Critique groups are great. I have participated in several, of different sizes and styles, and each one taught me to be a better writer. Reading works in progress allowed me to see how stories grew and, from those lessons, I became a more astute reader.
Now that I work as an editor, I have my own process for critiquing a manuscript or work in progress. If the MS is complete, I do an initial quick read from a reader’s perspective. I want to find out where the story goes without thinking about how it happened, what it means, and if it makes sense. After that, when I know the ending, I start back on page 1 and read again, this time as an editor. In the editorial pass, I make lots of comments because now that I know where the story ends, it is my job to help make sure the path there was efficient, entertaining, and logical. When you’re in a critique group, you may do the same thing, or some similar process.
As I wear my editor hat more and more, I find it is can be easy to fall into that role and to think less about my impressions as a reader. When one critiques, the focus is on making sure the scene works. Is it plausible? Is it pleasing? Is it in the right spot, would the character really say/do/feel this, does it heighten the tension, etc. These are all vital considerations, when you are reading as a critiquer or editor.
But what about the reader?
If you are in a critique group, when is the last time you made a comment like one of the following when reviewing a colleague’s manuscript?
“I lost interest here…..”
“I would have stop reading at this spot because…..”
“I wanted to skim this section….”
“Right here is where I figured out the ending….”
When we are readers, we all give up on books that get boring, we all lose patience, we all skim, we all figure out the ending. Not with every book and not every time, but often enough that we learn to recognize what we enjoy as readers. Carrying over those considerations might be as valuable as noting that the woman who flips the light switch to the basement and finds the bulb out—but she goes down anyway—is Too Stupid To Live.
How would such comments be helpful, instead of simply mean, in a critique group? Because the people in your group are required to read to the end. People who buy or borrow your book are not. You are not writing to be read by other writers (well, mostly not). You are writing to be read by readers.
If you belong to a critique group, would you be blunt enough to answer these questions?
As a reader, where would you lose interest?
As a reader, what would have made you stop reading?
As a reader, what sections would you skim?
As a reader, where did you figure out that ending?
In a critique group, you have the benefit of a mini-focus group. Why not use that benefit? If you are in a group of 5 readers and 3 of them say they lost interest in Chapter 7, there’s something wrong with Chapter 7. If 1 person figured out the ending halfway through but the other 3 didn’t get it until the big reveal, your skills at keeping secrets are probably pretty good.
What do you think? Do you dare ask these tough questions of your critique partners?
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Ramona DeFelice Long 
My sentiments exactly. I liken critique comments to a bell curve and try to pass along those insights in some of my presentations. Love your posts, Ramona. Keep ’em coming.
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A bell curve is a good analogy, Marilyn. Thanks for reading!
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Those are great questions to ask. I just critiqued the first couple dozen pages of an unpublished author (both of us anonymous to each other) through the Guppies’ Fantasy Agent project. The summary question at the end was, “Do you want to keep reading?” I had to answer no, but I made my comments as detailed as possible in hopes that the author would understand why not.
Over the years, my own critique group has had one particularly recurring comment for my work, and it’s usually from the majority of them. Something will happen at the end of scene A, and then I’ll write scene B. They often say, “But wouldn’t she react in scene B to what just happened? Shouldn’t she at least be thinking about it?” Oh. I KNOW how she reacts, I just forgot to write it down! I’m starting to get that comment less and less, because I’m trying to remember it as I write.
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The “why” part is the helpful part. (See next week’s post!)
Your critique group seems to have zeroed in on one of your writing habits. What you describe is pretty common, come to think of it.
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Ramona, this ought to be required reading for any critique group!
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Thank you, Norma!
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I think my group answers most of these questions, although the questions are often posed in a different way (as in, “You’ve zeroed in on X, which isn’t the most exciting part of your story; you should be talking about Y.”
Like Edith, I get the “but should he/she be thinking about…” comment. Again, like Edith, I’m starting to get it less.
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It’s helpful when we can learn from our mistakes, isn’t it, Mary?
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That “she should be thinking about” issue is a common one. Writers want to keep the story moving along, so they forget that Character A might need a moment to process what just happened.
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I have a fear of being slow or dull, so I always ask my critique partners about sections that lost their interest. If even one out of four thought a chapter was lagging, I work on the pace. I figure it can’t hurt to tighten it even if the other three didn’t think it needed it. That could be one out of four buyers of the book.
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True, Amber.
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Fantastic article Ramona. You never cease to please. I passed it on to my group.
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Great post, Ramona! I must be one lucky person – my two critique groups always ask those questions!
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Reblogged this on Khan's Lantern and commented:
Something we should all keep in mind when critiquing.
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