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DM on "The Art of Critiquing"
As requested, the following is a list used by a writing professor friend of mine in his classes. By no means is it a suggestion that reviews need to cover all of these points. This list is not tailored to Minimalist writing. Still, it could be helpful in writing reviews and in revising your work.
Another simple approach is to explain the ratings you give the stories you review.
Seventeen Points to Examine in the Art of Critiquing:
--Courtesy of DM
1. Does the writer engage your interest? Are you drawn in and held?
2. Does the purpose of the work emerge as quickly as you want? If not, are you willing to wait?
3. Are the time and setting evident?
4. Does the writer show events through the use of clear images, or is the story merely told by an excess of adjectives, adverbs, inactive verbs or modifying phrases?
5. Does the writing satisfy other senses beyond the visual (smell, sound, taste and touch)?
6. Are identity and sympathy soon established with the lead characters? Are their motives and goals soon apparent?
7. Are the characters believable? Are their features and mannerisms described early?
8. Is viewpoint solid? Can you see the circumstances unfold through the eyes and minds of the major characters, or is it told from somewhere outside the pages? Are you always aware of which character is providing the viewpoint?
9. Is the dialogue natural? Does it fit each character? Is it always clear who is speaking?
10. Does introspection fit the character? Does it flow smoothly with the narrative?
11. Does the narration hold too many technical, voguish or overly intellectual words or foreign phrases? Does it fit the readership?
12. Is the plot believable? Is good research obvious or lacking?
13. Does the writer use a good balance of narrative, dialogue, and introspection? Is the writing loaded with only one or two of these elements?
14. Does the writer tell you less than you want to know; all you want to know; or more than you want to know?
15. Does description stop the story or bend it?
16. Do flashbacks stop the story longer than you want, confuse it, or advance it? Are the flashbacks more interesting than the main story?
17. Do the scenes flow in smooth transition one to the next? Does each scene contribute to the story and advance it? Does the end of the story satisfy the beginning?
"You should be able to have your chicken and blowjob too."
-- Cindy Weston
[LEFT] [CENTER]bona fide [/CENTER] [img]http://205.196.209.178/images/banners/chuckshoplogo.gif[/img] . . . [img]http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/fan/cw/allstars/inkwellGold.gif[/img]
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Wow, these are great!
Oh, bless yer li'l heart.
He knew everything about literature except how to enjoy it.
- Joseph Heller
My eye! My Doctor said I can't get pudding in it!
- Lenny
My workshop junk thus far:
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/fan/workshop/view.php?id=1465]Follow The Red Balloon[/URL]
[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/fan/workshop/view.php?id=1595]The Night I Kidnapped My Prom Date[/URL]
Something I do:
To get a public rating you need 5 reviews.
To post something of yours you need to do 5 reviews.
That's why I try to rate the submissions of people who have rated my material, just to return the favor.
I also review other stuff, but that's my general principle.
Here's my two paise to the Critiquing...
I got it from a friend who got it from: [url]www.speculations.com[/url]
After First Reading:
1. Write down initial reaction.
After second read . . .
1. Strengths
2. Setting
3. Plot
4. Exposition -- suspenseful, unpredictable, boring . . .
5. Hook
6. Characters
7. Point of view
8. Symbols used to deepen the story?
9. Themes underlying the story
10. Clear writing, grammar, basics
11. Unnecessary scenes or passages
12. Genre
13. Weaknesses
Additional questions to consider
1. Were you hooked by the first sentence? Were you hooked by the end of the 2nd page?
2. If this is a short story, would you recommend they mail it and where?
3. If this is a novel, what are your expectations for the story? Did the chapter ending build suspense and make you want to keep reading?
"A lot of people would say culture moves too fast... but I would argue there's not any rush." Brandon Boyd
Anybody have any critique advice specific to the February assignment?
"You should be able to have your chicken and blowjob too."
-- Cindy Weston
[LEFT] [CENTER]bona fide [/CENTER] [img]http://205.196.209.178/images/banners/chuckshoplogo.gif[/img] . . . [img]http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/fan/cw/allstars/inkwellGold.gif[/img]
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. .
!!! UP !!!
Some long ago posted but very helpful critiquing advice
.
As deeper breathing returned, he coddled a dream of images of his future family, of himself and his love and children and in it he smiled the smile of one who works hard and provides, the proud father. The pride of the father. He stopped his thoughts and pushed himself to hurry because of the pride of a father like Ol Jim, because there are some people in this world you just shouldn’t rile.
-A Daughter's Pride
i would like this topic to be open to discussion, how others feel about critique advice . what theyve learned, what theyd like to share as a workshopper
disagree with the above advice ?
add thoughts ?
that sort of thing
As deeper breathing returned, he coddled a dream of images of his future family, of himself and his love and children and in it he smiled the smile of one who works hard and provides, the proud father. The pride of the father. He stopped his thoughts and pushed himself to hurry because of the pride of a father like Ol Jim, because there are some people in this world you just shouldn’t rile.
-A Daughter's Pride
sweet bump
it does seem a bit intense to me, would anybody really go to these lengths?
i basically look for things that work and don't, but will try to comment on:
dialog - does it ring true, easy to follow?
setting - am i getting enough, is it vivid? is it day/night, winter/summer, raining or cold?
characters - are the believable, is the depth, sympathy/empathy, conflict, contrast
plot/story - is it fun, can you follow it, do you buy it
entertainment - if i get sucked in, and forget what i'm doing, you did your job
poetic/lyric moments - outstanding words, names, titles, sentences, paragraphs
i'll also look for these things as far as critical mistakes:
grammar/typos - just point out
tense shifting - ie., does it stay present?
show vs. tell - "He was angry" is tell, "He slammed his fists on the table" is show
senses - you always get sight but do you get sound? smell? touch? taste?
that's about all i look through - i try very hard to point out everything that is working really well - with monkey he is very funny, so i point out what makes me laugh, with bostonnoir he has a very intense way of describing, so i point out those vivid moments, etc.
also, i like to use the "comment" feature in word to highlight and then give a general observation in my final notes
hope this helps
peace,
richard
I think of course people should go to those lengths. I'm sick of looking at other people's reviews and seeing ten or twelve lines saying, "I don't like this, lol, it's unbelievable." it's reviews such as I've received in the intensive that stand out. Again I'd like to say the inline critique system used in the intensives allows for a much better standard of reviewing and I really think this should be changed. As it is the time it takes to quote sentences and structure comments about them is cumbersome and uncomfortable. I've only had a handful of reviews through the workshop that have really helped me, the others offer small pointers about the story but the great reviews encapsulate the strengths and weaknesses of my writing as well as my story. Good examples of this are lots of Xec8's reviews, as loathe I am to grant that swollen ego room for growth, his comments are consistently good. I'm sure there are others there, but lots of people that maybe previously worked in the workshops aren't doing that much there anymore. I think to this end we should grade harder on reviews. Reviews that don't help do not help, if someone's repeating the points from a before review then that shouldn't be graded as something helpful.
. .
A lot of these points don’t really apply to the chuck shop setting
There are plenty of pieces in this side of the shop that don’t have dialogue, or real plot
But whatever we submit, we need to make certain the piece is near polished writing, grammar and spelling:
That shit is so distracting, and makes it hard to review the piece objectively.
Basically, take your work seriously, and take to reviewing others’ work seriously, and you will be taken serious and so will your work
* * * * * *
How I review a submission changes with each and every submission
First, I identify:
Dan Shewman released a story last week titled Gas. The story is actually a scene--pretty much a single moment in time and the story is filtered through that looking glass. He was going for authority, and did a pretty good job. Also developed his theme quite well, I might add. It was a well written piece utilizing an essay technique and why would I eve rate for plot and dialogue and whatnot . my focus was to tell what I thought and to rate it according to its level of craft
I mentioned what I didn’t agree with, mentioned what I did agree with. Gave him a scale rating. Explained myself. Easy breezy.
Everyone reviews differently, but im not quite sure of my thoughts, I will go through a list: what did I think of the plot, the structure, did this or that happen too early on, is the writing infective, bland ??? and I will go through all of those points in short hand before crafting a review. And if in shorthand and then longhand and I’m still not sure of my thoughts, then I’m probably not the best person to review that story or sketch
-kabol
..
As deeper breathing returned, he coddled a dream of images of his future family, of himself and his love and children and in it he smiled the smile of one who works hard and provides, the proud father. The pride of the father. He stopped his thoughts and pushed himself to hurry because of the pride of a father like Ol Jim, because there are some people in this world you just shouldn’t rile.
-A Daughter's Pride
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