartial Critiquers are human and Critiquers will give it their
biased best shot
Feedback is clear and Feedback is sometimes All feedback is worthwhile
helpful confusing, inconsistent
and contradictory
Feedback will fix all Only you can fix your It will help, especially on
your problems problems glaring issues
Critiques by various Critiques may range widely; Receiving feedback is the
readers will be consistent some readers may critique most important part
different aspects of the story
Your work will be judged Some readers have plot Some editors have the same
on story alone prejudices; some are prejudices when you submit
influenced by grammar, your manuscript for
spelling and format problems publication
An excellent critique means A good critique is no guarantee Your odds are better than if
you'll sell of selling you had no critique
No doubt, most writers reading this article have received critiques on their works and have made their own critiques on the writings of other authors. Some of the points mentioned above may have touched hot buttons out of your past, and/or you may have thoughts of your own on this subject. Feel free to join in with your own experiences.
What other thoughts, suggestions, comments should be added or deleted here?
Showing posts with label critiques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label critiques. Show all posts
28 May 2017
20 March 2017
Bad Review Blues
Many years ago, when I could fit my theater resume on a matchbook, a local director asked me to produce his next play. He had years of experience so I thought I'd learn a lot from him, and I was right. Alas, when the play opened, we received a review that shredded the show inch by bloody inch. when I calmed down enough to read it with an open mind, I realized that the critic pointed out several bad choices we had made--updating the play made the mindset of the characters anachronistic, for example--and supported his opinions with facts and quotes. I learned more about theater from that bad review than I'd learned in the past year from friends and family telling me how wonderful I was.
Jump ahead thirty years...
A few months ago, someone on a writing group list complained about receiving a bad review for one of her books, and several other members of the group commiserated. They suggested reasons for the reviewer's bad opinion ranging from stupidity to prejudice about the genre to anger about the results of the November election. I didn't read the book, and what's even more interesting, I didn't get the impression that any of the dozen or so people who responded did either.
Even though I didn't read the book, the review struck me as possibly accurate because it included specific examples and passages. It also reminded me of a comment Chris Offutt made at the Wesleyan Writers Conference when I attended it: A hand-holding group is not really a group. It's a club.
You can learn more from a bad review than you can from a good one--assuming the review is legit and you're willing to polish your craft, both of which I admit are iffy.
Long-time agent Peter Riva wrote in Publisher's Weekly a few months ago that Amazon reviews are useless, and I'm willing to agree with him. If you're interested, here's a link to the article:
Jump ahead thirty years...
A few months ago, someone on a writing group list complained about receiving a bad review for one of her books, and several other members of the group commiserated. They suggested reasons for the reviewer's bad opinion ranging from stupidity to prejudice about the genre to anger about the results of the November election. I didn't read the book, and what's even more interesting, I didn't get the impression that any of the dozen or so people who responded did either.
Even though I didn't read the book, the review struck me as possibly accurate because it included specific examples and passages. It also reminded me of a comment Chris Offutt made at the Wesleyan Writers Conference when I attended it: A hand-holding group is not really a group. It's a club.
You can learn more from a bad review than you can from a good one--assuming the review is legit and you're willing to polish your craft, both of which I admit are iffy.
I get few reviews on Amazon so maybe this whole discussion is moot, but bad reviews aren't the end of the world. It that's all it takes to ruin your day, you need to get out more often. Let's look at the whole pie.
If you're a writer, you are selling your books. You're no different from a baker, tailor, carpenter, car mechanic or anyone else who provides goods or services for pay. If someone buys your product, they have the right to expect quality and also have the right to complain if they don't believe they got it. You should look at their complaint and learn why they're dissatisfied. Maybe their reasoning is weak or they misunderstood something, but you need to make sure. If they do have a reasonable case, you need to do better next time.
Restaurants come and go, and there are only three reasons for this: bad location, bad food or bad service. The first one is unalterable, but the others can be fixed. If many people say the fish is overcooked or they waited a long time for someone to take their order, the restaurant needs to do better. If they don't the word will get around and people will go elsewhere for that fish. It's the same with clothing, plumbers, tune-ups or books. Critics--the few who remain--are supped to help people spend their entertainment dollars wisely, so if they don't like a film, play, CD or book, they will say so. They should explain why (not), too.
This is where writers miss the gifts in a bad review. What they do well will never keep them from succeeding. When someone points out something they (read, "you") do poorly, they're doing you a favor. They're showing you what you need to fix.
Granted, Riva's comments about useless reviews are easy to support. No one-sentence review is worth the second it takes to read it. No review that lacks details or examples can tell anyone anything. The more details and examples, the more valuable that review might be.
Ignore the five-star reviews. That's easy for me, and you already know you're wonderful. But if you get a three-star review or lower, read it and see why the person gave you that score. If there's no reason or it doesn't match their details, ignore it. But if they offer details, maybe even quoting a passage or discussing a character, they're showing you how to improve your writing.
Don't worry about the idiots who give you one star because you write romance and they don't like romance. That just means you shouldn't offer more free downloads. Ditto if they don't like profanity and your characters curse a lot. That's their effing problem, not yours.
But if someone points out that your character's behavior is inconsistent or hard to explain, maybe you should think about it. If they say they can't follow your plot because the events don't seem to lead from one to another, consider that, too. If someone says that she's never heard anyone speak the way your character does (Clockwork Orange is an exception), you need to write better dialogue.
Put simply, a review is a beta reader. It comes too late to help this book, but if someone points out something you do poorly, you owe it to yourself, your craft and your future sales to do it better next time.
When I send an MS to a beta reader, I tell them "I don't care what you like. Tell me everything that bothers, confuses, or upsets you, no matter how minor, even down to the type font. If they say something positive, I skim over it because I don't need to fix it.
But the beta reader who told me that Run Straight Down had "too much description and teacher routine in the first chapter" saved me from a bad review saying the same thing. Explanations and back-story belong later, after the plot and conflict gain some momentum. The Night Has 1000 Eyes made one beta reader say, "I wonder if this scene would have more impact if you put it in the other character's point of view."
Those comments helped me make the books better. What could I have done with "Gee, this is really great and I love your writing"?
Yeah, good reviews make us feel good, but they don't spur us to improve. I think I know my main weakness and I'm still trying to make those less visible, but someone has to remind me about them, preferably beta readers instead of reviewers.
If you don't want to get better, why are you writing in the first place?
06 June 2015
Proper Care and Feeding of Authors – in which our writer tries to be serious for a few minutes…
(Bad, bad girl!)
Here’s part one of the series (reprinted with permission):
What NOT to ask an author… (especially a Crime Writer who knows at least twenty ways to kill you and not get caught)
There is nothing I love better than meeting readers, both those who already know my writing, and those who are new to my books. But recently, I was asked to talk about those things that are touchy for an author. So here goes…a short list of No-Nos!
1. Do not ask an author how many books she has sold.
Trust me, don’t ask this.
Really, you don’t want to. It wouldn’t help you anyway.
Because honestly, I’ll lie.
I’m amazed that complete strangers regularly ask this. Would you ask a lawyer how much money he makes?
Because here’s the bottom line: most of us with traditional publishers make about a buck for every book sold, whether paperback, trade paperback or ebook. Sometimes, it’s less than that. (Yes, we were shocked too, when we found out.) So by asking how many books we’ve sold, you can pretty well figure out our income. And frankly, I don’t want you to. You see, I write comedies, and it would depress both of us.
Also: our royalty statements are at least six months behind (at least mine are.) We don’t KNOW how many books we’ve sold to date on new releases. Which is probably a good thing for our egos, if we want to keep writing.
Dare I say it? The supreme irony is: the only ones likely to make a living in the writing biz are those on the business end. The agents, and those editors and others employed by publishers, booksellers and libraries. Sadly, you can't expect to make a living in the arts if you are a creator.
2. Do not ask an author to read your manuscript and critique it for free.
So many times, I’ve been asked to do this, in a public place, with people overhearing. Sometimes, by people who don’t even have the decency to buy a single book of mine first.
Why this is bad:
First: I am in a place that has been booked for me to sell my books and meet with readers. That’s what I’m there for. You are taking precious time away from me and my readers. Believe me, my publisher won’t be happy about this. Ditto, the bookseller!
Second: Every hour I spend critiquing an aspiring author’s book is an hour I can’t spend working on my own books and marketing them. Like most novelists, I have a day job. That means every hour I have to work on my fiction is precious. Most of us do critique – for a fee. And many of us teach fiction writing at colleges.
I’m happy to critique my college students’ work. I’m getting paid (mind you, meagerly) to do so. And that’s what I always recommend: take a college course in writing. You’ll get great info on how to become a better writer, and also valuable critiquing of your own work.
3. Do not ask an author to introduce you to her publisher or agent.
Want to see me cringe?
Similar to number 2 above, this puts the author in a very awkward position. You are in fact asking for an endorsement. If the author hasn’t read your book, she cannot possibly give it (an honest endorsement.)
Second: You are asking the author to put HER reputation on the line for you. Do you have the sort of close relationship that makes this worthwhile for her?
4. Do not ask an author: where do you get your ideas?
Okay, be honest. You thought I was going to lead with this one.
Actually, you can ask me this. I’ll probably answer something fun and ridiculous, like:
From Ebay.
Or: From my magic idea jar.
Or: They come to me on the toilet. You should spend more time there.
Because the truth is, we don’t know exactly. After teaching over 1000 fiction writing students at Sheridan College, I have discovered something: some students are bubbling over with ideas. Others – the ones who won’t make it – have to struggle for plots. It seems to be a gift and a curse, to have the sort of brain that constantly makes up things.
I’ve been doing it since I was four. My parents called it lying. That was so short-sighted of them.
Opening to THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE (Orca Books) winner of the 2014 Derringer (US) and Arthur Ellis (Canada)
Okay, I admit it. I would rather be the proud possessor of a rare gemstone than a lakefront condo with parking. Yes, I know this makes me weird. Young women today are supposed to crave the security of owning their own home
But I say this. Real estate, shmeel estate. You can’t hold an address in your hand. It doesn’t flash and sparkle with the intensity of a thousand night stars, or lure you away from the straight and narrow like a siren from some Greek odyssey.
Let’s face it. Nobody has ever gone to jail for smuggling a one bedroom plus den out of the country.
However, make that a 10-carat cyan blue topaz with a past as long as your arm, and I’d do almost anything to possess it.
But don’t tell the police.
Here’s part one of the series (reprinted with permission):
What NOT to ask an author… (especially a Crime Writer who knows at least twenty ways to kill you and not get caught)
There is nothing I love better than meeting readers, both those who already know my writing, and those who are new to my books. But recently, I was asked to talk about those things that are touchy for an author. So here goes…a short list of No-Nos!
1. Do not ask an author how many books she has sold.
Trust me, don’t ask this.
Really, you don’t want to. It wouldn’t help you anyway.
Because honestly, I’ll lie.
I’m amazed that complete strangers regularly ask this. Would you ask a lawyer how much money he makes?
Because here’s the bottom line: most of us with traditional publishers make about a buck for every book sold, whether paperback, trade paperback or ebook. Sometimes, it’s less than that. (Yes, we were shocked too, when we found out.) So by asking how many books we’ve sold, you can pretty well figure out our income. And frankly, I don’t want you to. You see, I write comedies, and it would depress both of us.
Also: our royalty statements are at least six months behind (at least mine are.) We don’t KNOW how many books we’ve sold to date on new releases. Which is probably a good thing for our egos, if we want to keep writing.
Dare I say it? The supreme irony is: the only ones likely to make a living in the writing biz are those on the business end. The agents, and those editors and others employed by publishers, booksellers and libraries. Sadly, you can't expect to make a living in the arts if you are a creator.
2. Do not ask an author to read your manuscript and critique it for free.
So many times, I’ve been asked to do this, in a public place, with people overhearing. Sometimes, by people who don’t even have the decency to buy a single book of mine first.
Why this is bad:
First: I am in a place that has been booked for me to sell my books and meet with readers. That’s what I’m there for. You are taking precious time away from me and my readers. Believe me, my publisher won’t be happy about this. Ditto, the bookseller!
Second: Every hour I spend critiquing an aspiring author’s book is an hour I can’t spend working on my own books and marketing them. Like most novelists, I have a day job. That means every hour I have to work on my fiction is precious. Most of us do critique – for a fee. And many of us teach fiction writing at colleges.
I’m happy to critique my college students’ work. I’m getting paid (mind you, meagerly) to do so. And that’s what I always recommend: take a college course in writing. You’ll get great info on how to become a better writer, and also valuable critiquing of your own work.
3. Do not ask an author to introduce you to her publisher or agent.
Want to see me cringe?
Similar to number 2 above, this puts the author in a very awkward position. You are in fact asking for an endorsement. If the author hasn’t read your book, she cannot possibly give it (an honest endorsement.)
Second: You are asking the author to put HER reputation on the line for you. Do you have the sort of close relationship that makes this worthwhile for her?
4. Do not ask an author: where do you get your ideas?
Okay, be honest. You thought I was going to lead with this one.
Actually, you can ask me this. I’ll probably answer something fun and ridiculous, like:
From Ebay.
Or: From my magic idea jar.
Or: They come to me on the toilet. You should spend more time there.
Because the truth is, we don’t know exactly. After teaching over 1000 fiction writing students at Sheridan College, I have discovered something: some students are bubbling over with ideas. Others – the ones who won’t make it – have to struggle for plots. It seems to be a gift and a curse, to have the sort of brain that constantly makes up things.
I’ve been doing it since I was four. My parents called it lying. That was so short-sighted of them.
Opening to THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE (Orca Books) winner of the 2014 Derringer (US) and Arthur Ellis (Canada)
Okay, I admit it. I would rather be the proud possessor of a rare gemstone than a lakefront condo with parking. Yes, I know this makes me weird. Young women today are supposed to crave the security of owning their own home
But I say this. Real estate, shmeel estate. You can’t hold an address in your hand. It doesn’t flash and sparkle with the intensity of a thousand night stars, or lure you away from the straight and narrow like a siren from some Greek odyssey.
Let’s face it. Nobody has ever gone to jail for smuggling a one bedroom plus den out of the country.
However, make that a 10-carat cyan blue topaz with a past as long as your arm, and I’d do almost anything to possess it.
But don’t tell the police.
On Amazon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)