Monstrous

Monstrous Books => The Monstrous Library => Topic started by: Amaya on February 20, 2009, 09:08:24 PM

Title: Guide To Great Critiquing
Post by: Amaya on February 20, 2009, 09:08:24 PM
We all know that the Monstrous Library is a great piece to share your literary works. It is a wonderful place for free and open expression. Many of us are in different walks in our writing journey. As a community, we can all assist each other grow through critiquing. This can help add to the experience of the reader and the writer. If done properly, this can be a wonderful tool. Here a few simple suggestions to make the critiquing process better for everybody involved.

1. Be honest. Honesty can help somebody become a better writer. Say how you really feel. Most people will appreciate the honesty. Also, this can help them look out for the problem in the future.

2. Be respectful. A lot of people view their writing as a part of them. It means a lot and they put a good deal of effort into their work. Please show it respect. It is not only harmful to the individual when you are disrespectful, but it also makes you look bad. There is a right way and wrong way to say something. If you do not like something, tell them why. Destructive criticism is never welcome in any of it's forms (ex-insults, rude comments, etc).

3. Be encouraging. As I stated before, there are people of different skill levels here. Encouragement can help anyone and everyone learn and grow, but discouragement can be devastating. Encouraging reviews can assist the writer in many ways, including helping them to enjoy writing more.

4. Be well-rounded. Balance is the key. A writer benefits by both positive and negative remarks.

These four things are the building blocks of a positive critique.  :-)


Stuck on what to say in response to a piece or where to begin a review? Writing reviews and critiques can be tricky. Sometimes it helps to ask ourselves simple question. Here are some general questions that can help make critiquing easy.
1. How did the piece make you feel?
2. Could you relate to the piece?
3. Did the plot and characters work? Were they realistic?
4. What did you like?
5. What did you dislike?
6. What stood out in the piece?
7. Is there anything that you would change?
8. Additional comments.

That is the basic structure of an average review. A shorter version could be only numbers one, four, and five. A longer review could go over every element that creates a story or poem.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help make the Monstrous Library a more enjoyable experience for readers and writers alike. If you have any suggestions on anything I could add to this list, please send me a message.