Novice writer: Would you critique my story? It's about a man who loses everything; his wife, his kids, his job. But he turns his life around after a meeting with a soothsayer.
Experienced writer: Sounds interesting. Is it finished?
Novice writer: Yep. Just wrote the last half of it this morning.
Experienced writer: You just finished it? Have you edited it?
Novice writer: I don't need to. It's fine. You'll see.
Does this exchange sound familiar to you? If you've been in critique groups for as long as I have, I'm sure it does. Personally, I don't get it. Why wouldn't you read over your work a multitude of times, sometimes out loud, and find places that need cutting, reworking, or more detail before having someone critique it? If you don't, you're wasting the critiquer's time and your own time. They'll point out problems you could have found on your own. The level of the critique won't be as deep because the prose won't be written well enough to flow.
So why would anyone give someone something to critique that they haven't edited themselves? I have a few reasons:
1) They were in a hurry and there was a deadline for the critique (They could solve the problem by rescheduling the deadline or apologizing for the fact the manuscript is not polished, advising the critiquer to ignore grammatical and spelling errors, and concentrate on the plot line instead).
2) They're cocky about their work (We all are to a certain extent, but some people seem to think their work would float on water indefinitely).
3) They don't know how to edit their own work (Let them know there are several great books on how to self-edit out there).
And last but not least:
4) They'd rather have you do their work for them (This, I'm afraid, is all too common).
Experienced writer: You need to go through your manuscript with a fine toothed comb before I can look at it. I'm sure it's very good, but I'd like to read it when it's the best you can make it.
Novice writer: What makes you think it's not the best now?
Experienced writer: How are you at playing the piano?
Novice writer: Huh? Uh...I can play "Chopsticks" on it.
Experienced writer: Would you be interested in playing a concerto for an audience tonight? My place?
Novice writer: (laughs) How could I? I haven't practiced for it.
Experienced writer: Think about your manuscript as playing "Chopsticks" for a discerning audience. Wouldn't you rather be able to play "Moonlight Serenade"?
Novice writer: (after a beat) How about you look at my work next month, after I've revised it?
Experienced writer: Perfect.
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Thanks Kim,
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was writing my first manuscript. I was terrified when I considered letting someone critique it. I couldn't imagine showing my work to anyone.
I knew my ego was too fragile at the time. If someone had said boo, I probably would have cried.
LOL
It took me awhile but now I'm able. I actually welcome the critiques (usually - sometimes I still want to stamp my feet). Critiques have helped me grow as a writer and given me GREAT IDEAS!
Thanks for the great post.
Great post, Kim. Yep, been there and seen a lot of that, LOL. Sometimes writers just don't get why it's important to polish before asking someone to take a look at their work--I call it common courtesy!
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