A Guide to Critiquing
 

Hello- this was suggested by Jupiter, and I think its a good idea, so here we go. :D

How to Critique a Written Piece of Work

Examples of unhelpful critiques: While it is nice to know that someone actually did read what you have written, when looking for criticism, more is needed for the author.

There are two pieces of a criticism: the good and the bad.
No piece is perfect, and no piece is completely bad. Some pieces do however need more work than others. There is always something to be said on a piece of work- it’s mostly a matter of if you notice it, and if you are willing to say it. The key is to word it so you get the point accross, and yet to not offend.

Please note: Each piece will have areas of commenting that apply and areas that don’t apply.

With that said: The bad
Some things to look for when critiquing the negative aspects:
~ Grammar
~ Spelling
~ Flow- How well a piece transitions, and generally fits together.
~ Consistency- different parts agree with each other
~ Development
~ Mechanics
~ Structure

The Good
When complimenting, and pointing out strong points go into detail. Pointing out what is specifically good can also point out to a writer what needs working on, and what is successful. Some subject that may be commented on:
~ Aspects of style/ technique
~ Proper setting of mood
~ Rhythm
~ Development
~ Anything listed under criticisms can also be looked at for compliments, but generally spelling and grammar aren’t complimented.

When critiquing a set of shorter writings (drabbles, poems, etc.)
I generally comment on each piece individually and if I notice a trend, comment on the set as a whole.
Subjects to specifically consider for a poem (for a drabble see story):
~ Rhyme
~ Rhythm
~ Mood
~ Atmosphere
~ Meter
~ Flow
~ Relatability


When critiquing a story
Here there is a plot and characters that need constant supervision. ( Just kidding- kind of.)
These are pieces that are read mostly for enjoyment, but can have meaning to them. As a result they can either be easy or hard to get critiqued. If it is on a subject not many are familiar, or fond of, there may be few willing to read the piece, but these are no less deserving of constructive criticisms.
Things to specifically consider for a story:
~ Plot (flow, development, depth, sensibility)
~ Character (depth, understanding, consistency, interaction, development)
~ Use of humor
~ Mood
~ Atmosphere


When critiquing an academic paper
Grammar and spelling are the first two obvious things to look for. But following a logical thought process through out the paper is important as well. Knowledge of the author is required to assess the level at which you should be criticizing their work. Generally one writing such a paper is looking for both those knowledgeable on the subject, and those who are not to assess the paper. A reader who is knowledgeable on the subject will be able to point out errors. A reader who as of yet has no knowledge on the subject will be able to assess how easy it is to understand the paper.
Things to look for specifically for academic papers (bearing in mind the author and intended audience.)
~ Thesis statement (Topic sentence)
~ Valid support of argument
~ Logical progression leading up to proving the point
~ Repetition of thesis at the end
~ Conclusion
~ Arguments (a strong argument will acknowlage the counter arguments, and negate them logically)
~ Formality/ Use of “I” or “You” (here we have something for authors starting in older high school- avoid using I or You- it makes it too personal, and therefore less objective. To be formal replace “You” with “One”.) The over use of “That” can also be considered informal along with contractions- though both are arguable and mainly depend on the preference of the teacher/ instructor/ professor.

[reserved] I might need this space later.
Please, if you can think of anything I have not mentioned with reference to constructive critism, please post~ any feedback would be great!
*blink* when did this get stickied?

Thanks for the guide!

:D thank you for doing this- some times it is very frustrating to get a "nice" or even "good job" ^_^ they're nice to get, but ultimately unhelpful- as you say. The critiques I get are usually a simple smiley >.< hopefully this will help!! Thanks again!

:shock: People read this! <3<3<3
Thank you!

this is really helpful. Thank you!

I read it!! XDD

XD Thank you for reading ^.^

A good thing to do when you have a comment is this:

State something you like about the piece. State something you don't like or needs fixing. State something you like (different than the first statement.)

I think it's more of a positive outlook that way and then you're not grilling the person.

I would maybe say something about being able to write the correct crit for the correct writer.

For example, by reading a piece you can mostly guess if the writer is very new - and thus very sensitive - or has been writing for a while - and thus probably has tougher skin. With newer or at the very least younger writers you always want to make sure that you don't load them down with negative crits. You want to boost their confidence while helping them fix maybe one or two things at a time. After all, what's the rush for them to fix it all at once? Being a very positive, uplifting critique-er is important when new writers are taking those first few steps.

However, with those that have been writing and getting crits for a while, you can be a bit more blunt with what you say. I never condone mean crits, there's never any reason to be harsh or angry simply because the author made some mistakes that YOU find simple, but you can pile on the list more without sugar coating it. Being polite is valuable, but being real is also. :)

Also, I like to make sure I know what the author is looking for. You can ask them if they want you to be more blunt or if there are only specific things they want you to comment on.

Hope you can add this information in! :)

Oh, wow. This is one of the most helpful threads I've ever read. :3
Thanks so much for making it. It would have never crossed my mind that a guide might be needed, even with the amount of rude and/or pointless comments on literary works that I've seen. A very good idea!