Mod Post: Constructive Criticism
This post serves as our general "Rules Post" for giving and receiving concrit (constructive criticism/critique). If anyone has any questions or suggestions, feel free to chime in. This post will be edited from time to time as we expand and will be linked to the graphics in the side bar.
General Posting:
In case it isn't clear: Writers of all walks are welcome here as well as industry experts. If it has to do with writing and publishing, feel free to post. All posts are moderated. We'll filter out the spam. Found an interesting article, juicy bit of research, or a publishing house that accepts un-agented writers? We want to know it. We ask that you use your best judgement when posting. We even have a resources post for you to use or add to. If you have a post you only want to share with us and not the world-at-large, set it to members-only.
The Giving and Receiving of Constructive Criticism or ‘Concrit’
Giving constructive criticism is almost as difficult as churning out stories and can be just as daunting as writing on a schedule, if not more so. It’s not nearly as fun. There will be some stories that really need work. (Like mine. >_>;; heheh...*ahem*) Not everyone is a Twain or a Hemingway. While bad grammar and spelling can detract from an enjoyable story, so can sagging middles, a two-dimensional antagonist and poor planning.
So let’s break it down and make it fun experience for both the reader and the writer.
Giving Concrit
Your role as a ‘concritter’ or 'Ye Who Giveth Constructive Criticism/Critiques' is to let the author know how you felt about the story - what drew you in, what turned you off, what made you excited to read more, etc... You are the reader, simple as that. And who doesn’t like to read for fun?
For some grammar is an issue. For others the wording isn’t quite enough to meet your expectations. And then there are yet others with plots that fall apart under close scrutiny. We’re all here to improve our writing skills and get encouragement to finish our stories. Being a concritter does not mean we are critics. We don’t need our skin thickened. We need to finish before that can take place. ;)
Be tactful and respectful when delivering your criticism. Word your concrit carefully. No one is asking you to omit your feelings. Far from it, but ‘Freedom of Speech’ does not mean ‘mean-spirited mayhem.’ Your job is not to crush the ego of a budding writer, but to help him or her to bloom. So remember: It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.
If you need help with your wording, ask a friend or a mod prior to posting.
Tips:
1. Don’t make demands or try to persuade in your concrit. You’re here to tell them how you felt, not get them to write like you.
2. Phrases to avoid: “Always”, “You need to”, “You must”, “You can’t”, “Don’t”, etc.
3. Don't just say, ‘hey that was great.’ There is nothing constructive about that, and it wastes your time and the author’s. (We have an encouragement/support thread for that.)
4. Try to use up all the comment space. The longer the concrit, the more the author can improve.
5. Phrases to use: “I didn’t care for”, “Perhaps”, “I felt”, “I’m not sure, but”, “It didn’t work for me when”, “I liked it when”, etc.
There are still kinks to be worked out -- and adjustments will be made as necessary -- but our rules for giving out concrit are as follows:
Rules for Giving Concrit:
1. Concrit has to be well-intentioned and in-depth. Encouragement is okay, but as stated above, a simple 'hey, that looks good' doesn't help the author at all.
2. We want everyone to have a chance at giving and receiving concrit. You cannot post a request without first giving concrit yourself. You must give at least one concrit a week in order to post your own (since we’re just getting started, we’re letting this rule slide for first time requesters).
3. Be honest but be diplomatic with your wording. Mean-spirited posts are not tolerated.
4. Concrit is a community thing. We don’t do one-on-one critiques here. All concrit must be posted to the comments of the request post to receive concrit credit.
Requesting Concrit
We do not truly ever write alone, but not a lot of writers have the opportunity to receive feedback on their works. Here we’d like to give you the chance to network with other writers and receive the support you need to finish your writing.
There are still kinks to be worked out but the rules for posting concrit requests are as follows:
Rules for Concrit Requests:
1. Give to receive. We want everyone to have the opportunity to receive concrit. You must critique at least once a week in order to post your request. Depending on participants, we may adjust this count. (Since we’re just getting started, we’re letting this rule slide for first time requesters.)
2. Arbitrary requests aren’t allowed. You must sign up for a posting schedule.
3. Once you sign up for a posting schedule, you can only post one chapter per week for critique. Have more? That’s awesome! Let us know so we can give you encouragement too.
4. Because of trademark and copyright laws we do not allow fanfiction to be posted for concrit.
5. Set your requests to ‘Members-Only’ prior to posting. Concrit requests are for the community and not the world at large.
6. Weekdays only. Weekends are reserved for ‘catch up,’ and preparation for the next week. (This is something we're playing by ear to give us some sort of posting schedule. If it doesn't work, we'll change it.)
7. Use this format when posting:
Author’s Name:
Author’s LJ:
Genre:
Title:
Scene/Chapter:
Word Count
Story Synopsis:
Please make note of any triggers or warnings here:
(Format is not set in stone: I feel like my text box is missing something. Let me know if there's pertinent info I need to add to the box. Thanks.)
Receiving Concrit
You did it. You've posted your chapter for critique. Scary.
Relax. We all love you. We all want you to succeed. We all want you to finish.
If you receive concrit that you feel was mean-spirited, please contact a mod. (If you don't feel comfortable PM-ing us, use the dial-a-mod post). We don't expect everyone to auto-agree with everything everyone says ever, but mean-spirited posts are not tolerated here.
Questions? Suggestions?