EWP Critiquing Guide

This file is designed to be a guideline for those people who wish to constructively criticize the authors here at EWP. This handbook is designed to allow you to bring up points that you think the author needs to work on, without sounding offensive or rude. Following the guidelines in this manual should help you to better get your point across, while also helping the author to more easily swallow your criticisms.

BASIC RULES:

• The Critic’s Golden Rule: Remember that your dislikes for a story are your fault, not the author’s. What this means is not that you should not criticize, but it should affect the way you phrase your criticism. Do not say, “You did not...,” but rather say, “I did not seem to get the feeling that...”
• The Sandwich Technique: Begin and end all critiques with good, supportive, encouraging words. Put your negative comments in between these. This puts the author in the right frame of mind to accept your suggestions in the beginning, and it wraps up by reminding him or her what they have done right, as well as reminding them that you enjoyed the story.

DO’S:

• Do make sure that you tell an author what you liked about their work. If it is at all possible, you should have at least one positive statement for each negative comment.
• Do make sure you have read other comments already posted. If your negative comment has already been made, simply agree with it, rather than restating it.
• Do consider that you are writing your message to a person, not some faceless entity. Consider how your comments will make that individual feel. Keep in mind that an author has placed a piece of themselves down when they write a story, and trashing the story is the equivalent of trashing them.
• Do remember that the authors are trying to entertain, and sometimes the small details will be set aside in pursuit of this larger goal.
• Do remember that the goal of criticism is to improve an author, and not to destroy their confidence or drive them off the net.
• Do give as much detail as you can about both your praise and your criticism. Generalities are usually not useful to a writer, as they are too vague and indistinct. When you comment on something an author has done, give an example of it. Try to keep this reasonable, however; five examples of the same issue are certainly not warranted.

DON’TS:

• Do not question an author’s style. If your criticism goes to the heart of the way an author tells his story, don’t make it. Remember that an author’s particular style is what makes them unique from the other authors. If you don’t like that style, either don’t read the story, or live with it, but don’t criticize it.
• Do not assume that you have a right to demand changes of an author. Most authors write for themselves. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
• Do not second-guess an author. If it’s not perfectly clear where they’re going with something, don’t assume you know. It is disrespectful to assume you know what an author is thinking.
• Do not even comment on a story if you didn’t like it. If you are of such a mindset that the story didn’t even make you want to continue it, your criticism will never come out constructively. Just move on.
• DO NOT GET PERSONAL. No matter what else you may have said, done, or thought, the minute you make any personal comments about the author, your constructive criticism has just become a “flame”. Remember, you’re already criticizing the author by commenting negatively about their work. (Even constructive criticism is still negative) Adding any personal comments to that will only salt the wound.
• Do not brown-nose the author. Sucking up should be saved for private communications. Doing it in public just makes you look like a kiss-ass. You can be positive without fawning over the author. Authors love positive feedback, but it reaches a point where it turns sickly-sweet. Avoid that at all costs.