RockyMountainMommy
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Posts: 1
(2/20/04 9:59 am)
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Critique Guidelines
Critique Guidelines
Members are expected to be active. You must give three, detailed critiques for every submission that you make. See the Posting Guidelines for Manuscripts for details on making submissions.
All members are expected to follow the rules for critiquing. We will suggest some guidelines to make critiques easier to write and easier for the author to understand.
General Guidelines for giving and receiving critiques
- There is always something positive to say about a writer's work. If you can't find anything good to say, remember what Thumper's father told him: If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all.
- Do not attack a writer in your critique.
- Do not use a critique as revenge. If you do not like a critique given to you by someone else, discuss it civilly. Do not use critiquing their work as an opportunity to "get back at them".
- Authors do not have to respond to critiques with anything other than a "thank you". If it's a particularly tough crit, it's probably best to wait a few days and digest it before responding anyway.
If you do choose to discuss it...
- Do not be offended by tough critiques. Experience has shown that the more a critique "hurts", the more useful it is. If you receive a crit that bothers you, cool down for a few days, then re-read it. Try to understand that the critiquer is not attacking you. They are committing a huge amount of time to give a detailed critique. Assume the best.
- Do not argue with a critique or become defensive. Ultimately, it is up to the writer whether or not they agree with the comments, and whether or not they will implement them. Arguing about it is pointless, and will not be tolerated. Friendly discussion is another matter. These forums are highly moderated, so discussions that deteriorate will be dealt with immediately and decisively. We are all here to become better writers, to give and receive honest critiques. If you can not handle an honest, tough critique, this group is not for you.
- If you feel you have received an unfair critique, post your concern in the complaints forum. Posts in that forum are visible only to admin, and will be dealt with immediately.
- Members who break the rules will be given one warning. If they persist, they will be asked to leave or banned.
Critiquing Guidelines:
In order for critiques to be as useful as possible, it is strongly suggested that the following guidelines be followed.
All critiques should include the following elements: What works; What doesn't work; Details and nit-picking.
In a critique, look at the following:
Opening - Does the opening "hook" the reader? Is the opening too big?
Plot - Is the story interesting? Is the plot overused or too predictable? Does it make you want to continue reading? Does the plot feel thin or weak?
Pace - Does the story move well, or does it drag? Is too much time spent on trivial things?
Characterization - Are the characters interesting? Are they "real" and believable? Do you care about them? Do you feel like you are getting to know them? Are they stereotyped? Are they flat or do they have dimension?
Language / Mechanics - Does the POV work? Does the writer head-hop? Are there cliches? Does the language feel special or ordinary? Do the descriptions work or are they overdone? Is there purple prose? Are tenses handled properly? How is the grammar and punctuation?
Voice / Dialogue - Does the dialogue seem natural without actually mimicking "real" talk? Does each character have their own, recognizable voice? Is the dialogue being (wrongly) used as a way to "convey information" to the reader? Do the characters use each other's names too often? Is the speech appropriate to the characters and time period?
Seduction / Drama - Do you feel seduced by the piece? Are you "author-aware"? Are we "shown"? Or are we just "told"?
Sex scenes - Do you feel the characters' emotions? Does the scene seem authentic, or is it awkward? Is there too much focus on body-parts? Is there purple prose?
Nitpicking / Details - All critiques should include nit-picks and details unless the author has requested that they be ignored. These include a critiquer's personal opinions, reactions, suggestions, and comments about specific details and mechanical errors. This is one of the most important parts of a critique.
Critiquing Format:
- Copy the text you are critiquing into a reply. (If the chapter is long, cut it into two or three replies. EZBoard doesn't like huge posts.) Work your comments into it using the suggestions below.
- Begin with general comments. Tell the author what works, and what doesn't. Move on to the details. Details and nit-picks should be included right in the text.
- Separate your comments from the manuscript text as clearly as possible. Use different colored text, bold, or italics in order for the critique to stand out from the rest of the text. Do NOT use CAPS. Make sure "ezcodes" is checked in the formatting section above the message area of your post, and use the ezcodes to help you with italics, colors, bold, etc. Text you choose to use codes on will appear at the bottom of your message, so you may need to cut and paste it into the correct section of the work.
- Never apologize in a critique. If you have been honest without attacking the author, then there is no need to apologize. If you are tempted to apologize, you may need to reread your comments, and revise them. Otherwise, don't worry about it. We are all here to offer and receive honest crits, so there is no need to apologize if your comments seem tough. If you apologize in a critique, it seems as if you are uncertain about what you are saying, and it will be hard for the author to take any of your comments or suggestions seriously.
Recommended Color Use
In order to make critiques easy to understand at a glance, it is recommended that you use the following colors in your critiques. If you also want to make your text bold or italic in order to really stand out, that's fine.
Red - Referenced Text. Use this color for the author's text you are referring to in your comments.
Navy - Comments. Use this color for general comments, and for specific comments in the critique.
White - Suggestions. Use this color for specific suggestions of changes to the text.
Edited by: RockyMountainMommy at: 2/25/04 12:19 pm
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