Please familiarize yourself with our Workshop FAQ and Guidelines before submitting your first official critique. When you�re ready to get started on critiquing, please read these general guidelines for offering a constructive critique:
1. Be specific. Following this rule not only helps the writer, but it gets you more effortlessly on your way to that 350 word minimum on your official critiques. Don�t just say �I like this part� or �I didn�t like that part�. Tell us WHY. Did the dialog between characters X and Y ring especially true? Did the reaction of character Z seem, well, out-of-character? The more specific you can be about why you liked or disliked certain things in the submission you�ve read, the more useful it will be to the writer (and the more words you�ll contribute to that 350 minimum).
2. Give examples. After telling the writer that you especially enjoyed his or her witty dialog, give a specific example: �I especially like when Biff said�� Or if you�re telling someone that his or her prose sounds awkward at times, point them to a specific line: �For example, the line that goes: ��� That�s what I�m talking about.�
3. Give suggestions. You can�t write the stories for them. But you can give writers a good sense of where they might be going wrong by telling what you feel would be more right. Instead of saying: �I didn�t like this part,� tell the writer something like this: �I feel like you�d achieve more character tension if Filbert took matters into his own hands, here.� Get even more specific, if you want. Tell them things like: �I think this character needs someone to play off of,� �I think you should abandon the ship voyage in favor of the arrival action on shore,� �I think you should kill off one of this character�s family members to throw a wrench into his emotions.� Maybe they won�t take your specific advice, but it can point them toward a better revision. Maybe the writer will choose to sink the ship, or elucidate a dark past for the character. But the message will have been received: more tension was needed in the story.
If you have any questions about these guidelines, or if you have any suggestions for inspiring more constructive criticism, please feel free to contribute your ideas. _________________ Violet "Violanthe" Kane
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