How to Get (and Give) Better Writing Critique
6 questions to guide & improve feedback
Getting feedback is the lifeblood of a writer. It’s the only way to find out if the story/poem/essay in our head has fully made it to the page for a reader. I might even go so far as to say that our writing is only as good as the critique we get on it from others. However, the quality of the critiques we receive in different settings like workshops, classes, and writing groups can vary greatly. While it’s easy for most people to share what they like about a piece, it’s often a lot harder for them to identify what’s not working and why.
When I launched my “Polish Your Prose for Publication” class for The Writers Studio earlier this year, I knew I wanted to put some structure around how we would critique. My goal was two-fold: to target the key issues I often see in submissions that prevent pieces from being accepted, and to help ensure the quality of the critique being given, regardless of the students’ experience with giving feedback.
These are the 6 questions I ultimately chose to guide our critiques and why.
What was your favorite thing about the piece?
It’s always good to start with a positive. The writer, who may be feeling nervous or vulnerable about sharing their work, gets to hear what’s working well first. In addition, the writers giving feedback get to warm up with an easier question. Having readers point out specific lines or scenes they loved and why can be really helpful.
Where did the piece first hook your attention as a reader?
Asking your readers to point out the specific sentence or paragraph that first captured their interest can give you a lot of insight into how well your beginning is working. If you’re not hooking their attention until page 2 or later, you may want to consider starting closer to the action.
Were there any places where you got confused?
One of the common reasons I turn down submissions is I’m confused about what is actually happening in the piece. This happens when there are gaps between what the writer thinks is on the page and what is actually on the page. Asking readers to point out places where they get confused helps highlight spots that need clarity so you don’t lose the reader.
Were there any places where you lost interest?
This question can reveal a lot about how pacing and tension are working in your piece. Are you leaving an exciting scene to switch into a yawn-worthy backstory? Are you summarizing an interaction instead of putting it in-scene? Are you lingering too long on something the reader doesn’t really care about? Identifying these places can help you tighten up your piece so it holds the attention of the reader from start to finish.
How did the ending feel for you?
Your ending will make or break whether your piece is accepted for publication. The best endings evoke an emotion in the reader and need to feel earned and aligned, but also unexpected. Asking readers to weigh in on if the ending landed for them can give you insight into whether you’ve found your true ending or not. You may also find that a stronger ending is actually a few sentences or paragraphs earlier in the piece.
What one thing should the writer focus on in their next draft to make the piece stronger?
One of the challenges of receiving feedback is we usually get a flood of it all at once, and sometimes it’s conflicting. Asking readers to share the key thing to focus on in your next draft can help the most important pieces of feedback rise to the top. Remember, in a rewrite, your goal isn’t to fix every single thing you received a comment on — it’s to dedicate your energy toward addressing the areas that are going to advance your next draft the most.
I’ve taught the “Polish Your Prose for Publication” course twice so far this year, and I must say, I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the feedback my students have given, and they have told me they feel the same. Feel free to give these questions a try for yourself and let me know how it goes!
👋 Hi there, and thanks for reading! I’m Janelle Drumwright, a writer, teacher at The Writers Studio, instructor at Chill Subs, and reader at The Masters Review. I help writers strengthen their work and teach them how to submit to literary journals. Find me at janellewrites.com.