Three Important Critique Tips

Photo credit: Bunches and Bits {Karina} on Flickr

While we’ve discussed the importance of being critiqued and critiquing others, and we’ve talked about how to be a fabulous critique partner (both seriously and sarcastically), it occurred to me that I haven’t really written in depth about the hardest part of critiquing: that is, reading your critique. 

Asking for a critique is a funny thing: we are, in essence, asking people to read our work with the intention of finding faults. Of pointing out every gaping plot hole and embarrassing word choice that you accidentally repeated six times on the same page. 

And let’s face it—as helpful as it is to have those mistakes pointed out to us, it can sometimes be hard to swallow. No one likes to have their mistakes circled and underlined in blaring red marker, even if it is an important part of developing our craft and improving our stories. 

I’m not promising that these three tips will make all your future critiques feel like butterflies and cotton candy, but if you keep these things in mind, it will (hopefully) make it a little easier. Starting with...

1. Read it, then PUT IT AWAY. Seriously. I know I’ve mentioned this briefly before, but it’s worth repeating because it helps so much. When you first read a critique, most of us tend to start to feel things. Sometimes is horror, other times it’s embarrassment or anger and sometimes it’s straight-out despair.
   
   In order to edit in the right frame of mind (or even read your critique in the right frame of mind, for that matter), those emotions need to be put aside, and that can be difficult to do when you first get a critique. So put it aside, eat something delicious or watch your favorite TV show or read a book. Take your mind off the critique and those initial emotions, then come back to it later with the mindset of making your work better.
   
   It really can make all the difference.


2. Don’t get defensive. This is a danger that we sometimes see in public critiques or reviews. And it’s understandable—your writing is very personal. It is, in essence, an extension of you, so when people point out the flaws or say it needs work, it can feel like a personal attack.
   
   The thing to remember is that it’s not a personal attack, and you did ask for this critique. But if you get defensive, there’s no way you’ll be able to switch into the right mindset and learn from the experience of being critiqued—which really is the whole point of this exercise.
   
   So when you feel the defensive monster raging inside you, tell it to shut up and keep reading.


3. Not everyone is right. This is important, particularly in public critiques or when dealing with new critique partners and beta readers. The thing is, sometimes well-intentioned people will make bad suggestions, or sometimes people will completely misunderstand your work and make a suggestion that is contrary to your vision. The thing to remember is that not everything that everyone says is right, and in the end you know your work best. 

What tips do you have for receiving critiques?