How to Write an Effective Critique

Getting useful criticism of your own work is vital to improving your writing but, when the roles are reversed, do you know how to write an effective critique? It’s a useful skill for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s nigh on impossible to write well without understanding how other people write well. Developing your own critical analysis will be massively helpful to you as a writer. Secondly, if you want other people to think carefully about your work and provide useful feedback, it helps if you can return the favour usefully!

I’ve talked before about how to get the most out of somebody else’s offer to provide feedback to you, and a lot of that can be turned around and used here as well. Now, let’s take a look at some of the things to think about when it comes to writing a good critique.

Read carefully, and know what you’re looking for

It’s easier to construct a really helpful piece of feedback if you know what the author is looking for feedback on. They might not have a clear idea themselves of course, but it’s worth asking before you dive in whether there’s something specific in the piece they think they need to work on. Once you know what the parameters are, read through the writing with that in mind. If it’s a short piece it might be worth giving it a couple of reads. Pay attention to your initial thoughts, although those might need some refining before you’re done!

Start with the positive

When it comes to the critique itself, it’s worth taking time at the beginning to point out what’s working well. This might not be the same as the thing you’ve been asked to focus your critique on, although if you do notice something about that which you think is great then definitely point it out! But it’s okay if the thing you like best about the work is something completely different. Maybe you’ve been asked to look over the dialogue, but you think the description of one of the characters is really vivid. Don’t feel like you can’t mention something, just because it strays beyond the area you’re critiquing. It’s important for writers to get feedback on what they’re doing well, not just the stuff that’s going wrong.

An effective critique has to be honest…

No writing is perfect, and the author presumably knows there are improvements to be made. You don’t do anybody any favours by skirting around flaws that need working on. An effective critique needs to be clear about what’s wrong with the text, otherwise it’s a waste of your time—and the writer’s. Whatever your first impressions were about the areas you’ve been asked to look at, consider how to communicate those impressions in a way that gives the author something concrete to work with. This can be harder than it sounds, especially if you’re new to critiquing! It’s easy to feel like something is just kind of off with a bit of writing, but not be able to put your finger on what. With practice though, you’ll find it easier to pick out specific problems that need to be addressed. The more specific you can get, the better.

…But not too honest

There is a difference between honesty and cruelty. While you’re considering your phrasing, make sure you’re on the right side of that line! I don’t recommend padding out your comments with endless qualifiers to soften your message, but there’s plenty of room to be kind as well as clear in an effective critique. One helpful tool is to use “I” statements, to keep the focus on how you experienced the writing. This can help to keep it clear that what you’re offering is just one perspective. You might believe passionately that a character is exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness, but that same character might be another reader’s favourite. A lot of good writing is highly subjective, and it’s important to remember that when you write your critique.

Remember: it isn’t personal

This is advice for two points in the process. First: when you’re putting together your feedback, remember to critique the writing rather than the writer. It isn’t actually helpful to tell somebody they’re bad at something, even if the work you’re critiquing is pretty rough around the edges. Focus your attention and your feedback to the writing in question. Second: when the critique has been sent, it’s time to let it go. The author might take your points on board, or they might throw them out the window. They might have a strong reaction to the points you made, or want to argue their case. Assuming you don’t have a formal arrangement in place that says differently, it’s up to you whether you engage in a dialogue around the critique you’ve provided. If you don’t think it’s going to be a productive conversation, it’s fine to reiterate what you liked about the piece and opt out of engaging any more. You’ve offered your feedback, hopefully with the intention of being helpful, but it’s not up to you to convince the author that you’re right and they’re wrong.

Critiquing work can be a great process

And it can be hugely useful for both parties involved! As hard as it is to hear what’s wrong with your writing, there really is no faster way to improve. And offering thoughtful critiques to other writers (when asked to!!) helps you to develop your skills as well. Have you had any critical feedback that really helped you to get better as a writer? Or have you been on the other side of it, providing feedback to another writer? Give me your best feedback stories in the comments!