Feedback Sandwich, Critiquing

I was going to blog about something else today - a writing tip about conflict probably, but came across a disturbing post from a fellow Romantic Friday Writer.
She had been given rather bad, negative feedback on her Friday piece.

So, i'm going to talk about critiquing.

My husband is a newly appointed manager and has been doing lots of reading about how to be a good manager. He told me about a 'feedback sandwich', something that i have since read from Nathan Bransford's blog and also from my fellow RFW.

Our writing is rather personal. We spend a lot of time working at it, getting the feelings right, the characters, the conflict, the descriptions, and if you're like me, work painstakingly hard on perfecting dialogue!
We value feedback from fellow writers and readers. This helps us grow as a writer. IF the feedback doesn't completely destroy our confidence and make us feel like we obviously shouldn't be writing!

So the sandwich.
We all want to hear about the things we haven't done right, but isn't it wonderful to be acknowledged for something we have done well at?!
So, start with a positive. It could be something simple like, i really enjoyed the imagery you have evoked through the heroine's tears. Or, your writing voice makes me smile!

Then some POSITIVE advice. An example from one of the comments from my New Voices piece:
i think your writing is strong, and there's lots of potential in this story. but i wanted a little more context (about where they are/why they are there, besides a weekly date). i wanted a little more backstory, but just enough to prick my attention. you also change POV from him to her in the middle, which can be done successfully (yours is pretty close), but it demands more from the reader. nora roberts does it, but new writers (me included) don't have as much leeway with editors. keep writing. you obviously have skill, and your characters are passionate. i'd read more!


Then end with another positive.


As the above example shows (and i am aware that it may not be the best example!), they have started with something positive: my writing is strong. Then some advice: my POV change may have been a bit jarring but i'm close! And final positive: my characters are passionate.
I am left feeling good about my writing, what one person things i have achieved but may need to work on something else, followed by another positive. It's not as bad as it could have been! 
(And it is always important to remember that you can never please everyone. What one person likes another dislikes, so too for publishers. It is for your consideration only.)


How do you critique other writers? Do you have advice to add?

To critique or not critique...

I've sent Billie and Cooper's story to my writing friend for feedback and she has been picking it apart. Line by line she is telling me where, as a reader she is lost, confused or if something just doesn't work.
Is it helping? Um, yes!

The way she has done it, with constructive feedback and even with examples of rewording, she is showing me where my weaknesses are and how i need to strengthen my story.
Mostly, it has to do with my characters. At the end of chapter 3 she has said there is nothing to make her love either character. Like, yes, but love with the driving need to keeping reading. No.

And that is the point. Every story needs to have compelling characters, something about them that makes you the reader relate or want to root for them.

So, after a bit of a sulk, i've gone back to the beginning and picked apart my characters and the story to make them stronger.

The best part? By helping me she has told me it has made her more aware of her own writing. She is learning from helping.
I found that critiquing Nicole's story that it made me think more about mine, the structure, characters, conflict, even the choice of words about my own writing.
Critiquing teaches you so much about yourself, both as a reader and a writer.

The challenge for the writer is to take the feedback, either made by someone else or by themselves while giving feedback on other writers work, and make their writing better for it!

So, this post could really be a writing tip. Take the time to critique someone else's writing - preferrably in the same genre that you write, but that isn't essential. It will help you become a better writer.

Critiquers/ Editors wanted!

I have decided to post my story - The Price of Passion (see WIP's page) - on Amazon.
But, i need to get a few critiques and/or edits to make it sharper and less generic.
Is there anyone out there willing to do this for me?

It's 50,000 originally aimed at mills and boon. So it's a very internal conflict driven story, with hardly any plot. I like it, but it does need some work.

Let me know and once it's up on Amazon i will give critiquers/editors a free copy of the final work!

Send me an email and i'll wing the WIP your way for your much needed help!
Cheers

Impromptu Critique

I sent my WIP to my good friend at Damsel in a Dirty Dress for an impromptu critique last week and i must say it is a fantastic shake up to the moral and a firing of the writing cylinders!
I wasn't going to read through it, was going to wait until i'd finished the story, but at the rate i've been going i didn't know how long that was going to take! And i was curious...

I've been plodding along writing maybe one afternoon a week, between doing housework and things for the kids and helping out at kindy and i think putting it off - why? I'm enjoying this story but i guess i was getting to that point where i was thinking that it wasn't any good you know?

But this critique has been honest and pointed out things i hadn't seen, asked questions i hadn't thought of and well, shaken me up! No more putting it off.

It is worth writing, and i am going to write more often. My daughter is turning 3 in a few weeks and will be at kindy 5 afternoons a week which will give me more free time to do it, i'm just too tired in the evenings and know i don't do it even if i mean to in the evenings! So the afternoons is going to be the time for me! No more putting it off!

New goal: 1st Draft will be completed by end of October! I don't see why i can't do that seeing as i am 60% percent there, so this is actually a doable goal. And i have made it October just in case daughter doesn't get in to kindy until end of September.
So fingers, be prepared for more tapping!

544

That is the number of entries in the Harlequin competition this year!
544! Talk about competition. This would be the biggest competition i have ever entered.
By far the most nerve racking competition i've ever entered and i'm not even in my togs standing on the diving board exposed in front of a crowd ;).
I only hope i have made some impression and get even a small feedback. Over on the i heart presents website they have said they won't be able to give feedback to all entrants and i don't blame them, but how i wish to make a small impression and be one to get a gem of recognition.
I guess that is any writer's dream.
Also. My friend has sent me an email with her critique feedback of my competition submission and i am really hesitant to open it. I do and don't want to read it. I desperately want to know where i need to better my writing and want to know what i have done well. Just opening it though is the hard part. I will wait a few days. Wait for it to shout at me and break down my wall of nerves. My first real direct feedback. Scary.

Critique Partners

Just where do you find them? How valuable can they be to your writing and do you really need them? And how do you be one yourself?
These are just some of the questions i have asked myself since writing.
Critique partners are everywhere. They are your friends and family - even the ones who don't say anything more than "i like it can i read more?".
The most valuable ones are those who question your writing and come up with points of view on how to make it better or discuss possible slants that you hadn't thought of.
For example, in my competition entry my heroine discovers she is pregnant, and she doesn't know anything about babies. Yet i have her wondering about things like breastfeeding, discipline, sleepless nights etc and my friend pointed out that if she doesnt know anything about babies would she know about things like that? wouldn't she be more concerned about things like her figure? future sex life?
Then i had a thought, as this friend was giving me such great feedback how was i to give it back. She is a budding author herself, but i am not as good as she at giving feedback. I'm more looking at rearranging sentences and finding better words to describe things, rather than asking probing questions to get to the heart of the matter. But i guess that will come with time and experience. We can grow together and so will our writing.
Being honest and open with each other is the key. Our heart and soul is in our writing but our writing is not set in stone and it is always able to be improved. Another point of view and set of eyes can help.
Critique partners make us better writers. Possibly even better readers.

Manuscript Critique

The most wanted feedback on my novel just came in. It is a thousand times different from the feedback i got from family and friends. Family and friends are generally not writers and don't know all the writers stuff that a professional writer does but their feedback is still invaluable. From how they select a book - is the synopsis compelling enough? - whether the first page, or first paragraph confirms they just have to read on! and down to whether or not they couldn't put it down. I was lucky enough to have everyone say they couldn't put it down.

Cool. So, i can tell a story well.

That's what my critique said too. There is invaluable information in the critique as to whether or not the story worked in the genre i was aiming for - romance. Apparently i am on the cusp of fantasy and romance so, cool, i need to tweak this and perhaps consider making my novel in the real world. Which means research into possible eras for it to fit as i cannot see my characters in cars and apartments. But that's okay i can do that. The critique also gave an insight on point of view problems. Making the reader nauseous (though none of my readers said this happened) by head hopping is not good and i will definately look into this further, considering it is an apparent flag to amatuerism!

I recommend all writer's new and experienced definately invest in a manuscript critique - it's not an edit. It's an overview of what works and what needs work for it be successful, and considered for publication. Then it would be edited. I would suggest contacting Rob Parnell from The Easy Way To Write, he is wonderful and honest. thanks Rob!