5 Tips For Finding a Competent & Compatible Critique Partner

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

I had a lot of great discussion in the comments of my recent post "WHEN Should Writers Get Critiques." I came to the conclusion that writers have a variety of experiences regarding critiques.

Some have gotten critiques on their very first manuscripts and found the feedback helpful in pushing them to grow in specific areas of their writing.

Others who got critiques very early in their careers found them devastating and suffered discouragement as a result.

The truth is, no matter WHEN we seek out critiques (whether beginner or multi-published), we open ourselves up to the possibility of harsh criticism.

I think part of the issue of whether we end up having a good critique experience depends upon the WHO of the partnership. In fact, in my recent post several commentors asked me the same question: How do you recruit a good critique partner? How is it best to start such a partnership so that we don't waste time with incompatible people? 

Here's a post I did about WHERE to look for crit partners. That will vary from writer to writer. So I won't go into that. Instead let's talk about the kind of person to recruit.

Let's face it the WHO of the critique partnership can make all the difference in the world. Even for me at my stage in my career. An overly critical or discouraging person can deflate even the best writers (no matter how thick the skin). But a back-patting, praise-singing partner won't help us either.

In light of that, here are five tips I would offer to those searching for competent and compatible critique partners:

1. Find someone who can BALANCE the positives and negatives. Every writer giving feedback needs to learn the art sharing both the "wrongs" and "rights" (and keeping the scale fairly even). That may mean having to search harder for compliments or it may mean having to hold back on some of the nitpicking. After all, we're not expecting perfection from the writer. Rather we're simply challenging them with some things they can begin to look for on their own.

2. Find someone who is willing to provide the TYPE of critique you need. Recently another Bethany House historical fiction author approached me about doing an exchange of manuscripts. She wanted a big-picture read (or a macro edit). But I on the other hand, needed something more in the middle (line-edit). Before we agreed to the arrangement, we were honest about what we were looking for as well as our time frames.

3. Find someone at the same LEVEL of writing as you (or just slightly behind/ahead). The problem with a critique partnership where one is much further along than the other, is that the relationship can become one-sided. And while that's fine and good in a mentoring situation, a critique really should be about a mutually beneficial partnership.

4. Find someone who writes in the same GENRE (or nearly the same). I find this especially beneficial as a historical author, but is likely beneficial in any genre. Those who write in our genre have gained an eye for important details as well as genre expectations. If a partner knows the ins and outs of what we're writing, he or she may be able to pick up on things others would miss.

5. Find someone with HUMILITY and CONFIDENCE. Obviously you also have to exhibit those qualities in yourself if you hope to find them in someone else. I've found that humility means I'm willing to listen to my partner and the feedback, but also that I have enough confidence in my own writing style that I can make educated disagreements.

Used with permission from Debbie Ridpath Ohi at Inkygirl.com

Yes, we need to choose our partners carefully. But I've also learned I'm not stuck in a lifetime commitment. I've had a variety of partners over the past years. If one isn't working out, then we can begin the search for another. I never rush into choosing. I usually weigh the options very carefully before deciding upon anything.

Even if we get the best partner in the whole wide world, I still stand by my statement in cautioning young writers to be careful about getting critiques too soon. Here are just a few more things to consider:

A beginner usually has more glaring issues because they're still learning. There's just more to mark. And thus the feedback can start to err on the side of mostly negative.

Younger writers haven't developed a thicker skin that comes after receiving rejections and learning about the reality of the industry, so the feedback has more of a potential to crush budding enthusiasm.

And young writers are still developing their writerly voices. They often have the tendency to over-utilize feedback (rather than be more discerning, which comes as we gain confidence in our voice and writing abilities).

Summary: If you approach someone about a partnership, my suggestion is to agree to a trial critique. Test the person to see if they exhibit the above 5 traits. Most importantly, make sure you're exhibiting them too!

What do you look for in finding a compatible critique partner? If you've had critique partners, what qualities have made your relationship succeed or fail?

What to Do When People Don't Get Your Story

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

Reviews are starting to roll in for my newest book, Unending Devotion, which officially released on Saturday, September 1.

I always hold my breath when I click on a blog review or other reader review sites. Because I never know what to expect. The book may resonate with some readers. But then others . . . well, not so much. In fact, sometimes the reviews are outright contradictory.

For example, one reader said this about Unending Devotion, "This was Hedlund's best book so far." Another said, "Good but not Hedlund's best."

Over the past few years, I've come to accept the contradictions and even the fact that some readers won't like my books at all. Every author gets mixed reviews. Even the very best authors of the very best books have readers who really love the book and readers who couldn't stand it.

If you've ever been involved in a critique partnership, entered a contest, or asked beta readers for input, you may have experienced the same kind of dichotomy—having some who adored your story and others who couldn't seem to find anything nice to say about it.

And your gut reaction might be a big, resounding, "HUH?!?" It's always hard to make sense of how people can view the same story with such varying opinions.

On the one hand, it's incredibly rewarding when someone really "gets" your story, when they understand the theme or the characters or the symbolism. When someone else connects to your story, you're filled with a "this is why I write" joy.

But when someone doesn't "get" our story, we can't help but wonder why? What happened? Did we really do something wrong? Or is the negative opinion just that—an opinion.

So what do we do when a critique partner, friend, or book reviewer doesn't like what we've written?

Recently a friend emailed me with that very problem. She said her critique partner (of two years) had read through her latest manuscript, and when she got the document back it was peppered with cynical, snarky comments that hurt her feelings (which is the makings of another post entirely—because anytime we critique for someone else, we need to stay as kind AND professional as possible while maintaining honesty.)

The bottom line is that my friend didn't feel like her CP "got" her story.

So who's at fault? Did the manuscript have legitimate problems? Or was the CP being too subjective and interjecting too much of herself into the reading?

I believe the answer is "a little bit of both."

1. Many times our readers DO have legitimate concerns. If something doesn't resonate with a reader or especially multiple readers, we need to ask ourselves why. If we're writing stories we hope others will enjoy (versus simply writing for our own pleasure), then we'll need to continually try to understand what our target readers like the most.

I'm still learning how to please my genre readers. I look at what seems to work for other popular authors within my genre, asking myself what they did that resonated with their readers and how I can apply that to my own unique style of writing. I'm not copying them, but I'm studying reader expectations for my genre and attempting to discover what kinds of techniques give readers the best reading experience.

2. But our readers are subjective too. We're all unique and thus have different reading tastes. Someone may like that my new book is centered around white slavery and others may be completely turned off by such a serious topic. Some readers may appreciate that my book is filled with page after page of drama, while others might want a slower pace. Some might like a feisty heroine, while some might not be able to relate to her.

One of the best ways to determine what's subjective is to have a really good grasp of our genres. We should read and study everything being published within our genres. Then we can become intimately familiar with the techniques that are essential and what things are more negotiable.

For example, romances are most satisfying when the relational tension is kept high throughout the book. Readers count on a happily-ever-after. They want to know the couple will eventually get together, but readers don't want the couple to get together too soon. They want to be kept guessing how the couple will overcome all the obstacles keeping them apart.

My Summary: We can't always please everyone with our stories. But our goal should be to reach a point where we're pleasing as many of our readers as possible.

How about you? Have you experienced contradictory feedback on your writing? How did you determine which feedback to follow?

*Photo Credit: flickr CollegeDegrees360

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Want to learn some of my deepest, darkest secrets? ;-) During the month of September, I'll be sharing secrets about myself during my "Fun Secrets" Blog Tour. On each blog stop, I'll also be giving away a signed copy of my newest release, Unending Devotion:

Wednesday, Sept. 5: Secret #3: My participation in a history-making moment. Deanna Rupp’s blog

Friday, Sept. 7: Secret #4: My hardest life experience so far. Katie Ganshert’s blog

For a list of all my secrets, check out my Events Page!

3 Ways to Determine if Your Writing is Crap

I have a new favorite writing book: 77 Reasons Why Your Book Was Rejected (and how to make sure it won’t happen again) by Mike Nappa.

Out of the blue, I received a complimentary copy in the mail a few weeks ago. Up until that point, I didn’t even know the book existed. So kudos to whoever is behind the marketing of the book (your strategy worked!). Because after reading through some of the book, I really liked it and think it can be a great help to writers struggling to break in to traditional publication.

Mike is the founder and chief literary agent Nappaland Literary. He’s worked as an acquisition editor for three publishers. In addition, he’s published more than forty books. At the same time, however, he admits he’s personally received more than 2000 rejections for his book ideas.

“It takes less than a minute to reject your book.” Yes, that’s Mike’s first statement in his introduction. He goes on to list all of the reasons why various agents and publishers reject manuscripts in short, easy-to-read chapters.

The No. 1 reason why books get rejected (at least from Mike’s perspective) is because “Your Writing Is Crap.” Although he readily admits crap does indeed get published, he argues that it won’t happen to most writers. In his candid style he says, “If you send me crap writing, I’m going to reject you. And I’m not even going to feel bad about it. I’ll feel like I’m doing humanity a service by keeping your stinky excrement off bookshelves everywhere.”

Mike defines crap writing as:

• Sloppy thinking
• A vain or irrelevant message
• Content that is poorly organized
• Presentation that is clunky
• Word choices that are abysmal

But the question most writers have is this, “How do I know if my writing is crap?”

I struggled with that question before sending my manuscript to agents and editors. We usually finish our books, sit back and wonder, “How does the quality of my book compare with others? What is my skill level? Am I good enough to get published?”

Most of us don’t want our manuscripts to arrive to an agent, publisher, or even a reader smelling like excrement. So, here are 3 ways we can begin to determine our skill level:

1. Find Beta Readers who are willing to “test” your book or idea.

The readers can be anyone really—friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and family—yes, even your mama. At this point, they don’t have to be skilled writers or editors. You’re merely wanting to get feedback on the story itself and the ideas you’ve developed. Let the beta readers know the purpose of the read is just to test your story. They’re not correcting typos or grammar or the nitty-gritty. They’re providing big-picture thoughts.

The most critical aspect of getting feedback from beta readers is this: they must feel free to be completely honest. Often friends and family are afraid to hurt our feelings by telling us the truth. But getting feedback from beta readers won’t do any good unless they know they can be upfront in telling us if our book is indeed crap. And how many people will really feel comfortable being that honest with us?

The best way to solicit some modicum of truth from beta readers is to provide them with a way to give anonymous feedback. Hand them a sample of your manuscript and attach an anonymous questionnaire with easy-to-answer, big-picture questions like: Did you like the characters? Did you like the direction of the story? Would you keep reading? Why or why not?

2. Find other skilled writers who can offer objective feedback.

Feedback from other writers can come in many forms: critique partnerships or groups, blogging, and even contest judges (who are usually other writers or published authors in the first round). Recently, the creators of Ladies Who Critique contacted me to let me know about their new critique matching service. While I’m not using the service, I think it looks like a fantastic resource for writers searching for critique partners.

This week, I'm sharing about my critique partnership in one of my blog tour stops at Keli Gwyn’s blog. Keli critiqued The Doctor’s Lady (my new release), not once, but twice—and in some places even three times. Although I’m a published author working with a top-notch editing department with a large publisher, Keli’s help and advice in shaping my book was invaluable.

3. Use a freelance editor.

Michelle DeRusha had a recent post in which she explained her choice for using a freelance editor. She said: “Let me tell you, that $450 was the best money I ever spent . . . The editor I hired read and reviewed my manuscript and provided eight pages of chapter by chapter notes on sections to cut, rewrite, repurpose and reorganize.” She eventually went on to land her agent and said, “I don’t believe it would have happened without the help of a professional editor.”( Read the full post here.)

The bottom line is that we can’t see all of the problems in our work on our own. We just can't. (Read this post: Why Most Writers Are Blind to Their Own Faults.) If we want to know if our writing is crap, we’ll have to be open to letting others tell us that painful news.

Wouldn’t you much rather have someone tell you your book is crap before publication rather than after?

How open are you to feedback? Are you willing to take the good AND the bad from beta readers and critique partners? 

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Don't miss out on these blog tour stops! You can WIN my book at both places!

Friday 9/9:  Jill Kemerer is sharing 5 Reasons to Read The Doctor's Lady on her blog! (Pick up Puzzle Piece #4 there!)

Saturday 9/10: Kristie Kiessling asks me what preparation I did for the writing of The Doctor's Lady on her blog! Did I take my family on a covered wagon simulation trip as part of my research? Come find out!

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST!

4 Ways to Find a Critique Partner

At some point, every writer serious about publication must get feedback on their writing.

Let’s face it, we’re too enmeshed in the fibers of our stories to be able to see the whole thing as it’s meant to be seen. We’re underneath the tapestry, weaving threads together, sewing a beautiful picture. From below, our view is distorted. We see the lose threads, knots, and the fuzzy images. But we need someone to take a look at the tapestry from above, someone who can see the big picture clearly, point out the gaps, notice the misshapes, and see where we need more color.

Although writing is a solitary endeavor, the path to publication is NOT. An essential part of the process is learning to find and accept feedback on our writing, getting someone to stand at the top of our masterpiece and give us a big picture view. We’ll have to take our publisher's feedback at some point, so we need to get used to having others critique our work.

Yes, I know. I’m probably stating the obvious—most writers realize how critical feedback is. But many of us struggle to find someone who is not only willing to help us, but who is also qualified and objective. Our mothers, sisters, and best friends might be willing, but are they knowledgeable enough to help and can they share honestly? On the other hand, we may know people who are qualified (published author friends, etc.), but they aren’t willing to (and logistically can’t) give feedback to everyone.

Where, then, do we look for the critical feedback that will take our stories to the next level?

There are many ways to go about getting feedback. One of the most popular is in linking up with another writer (or group of writers) and forming a critique partnership.

Jill Domschot recently asked: If you've found your critique partners online, how did you go about finding good matches?

I’ve been involved in a number of critique partnerships over the past couple of years. So I can share what’s worked for me. But I’d also love for others to chime in and share how they’ve found their critique partners.

1. Join a writer’s organization.

Aside from the resources, industry news, and the professionalism such groups can bring to our writing careers, we can often connect to other like-minded writers. Many of the organizations have online critique groups. And if they don’t have formal critique groups, they often have message boards or forums for posting critique needs.

2. Join or start a local writer’s group.

I didn’t know there were any local writing groups in my isolated central Michigan area until I went to my library and asked. Much to my surprise, several groups were already meeting at the library on a regular basis. Usually, in those kinds of groups writers bring a sample of writing to share and have critiqued. When groups aren't available, I’ve known writers who’ve started their own.

3. Put a notice on Twitter, Facebook, or a blog.

Once we jump into the online writing community and start to rub shoulders with other writers, we’ll find that many are in the same situation as us. From time to time, I see writers post needs on Twitter, asking for someone to proof a query, or read their synopsis, or whatever. The writing community (especially on twitter) is incredibly helpful. But we have to remember if we ask for help, we need to be willing to give it too.

4. Approach another trusted writer.

I personally like this approach and think it works well. As we get involved with other writers and begin to make deeper friendships, we eventually find those we trust, who are at our skill level, and who even write our genre. We can approach them for a reciprocal critique partnership, ask for a trial period, with the understanding that we can part ways anytime and still remain friends. 

The bottom line for finding a good match is becoming a part of a writing community of some kind. As I said, we may write in solitude, but once we start heading toward publication, we have to begin the process of going public. The first step is putting our work in front of trusted writers.

Critique partnerships, like any relationship, involve risk. But with effort and wisdom, and even some trial and error, we can eventually find workable partnerships.

Your turn! How did you find your critique partner? And what other advice do you have for someone looking for a critique relationship?

Baring It All

I don’t know a single person who likes to get undressed at the doctor’s office. I sure don’t. But since I know a yearly exam is important for my health, I don the flimsy hospital gown and force myself to endure the poking and prodding. Since my grandpa died of melanoma, I also have my doctor do a skin check, which means baring every freckle to her critical eye.

I have to admit, I’m always embarrassed to reveal myself in such a personal way. After all, when I’m on the examining table, I’m exposed, vulnerable, unable to hide anything. Every blemish is out in open.

I had a similar sensation when I recently sent my book to my freelance editor and my critique partner—the feeling that I was completely out in the open with everything and under examination for every problem.

I felt naked. I was baring the most intimate parts of the inner workings of my mind. Now they would see all my mistakes and know I’m not a perfect writer, that I have faults beneath the polished veneer. What would they say? What would they think of me now?

I'm having similar trepidation thinking ahead to the release of The Preacher's Bride in a few months. Soon, everyone will get to view my most personal thoughts, my writing, both the good and the bad. What will friends think of me then? Will they like what they see?

Have you ever felt that kind of vulnerability? When we send out our stories for others to read or critique, we’re opening ourselves up and exposing all our imperfections. Embarrassment creeps in, and we cringe at the thought that they’ve seen our naked books. Will they like what they see inspite of the obvious blemishes they’re sure to find?

The reality is that we have to get intense exams on our stories for their well-being. As hard as the scrutiny may be, we need to open up our work to the poking and prodding of those who can evaluate the “health” of our stories.

We have to tell ourselves the discomfort is all worth it, that we’d much rather find the problems early while we can still fix them, instead of waiting until it’s too late and an agent or editor sees those same blemishes.

And we need to brace ourselves for the fact that our stories will have imperfections—quite possibly lots of them. Mine did. Here’s just a sampling of the comments my freelance editor and critique partner found in the manuscript I recently finished:

• “I don’t feel the sense of impending doom (if I’m supposed to feel that). What is it you want me to feel here?”

• “You seem to go in to these info dumps. While well written, after a few lines I find myself skimming.” (OUCH!)

• “So, other than some neat imagery, what was the point of this scene? How did it advance the plot? I kinda hit the end and thought…okay…what happened?” (OUCH!)

• “Your [hero] is coming across as a bully here. . . How could he do this? Is he so selfish that he'd hurt her to save his own pride? I was starting to hope he might be coming around.”

• “I’m no longer marking repetitions of this word, so I’d suggest running a find for it since it is one I see used quite frequently.” (OUCH!)

I have to say, both of these women did an outstanding job sharing positives too. In fact, I’ve teased Keli that every day I wait for her critiqued chapter, that I’m addicted to her smiley face comments and hearing all her impressions of each scene.  (As a side note: Keli is doing a series on critiquing this week. So far she's covered: How to Find Critique Partners and Six Steps for Approaching a Potential Critique Partner. She has some very wise and professional tips.)

Here are my parting thoughts:

*Baring our stories to a few people is embarrassing, but if publication is our goal, then someday we’ll bare it all to the world. Everyone will see everything. We have to get used to the scrutiny, because it’ll only grow more intense.

*If we’re not uncomfortable, if we’re not feeling growing pains, if we’re not getting constructive criticism that prods us, then maybe we need to re-evaluate why. Do we need a new critique partner who can challenge us more? A freelance edit? Is it time to read another writing craft book?

*We can’t get better unless we get vulnerable.

Are you putting your manuscripts under the right amount of scrutiny—the kind that can truly diagnosis what’s wrong? Is it  hard for you to be vulnerable with your writing, or are you getting used to baring it all?

Do Whatever It Takes

Lately, I’ve gotten a few raised eyebrows when I tell people that I’m having my book edited before I turn it in to my publisher. “Why in the world are you getting outside edits, when you have such talented in-house editors who will read your book and give you their excellent feedback?”

Eyebrows inch higher when I inform people I’ve paid my freelance editor to critique my book.

You might wonder, “Why bother? Why go to all the trouble and expense? After all, your book is contracted. It’s a sure thing. It’s not like they’re going to reject it if they think it needs work.”

True. My Bethany House editors won’t reject it. In fact, they’ve already approved my story, read the synopsis for it, and given some initial input. They said they’re looking forward to reading the completed book. So, if they already like it and trust my writing ability, why didn’t I turn it in after I finished my self-editing?

Here’s what it boils down to for me: I’m not satisfied with the status quo. I want to do whatever it takes to make my next book better. I’m not writing it to please my publisher (although I hope it will). I’m not just trying to get by. And I’m not resting secure in my 3-book contract.

Instead, I hope I can create a book that satisfies my readers to the very core of their beings. I want to reach for new heights in my writing and story. And I want to stay on the cutting edge—because I know nothing in this market or industry is stable.

In order to push myself, I need critical feedback from a variety of qualified sources. I can’t read my own book objectively enough to find the issues that need fixing. (I talked about that in this post: Why Every Writer Needs Feedback.) What’s more, if I really hope to improve with each book, then I need to surround myself with team members who each offer a unique perspective but balance one another.

My freelance editor, Tiffany Colter, has been part of my team for a while. She hones in on the bigger scene and story issues that need work. My newest team member, Keli Gwyn, was a former assistant editor, and her strength is in finding the smaller problems.

Tiffany and Keli bring distinct aspects to the critique process. They’re both talented editors, but each looked at my manuscript with very different eyes. And each of their critiques challenged me to take my writing skill and story to the next level.

When I send my book to my Bethany House editors in a couple weeks, they’ll read it and challenge me even more, in different ways. They’ll give their expertise advice on the market, on what readers will like, and what I’ll need to change to make my story as saleable as possible.

In other words, I’ve got a balanced editing team, each bringing critical but differing perspectives to the editing process. In putting my book through a rigorous and intense workout, it's costing me time, money, and effort. But I'm willing to do everything possible to improve.

We all need to do whatever it takes to push ourselves to new heights in our writing and stories. Even if we have what we think is a “sure thing” or “a done deal,” why wouldn’t we want to keep challenging ourselves to be better?

Here are my parting thoughts:

*We’ll never be good enough to stop getting feedback.

*We need to seek out qualified, constructive criticism from those at our level or better.

*We should never be content with status quo, but should be constantly stretching ourselves to reach higher.

How have you challenged yourself lately to do more or to work harder at improving? Are you doing whatever it takes to push yourself higher? Or have you been settling for the status quo?

How to Handle Feedback on Our Writing

Any writer serious about publication NEEDS to get feedback on his or her writing in one form or another. And let’s face it, “feedback” usually translates into “painful revelations about the true reality of our writing skill.”

As much as we like accolades about how we’re on our way to becoming a NYT Best Seller, those kinds of comments won’t help us improve.

And if we happen to be getting feedback from someone that’s more positive than negative, most likely we need to find another critique partner. No matter where we’re at in our writing journeys, we’ll always have a lot of room for improvement, and if we're not getting feedback that painfully stretches us, what good is it?

Only brutal honesty can help us grow—the kind of feedback that doesn’t tip-toe around our sensitive feelings, doesn’t worry about what we think, and tells us like it is. That’s what we all need.

Published author, Cheryl Wyatt, commented on the last post and she said this: "I once polled about 100 editors and agents (CBA & ABA) about how far they read before they KNOW. Close to 97% of them said they know by page 10. Over 50% of them know by the end of page 1." We would be wise to get critical feedback (at least on the beginnings of our books) before we send them to agents and editors.

As you know, I’ve been judging contest entries this month. For $35, the entrants are getting three different judge’s feedback on one entry. That’s a LOT of feedback. Of course some judges may offer less feeback than others. Still, I think that’s a pretty good price to pay to get three critiques.

Overall, a national contest with strong judges (i.e. published authors, freelance editors, award winners), is one of the best ways to get honest feedback. Usually everything is anonymous, so the judges can tell-it-like-it-is without worrying about offending the writer.

Of course there are other ways to get feedback. And here’s how I would rank them in order of credibility, knowledge, and helpfulness to a writer’s career. (Starting with least helpful and going to most helpful):

Personal family members
Non-writing friends
Writing friends below your skill level
Writing friends at your skill level or above
Judges in a contest
Published Authors
Freelance editors
Agents
In-house editors

The list is a generalization and there will be blending of roles and unique situations for various writers. But the point is this: The more qualified the feedback, the harder it will be and the more painful to accept.

So how should we accept feedback?

1. Know the source and give weight accordingly. We would obviously need to give more weight to a contest judge over writing friends. And we would definitely need to give more consideration to the critique of freelance editor over family.

2. Develop thicker skin. If we ever hope to survive being the reciprocate of unbiased and truthful feedback, that means we have to toughen up. We have to get ourselves into the mindset that says, “It’s nothing personal. It’s just part of the job.”

3. Always take serious consideration of comments concerning writing basics. That would include comments about inconsistent POV (point of view), clichés (including overused phrases, trite characters, and familiar plots), lack of sensory details, too much narration/backstory, stilted dialogue, lack of conflict/tension, unclear motivations, telling vs. showing, etc.

4. Weigh opinions about the story itself more carefully. Sometimes voice, plot development, and genre nuances are more subjective. However, if several people tell us the same thing, then we would be wise to take their advice more seriously.

5. Realize honesty is the best policy. We need to hear the truth, and the truth isn't always easy to hear. Maybe the feedback isn't as gracious as we'd like. Maybe it's even downright hurtful. Simon Cowell isn't easy on Idol contestants. His critiques are often painfully honest. But what helps us more: fudging to spare hurt feelings or honesty that stings? Which will move a writer closer to publication?

In summary, I really liked what Penny C. Sansevieri said last week in her article Why (Some) Authors Fail: Look, I know not everyone is going to be spot-on with their feedback, but take from it what you can and move on -- better yourself, better your writing. Feedback is a crucial part to any writer's career. If someone who is more knowledgeable than you. . . is willing to give you feedback you should listen. Really. In a room of one hundred authors I can pick out the successful ones. You know who they are? They are the ones who aren't so wrapped up in their egos that they aren't willing to listen and learn.

What about you? How do you handle feedback? Are you willing to listen and learn? Are your critiques painful enough, or do you need to start looking for someone to be more honest?

The Nitty Gritty of Critiquing

How does one go about the actual work of critiquing someone else's writing? What kinds of things do we look for first? Then next? And next?

I haven't had much experience critiquing for others. Earlier in the year my 6th grade son asked me to look over his first long report (the kind needing note cards, bibliography, and all that technical stuff). Being the good mom (and writer) that I am, I went through it carefully and marked it up. Little did I know, my generous advice would bring my son to near tears!

I learned a lesson through the experience. I'm not on a fault-finding mission. Rather I need to first discover the good and report back on that, then I can give feedback on the most crucial corrections. We grow in small steps and so pointing out every deficiency at once leads to discouragement.

Thankfully, I didn't destroy my son's ego. He came to me again recently with a story he'd written for a children's writing competition. This time before I pulled out my red pen I asked him how detailed he wanted me to be. Then I proceeded first to find the many things he'd done right before I inked up the things he needed to change.

Lady Glamis had an excellent post yesterday about critiquing in layers. I'm still trying to digest exactly how to do that. But my take away was this: we have different layers of the writing craft to analyze from basics like grammar and sentence structure, to characterization/POV issues, to plot/action, and then the deeper layers of symbolism and themes. We keep peeling away as we critique. Maybe we won't make it past the basics for some stories we critique, but maybe we'll make it much deeper with others.

Critiquing for others can be a sensitive issue. We don't aim to discourage our writing friends, but we often do so unintentionally (like I did with my son). My advice: Ask your Faithful friend how detailed your critique should be and what specific things they want you to look for, then make sure to find the positive first and negatives second.

What is your advice for critiquing? Do you have a specific method or way of editing? Since I'm inexperienced at this, I would love to hear your words of wisdom!

Critique Partners & Groups

Yesterday we discussed the need to have a Faithful friend to travel with us on the writing journey.

Many of you mentioned having critique partners or belonging to critique groups. Agent Chip MacGregor had a great post (Feb.19) about the need for writers to have a critique partner or group. Among other things he said: Every writer needs a critique group. New writer or experienced hand, you gain wisdom when you have other writers looking at your work. A critique group offers you an honest appraisal, and provides an on-going learning experience.

I can't say that I've had much experience yet with either. When I joined ACFW, I signed up right away for a critique group. I filled out their questionnaire and critiqued their sample document. I waited a few weeks, and finally was matched with three other very sweet, godly, historical writers. We introduced ourselves, then organized a schedule for exchanging our writing.

I lasted a week. I quickly realized I could not put forth the amount of time and energy such a group required, especially if I wanted to give them my best feedback without rushing through their chapters. And I didn't want to sacrifice too much of my limited writing time. So, I begged their forgiveness and backed out of the group.

I'm just beginning the process of getting linked with a critique partner, a wonderful new blogging friend, Sherrinda. We recently discovered we both write historical romances in the middle ages and our stories start on a similar vein. We're still trying to figure out how to exchange our manuscripts, how to edit, what time frames to use, and all of the other details that critiquing involves.

Which have you tried, critique group or critique partner? What was your experience (for either the positive or negative)?

P.S. And if you have any advice for Sherrinda and me as we start our partnership, I'd love to hear that too.