tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post4057686843362114215..comments2023-11-19T05:18:18.363-05:00Comments on Emily White: It's Okay to Ignore Those Critiques. No, Really.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-40529650188356472082013-01-08T13:19:28.115-05:002013-01-08T13:19:28.115-05:00Remember our days in the Writers Digest forums? I...Remember our days in the Writers Digest forums? I did actually get some useful critiques from there, and met some fabulous people (present company included). :)<br /><br />But you're right about the bulk of what you receive!DL Hammonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007260062331783715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-78759128821909077852013-01-07T13:33:12.972-05:002013-01-07T13:33:12.972-05:00One of the best bits of advice I got from my crit ...One of the best bits of advice I got from my crit group over the years was, "Take our critiques to heart, but never take them personally." Balance that with giving yourself permission to ignore at least a third of the comments, and you'll find those helpful nuggets that make critting worth it.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10680066584646789184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-87767403138447441912013-01-05T15:47:00.650-05:002013-01-05T15:47:00.650-05:00I have never used one of these... I guess I won...I have never used one of these... I guess I won't try to now. Haha.Kelley Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06373650788799372118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-84875404812170035572013-01-05T14:38:23.809-05:002013-01-05T14:38:23.809-05:00Now that's the obvious stuff I was talking abo...Now that's the obvious stuff I was talking about. Too many repeated words and such. That is easy to see right off the bat and anyone can be able to point it out. And differences in writing styles? That's okay, so long as all parties understand that it IS okay and wonderful and should be encouraged.<br /><br />This stuff is helpful and a very wonderful way to approach critiques in the setting that I talked about in the post. In fact, this is exactly how I've approached my own critiquing in temporary forums. People still love getting feedback and it's honestly helpful.<br /><br />The only unhelpful stuff comes about from seeing different styles, etc. and trying to change that to fit a "norm." Can you still give this type of critique? Sure! But the writers getting that feedback shouldn't feel discouraged or immediately go about changing the way they write.Emily Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478461123707071108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-58793359154382866872013-01-05T13:05:38.842-05:002013-01-05T13:05:38.842-05:00I just critiqued something for someone for the fir...I just critiqued something for someone for the first time. It was just a short preface, under three hundred words. I mostly just pointed out that she had the habit of using the same words several times in the same paragraph and maybe it would help to look in a thesaurus. (Which she agreed with.)<br /><br />Her writing style wasn’t the same as mine at all, but I realized that from the start and made sure that any ‘problems’ I found, weren’t because of the differences in our style, and that nothing I told her would change her style at all. <br /><br />Do you consider something like that to be more harmful than good? I personally would find it pretty helpful… Thanks!<br /><br />~AidylAidyl Ewohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193031689876630475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-36533556878818199642013-01-04T14:13:25.136-05:002013-01-04T14:13:25.136-05:00Ah, yes. I have been there. Once, I had a beta who...Ah, yes. I have been there. Once, I had a beta who sent back my first chapter entirely rewritten. I think maybe twenty of my original words were still there. She thought my MC wasn't spunky enough (the first chapter is very dark and intense and no, my MC isn't spunky anyway), so she rewrote the whole thing how she thought I should do it.<br /><br />The best thing to do in those situations is just calmly inform your critique partner that you think you and he/she probably should go your separate ways. People have different ideas of doing things and that's okay, but you definitely want your critique partners to "get" you and what you're doing. They can't help you otherwise. And thankfully, I've now learned to always go through a trial run with a potential critique partner (we each send the first chapter to each other to see if our styles mesh) before any permanent commitments are made.<br /><br />And yay! Thank you for sharing. :DEmily Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478461123707071108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-91237049672062902502013-01-04T14:07:03.338-05:002013-01-04T14:07:03.338-05:00That's why small critique groups full of trust...That's why small critique groups full of trusted writerly friends is the best way to go. 1. You're more likely to hear what they have to say and 2. If you're far enough along in your writing career that you realize you need a critique group (why yes, young and immature writer Emily used to think I was soooooo far beyond that), you usually know what is good advice and what is not (and you're more willing to enter into a dialogue with the critiquer rather than getting insecure and just doing what a pack of people say).Emily Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478461123707071108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-23707525056885618622013-01-04T14:03:55.540-05:002013-01-04T14:03:55.540-05:00And you know what? I think the problem is they don...And you know what? I think the problem is they don't really work for ANYBODY. I belonged to a permanent forum at Writer's Digest a few years ago and I noticed that as time went on, all the stuff we were critiquing for each other started looking the same. There were a couple people who, just like most social situations, started standing out from the crowd and becoming "leaders" for lack of a better term. Once they said something, everyone would wholeheartedly agree, no matter what it was. Eventually, you couldn't tell one writing style apart from another. Small critique groups filled with people we trust and who value differences are what we should be looking for.<br /><br />And by the way, YES! When someone I don't even know comes on and starts schooling me on things, my defenses go RIGHT up. And you should see me when I'm angry. I'm like a rabid squirrel, baby! LOL!Emily Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478461123707071108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-86202930658263368112013-01-04T14:02:55.710-05:002013-01-04T14:02:55.710-05:00Oh, don't even get me started on the harsh cri...Oh, don't even get me started on the harsh critiques! One of these days I'm going to open up my can of whoop-ass for all of them to see.<br /><br />Harsh critiques done on friends, though. I'd never publicly display my anger in defense of myself. That's for my husband to see. :PEmily Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478461123707071108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-15853831037697524552013-01-04T13:06:20.416-05:002013-01-04T13:06:20.416-05:00Terrific advice! Definitely sharing this blog post...Terrific advice! Definitely sharing this blog post. I just got my manuscript back form Betas and realized that maybe I didn't choose some of the best. One person was annoyed that the Main character didn't end up with the right guy. The sad thing is, it was never a love triangle. The second guy was strictly a friend. <br /><br />The point is, they clearly didn't understand. And they didn't like it because that isn't how they would have done it. <br /><br />Thank you for the awesome post! <br /><br />Konstanz Silverbow<br />nothoughts2small.blogspot.comKonstanz Silverbowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06694326540031407757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-34155263004780319462013-01-04T12:49:46.439-05:002013-01-04T12:49:46.439-05:00Excellent advice Emily! The trick is to know what ...Excellent advice Emily! The trick is to know what to pay attention to and what not to pay attention to. Your writing should be YOUR writing. These critiques can be devastating to some authors while they can also be very helpful to others. I've found if you ask them to critique specific things it seems to be more helpful. For example, I always ask them to look for grammatical errors and holes in the story line. If it is someone I trust I seek their advice on other things such as "Would my character say it like this or like that?"Lisa Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08537582027082671439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-3848714767450386102013-01-04T11:35:49.604-05:002013-01-04T11:35:49.604-05:00Yep! I learned this a few years ago, that critique...Yep! I learned this a few years ago, that critique forums or groups like that DO NOT work for me. If i don' even casually "know" the person giving me a critique, it gets my defenses up like cray cray. CRAY CRAY i say!Sarah Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02795455714801965956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250095548371624935.post-17265993553433693922013-01-04T11:06:53.445-05:002013-01-04T11:06:53.445-05:00Amen! And it's always harder to ignore the har...Amen! And it's always harder to ignore the harsh critiques. It's like they have the potency of skunk and it lingers in your head for days. Best to avoid it ;)Cassie Maehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17706774393186819619noreply@blogger.com