How to Be a Good Critique Partner

Many writers have critique partners or belong to a critique group to help them improve their writing skills or to assist in preparing a manuscript for submission for publication. Read on for some tips on how to be a good critique partner.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer (if you're part of an online group)
• A place to meet (library, someone's home, bookstore)
• Copies of pages to be critiqued
• Pen or pencil

1. Be reliable. Whether you are critiquing with a group or partner online or meeting face to face, be sure you can make the commitment. If you can't, its better to withdraw from the group or relationship than to keep canceling and leaving your partner hanging.
2. Have a helpful attitude. Critiquing someone's work is an important responsibility. The goal is to help the writer improve his work, not tear him or his story apart. Be mindful that it takes courage to let someone else see your writing and treat the work and the author with respect.
3. Ask your partner what type of critique she is looking for. Some writers need a proofreader to find typos and other grammatical errors. Other writers need help with plot, characterization or story structure. Know the type of critique the author is looking for.
4. Accentuate the positive. Let the author know what he does well, along with the areas he needs to improve. A good rule of thumb is for every negative comment, state two positive ones.
5. Don't get annoyed if the writer doesn't take your advice. Critiques aren't set in stone and you can't force a writer to make the changes you recommend. Also, don't take the rejection of your advice personally. The author may just disagree with you on certain points, or might not be ready to accept that she needs improvement. Offer your best advice and then move on.

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