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Picture Credits:
THE FIVE-MINUTE EDITOR
CRITIQUE GUIDELINES
What to watch for as you read or write fiction
By Nan Jacobs © 12/4/2001
I have lists for everything. Writing is no exception. If only I could =find= those lists in the clutter. Nonetheless, I did find one which others might find helpful in the self-editing process or when critiquing another's work. Just some little things we often overlook in our quest for immortality through profundity.
CHARACTERS:
· Are they believable? Do their goals and motivations mesh, and has the writer made them clear? "Clear" doesn't mean you have to be hit over the head with the information--it just means that when a character does something, you don't question it. Somewhere the author has made you understand, either consciously or subconsciously, that the character could and would make a certain decision under certain circumstances.
· Are they sympathetic? Even a villain can be sympathetic if you understand (not necessarily agree with) his motivation.
· DO YOU CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM?
· Is there character growth (no no no, not height and girth!)?
SETTING:
· Do you smell, hear, see, feel, taste (is that five? I lost count) what the character does? It may seem minor, but subtle scene setting can bump a story to another level. Remember, "show" don't "tell".
Telling: "It was a dark and stormy night and she really, really had to =go=."
Or, "showing": "Howling wind slapped her hair across her face as she slogged determinedly through the mud toward the outhouse, only a shadow--too far away, dammit!-- in the night." (yeah yeah, it's a bad example but you get the picture)
CONFLICT/STORY PROBLEM:
· Is it compelling?
· Does it seem insurmountable?
· Does it make sense in the scheme of the story?
· CAN YOU IDENTIFY IT?
· Is it solved in a way that makes sense; does the character solve it himself (good) or has the writer relied on plot devices to solve the problem =for= the character (not usually good--no character growth)?
DIALOGUE:
· Does it sound natural?
· Is it clear who's speaking?
· Does each character have his or her unique voice?
· Are speech tags "invisible" and used only when necessary? "Said", boring though you may think it, virtually disappears from the page.
· Are speech tags used properly? Ex:
Not: "How silly," she laughed.
But: "How silly." She laughed.
Or, " "How silly," she said, and laughed.
PACING:
· Does the pace fit the action? A tender love scene calls for longer, more flowing sentences. A chase scene calls for shorter, choppier sentences.
· Is there a balance of dialogue and narrative, action and introspection?
TECHNICALITIES:
· Yes, good English =is= important. Spelling, grammar, punctuation. =Misteaks= are okay, we all make 'em and a copy =ediot= should be able to fix 'em but the truth is, the author should at least weed out the worst of 'em. So... when critiquing/editing, ask yourself, is the technical execution(!)acceptable or distracting?
Oops, five minutes are up! Now you must go forth and be ruthless.
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