How to Give and Get Fiction Critiques

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How should I give and get fiction critiques? Here are 10 Tips for Giving Fiction Critiques:

GOLDEN RULE - give critiques unto others as you would want to get critiques
ASK & UNDERSTAND - genre, intent, areas for feedback
BIG PICTURE - you’re not a copyeditor
READ LIKE A READER … of the genre & style
OBSERVATIONS - not solutions
CHECKLIST - plot, characters, pacing, confusions, etc.
ORGANIZE NOTES - key themes
COMPLIMENT SANDWICH - what you liked, areas to work on, more of what you liked
CLEAR & SPECIFIC - examples
OPEN DIALOGUE - encourage it, but respect the writer’s need to process the feedback

We will also review 7 DOs and 3 DON’Ts of Getting Fiction Critiques.

Before we start ...
do you want to write fiction faster,
while practicing your craft and your writing process to consistently get better?

Check out this link to the FREE "Write Fiction Faster ... and better" guide and workbook,
which comes with a FREE companion course
with 23 bite-sized video lessons and 4 worksheets.

What are Fiction Critiques and Why Should You Give and Get Them?

First, what do we mean by a fiction critique?

This is not the kind of fiction critique you write as an essay for school. What I’m referring to as “fiction critique” (or just a “critique”, or even shorter, a “crit”) is feedback on a piece of fiction (a story, a chapter or scene in a longer work), provided directly to the writer, in order to help the writer improve their craft and the specific piece of writing that is critiqued.

Typically these are given in a writer’s group, a writing workshop, a writing community, but they can be more informal (ex. ask a friend who you feel have good taste to serve as a “beta reader”). Critiques can be given in a group setting or one-on-one. They can be given verbally or in written format — or a combination.

Feedback is one of the key steps in the deliberate practice to master the art of writing fiction.

Getting critiques is an excellent feedback loop, an opportunity to grow as a writer. It may feel a little uncomfortable, even scary, putting your work out there to get a “critique” (which sounds like “criticism” … but that is absolutely NOT what it should be). Getting a critique of a story is also a great way to make the story shine before you submit it to publishers and share it with the broader audience of readers.

Giving critiques means you’re helping other writers improve their craft as well as the specific stories they’re working on.

Giving critiques is also an opportunity for you to clarify and improve your own writing craft. The way to really learn a subject is to teach it, right? This is why giving critiques is also a great way for you to grow in your own writing craft. When you analyze and give feedback on somebody’s else’s writing, it gives you the right distance to recognize aspects of the writing craft that you can apply to your own writing.

So in this article we will take a look at both sides: getting and giving critiques.

We’ll start with the giving.

10 Tips for Giving Fiction Critiques

Here are 10 tips for giving fiction critiques.

GOLDEN RULE

The “golden rule” is is the principle of treating others as one wants to be treated. In the case of critiques:

“Give critiques unto others as you would want to get critiques.”

Think about that. Let it sink in? How would you want to get a critique?

How would I want this critique to be delivered to me? (Watch your tone.)
What would be helpful to me if this was my work? (What’s the most important information and insight I would need?)

ASK & UNDERSTAND

Take the time — if you have the opportunity in the context of how the critique is requested — to understand what the writer intends both for the work of fiction they wrote and for the critique they’ve asked for.

Do you have the opportunity to ask some questions before you read the story and provide the critique?

If so, make sure you understand the context of the work. What’s the genre or the intended audience? This is important so that you can approach it from the perspective of the intended reader, considering the tropes, mores, and reader expectations of that genre.

You shouldn’t go a lot deeper than that, because it will color your view of he story. But it may be fair game to get a general sense of what the writer’s intent of the story is, if they want to share.

Next, ask and understand if there are specific areas for feedback that they’re looking for? Do they have specific questions they would like you to address? Note these down, and be sure to include your thoughts on these areas in your critique, although you should not feel that you’re limited to just those areas.

BIG PICTURE

In the context of a critique, you’re not a copyeditor.

You’re not doing a line by line edit. That’s not your role.

You’re also not going to critique grammar and little stylistic glitches — unless it’s a glaring and repeated issue that may get in the way of readers enjoying the story.

You’re looking for the bigger picture, the themes — how the reader is going to react to the story overall.

READ LIKE A READER

Don’t read as a schoolteacher grading a paper. Don’t read like a publishing house editor or a movie studio executive looking for the next blockbuster. Don’t even read like a fellow writer. Read like a reader.

To “read like a reader,” first of all you need to understand who the reader is. This goes back the “Ask & Understand” point above.

That means, if the story is in the mystery/thriller genre or the romance genre or the scifi/fantasy genre, and especially if that’s not your regular cup of tea (or poison or chardonnay or pan-galactic gargle blaster), then put on the genre-reader-goggles (in the case of steampunk readers, perhaps those would be literal goggles), and read the story as that kind of reader, the true audience for the work.

Reader-goggles on? OK? Now, what is wonderful, what gives me a thrill, what’s candy about this work? On the other hand, what gets in the way of my enjoyment of the story? Is there anything that keeps me from connecting with the work? On the other hand, what gives me a strong connection, what pulls me in? Is there anything that is confusing to the reader? Is there anything that would irritate the reader? What does the reader love about the story?

Be the “true reader” and give the critique as if that reader was telling the writer what is great and what could be even better.

OBSERVATIONS

You’re not the writer. You don’t need to fix the writing. You’re the reader, remember? So your critique is observations, not solutions.

You need to have this mindset because you also want to give the writer creative space to write their story. You’re not trying to write the story for them.

Therefore, you’re not giving the writer specific solutions in you’re critique, not even “maybe you do this, how about if you try that, have you considered doing it this way instead …”.

Instead, give observations of both what’s great and what could be even better. Let the writer choose which of the observations to take to heart. Let the writer apply their own creativity.

CHECKLIST

It’s very helpful to have a checklist as you go into any critique, if only so that you won’t forget something.

A good checklist will also be a framework for the critique, which can be helpful when the writer processes the feedback, since it will be naturally organized, as opposed to a laundry list with no order nor reason.

A checklist can also frame your critique in a way that will be helpful and have the right tone. For example, your checklist can remind you to frame your feedback as “stronger and weaker choices” (vs. “good or bad writing”).

ORGANIZE NOTES

As you read the story, keep your critique checklist by your side, and take notes on the writing. Before your deliver your critique you need to organize these notes.

One strategy for organizing your notes is to record the notes directly on your checklist. That way, your notes will be organized according to the framework of the checklist.

If you feel that the checklist gets in the way of reading as a reader, you may just want to only lightly reference the checklist (perhaps at the end to make sure you didn’t miss anything). In that case, your notes will be freeform, as they came to you during the read-through of the story. You need to organize them, after the fact, for example by referring back to the checklist framework.

Think about the “big picture” and organize your notes into key themes. What are the main things that you want to get across? One good exercise is to ask yourself: What are my top three points that I want to get across both in the “strong choices” and the “weaker choices”? So three great things, and three things to work on, for example, as a starting point. Then, once you have those major themes, you can organize your notes into those major “buckets” of feedback.

COMPLIMENT SANDWICH

Going back to the “golden rule” — if you get a critique that starts with some praise, some things that are great, wouldn’t that feel good, put you at ease?

Well, give your critique the same way, the compliment sandwich: what you liked first, then areas to work on, and then wrap it up with more of what you liked.

Maybe this feels manipulative? It’s all about the intention. Your intention is not to sneak in with a sucker punch in the middle. This format just helps lower defenses and helps put both you and the writer at ease.

CLEAR & SPECIFIC

As you organize your notes consider how you can be very clear and direct in your feedback. The organization into key themes will be helpful. Are there other ways you need to sharpen your focus before you give the critique? Is there a logical order to the feedback?

You also need to provide specific examples. The easiest way to do this is to use a cross-reference from your notes back to the story. For example, as you read, you spot something that is off about the plot, which goes in the “Plot” section of your notes. Write a large “A” in the margin of the story at that point, and record your note, marked with that same “A” plus a reference to the page of the story where you observed this issue.

OPEN DIALOGUE

Encourage open dialogue, but allow for the context of the critique and give the writer permission to just process the feedback if that’s what they prefer.

Here are some ways you can encourage open dialogue:

State it upfront - either in person, or in the introduction to a written critique
Create the space - for an in-person critique, don’t just ramble on without taking a break, give the writer a space to talk (if they want to); for a written critique, provide a method for feedback, a way to provide comments and questions back to you
Ask open-ended questions - but give the writer permission to say: “I need some time to process this first”
Remind the writer that these are observations, not solutions - they can choose to take them or not, or if they want to bandy around some solutions, you’re open to serve as a sounding board if that’s helpful
Listen without getting defensive - if the writer wants to explain what they intended (which can sometimes come across, unintentionally ,as defensive or even attacking the critiquer), just listen, then clarify if needed, or re-state that these are just observations from a reader’s perspective

Allowing for the context of the critique may mean that the critique is provided in a workshop setting with multiple people in the room. In that case, be mindful that it can be awkward for some writers to speak openly in front of the whole room, so give them permission to engage as much or as little as they are comfortable with.

Allowing for the context of the critique may also mean that it’s a written critique in an online writing community. Be careful that the give-and-take of the “open dialogue” does not become a polemic.

7 DOs and 3 DON’Ts for Getting Fiction Critiques

These are seven do’s and three don’ts for getting (i.e. receiving) fiction critiques.

Let’s start with the 7 DOs:

Be OPEN to the feedback
LISTEN
THANK the critiquer for their time and effort
THINK about the feedback
ASK for clarifications
PROCESS the feedback and apply creativity
TEST your creative solutions

OPEN

Have an open attitude, meaning that you should lower your defenses and check your ego at the door.

You’re here to learn and improve. The critiquer has taken the time to read and give you notes, so be open, not closed off.

LISTEN

Listen for the intent, the reader’s perspective, and the key themes.

You may not agree with every detail, but listen with an open attitude and the mentality that you want to understand the reader’s perspective so that your story can connect with the reader in the best way.

THANK

Thank the critiquer for taking the time, investing the effort, and for having the courage and caring to give you honest feedback.

Come to the critique with a genuine sense of gratitude.

THINK

Think carefully about the observations you’re being given. Take notes. Jot down points that really landed and those that may need some clarification so you can fully understand.

If it’s a written critique, such as in an online writing community, you’ll have plenty of time to think, since it’s not a real-time interaction.

If it’s an in-person critique, whether one-on-one or in a workshop setting, you will need to “think on your feet” but it’s also fine to ask for time to think before providing any comments or questions.

ASK

As you listen and think, ask. Get clarity about the key themes. Go deeper into the specifics.

If this is in a real-time sessions (whether in person or live online), the questions and answers will be interactive. If you’ve received a written critique, formulate your questions in an organized response to the critiquer.

Your asking should be with an open attitude, not to find “holes” in the critiquer’s observations, but with a mentality that you truly seek to understand the reader’s perspective.

And don’t just ask about the “weaker choices” in your writing. For those parts that the critiquer really liked, go ahead and ask follow-up questions, so you can understand (or confirm) what makes that part of the story work for the reader. This will put the critiquer at ease, and you will solidify your understanding of what the reader likes and wants to see more of.

PROCESS

Take the time to process the critique. Sift through the observations and highlight those that are especially important and valuable. Look for the broader themes.

You may decide, on reflection, that you don’t agree with some of the observations, and that’s your prerogative. As long as you’re satisfied that you have truly listened to the reader’s perspective with an open mind. You’re the writer, it’s ultimately your choice how the story is told.

As you mull over the critique, fire up your creativity. How can you address these observations in a creative way?

Don’t just check the boxes, addressing the points one by one. Step back and consider whether you want to do something dramatic, such as turning the story completely on its head and changing things in a fundamental way — ex. tell the story from a different point of view, add another major character, reverse the original plot twist to its opposite, etc.

TEST

Now test out your ideas. Try to implement those creative responses to the critique.

Does it work? Is the story better now? Great!

If not, try another approach, until you get it right (or more right).

Consider sharing the revised story with the critiquer and thank them again for their generous and helpful feedback.

Now we’ll move on to the 3 DON’Ts of getting fiction critiques:

Don’t get DEFENSIVE
Don’t EXPLAIN
Don’t get DISCOURAGED

DEFENSIVE

You don’t have to address every observation, and you may not agree with all of them, but don’t get defensive.

Recognize that the feedback is genuinely from the reader’s perspective, so arguing with it will not be helpful. Even if you feel strongly that the critiquer has missed the point, perhaps not put on the reader-goggles for the intended audience, or that they are just nitpicking on minor stuff that isn’t all that helpful, just let it go.

Remember that the critiquer has taken the time to provide the feedback, thank them with genuine gratitude for doing that.

EXPLAIN

There are two flavors of “explaining”, and neither one is helpful.

Don’t “explain” as a way of being defensive, arguing your point.

Also, don’t “explain” because you want the critiquer to understand your intention. Recognize that there is something about how the story is currently written that would require explanation for the reader to get it. And realize that you don’t actually get to explain anything to the reader, outside of the story itself. So, go back to the drawing board and fix the story so there is no need to “explain” it.

Here’s the exception. In an open dialogue, where the critiquer is asking for your intent, something like: “… what were you going for in this part?” then you should feel free to explain. But your explanation should be for the purpose of improving the story, not to show up the critiquer. You should explain your intent, then enter into a dialogue about what was unclear or confusing or missing for the reader to connect with that intent.

DISCOURAGED

Don’t get discouraged. I know you’ve put a lot of yourself into this story, opened your veins and bled.

It can be hard to take a critique, but feedback is a vital step in the process to grow as a writer.

The critique is not (or should not be) intended to hurt you.

Go into the critique with the mentality that you’re here to learn. You will get better, faster, when you open yourself to honest feedback. Everybody has blind spots. Everybody needs the mirror of feedback.

Don’t be discouraged, be encouraged that you are constantly growing and improving as a writer.

Resources

Here are some resources for giving and getting critiques.

MY FAVORITE ALL-PURPOSE RESOURCE

The Writer's Treasure Chest - everything in one place, curated, organized, this is a great reference for all things writing craft, with tons of prompts, plot/character generators and other tools that can serve as reference material for giving critiques and to inspire you as you process critique feedback and improve your writing.

Here are more reference material on the writing craft that can be helpful when giving critiques and to inspire you as you process critique feedback and improve your writing.

FREE COURSE, GUIDE AND WORKBOOK

Do you want to write fiction faster, while practicing your craft and your writing process to consistently get better? Check out this link to the "Write Fiction Faster ... and better" guide and workbook, which comes with a companion course with 23 bite-sized video lessons and 4 worksheets.

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