Getting the Most Out of Your Critique

Posted on by Kyra Nelson

Let me tell you a secret.

I don’t like it when people edit my work. I groan inwardly whenever I see a lengthy list of suggestions from a critique partner. Sometimes I may even groan outwardly.

It’s not that I take critiques personally. I don’t want people to tell me my writing is perfect for the sake of my ego. I want people to tell me writing is perfect because doing revisions is a lot of work and when I type “the end” I’m ready to be done and move on to something else.

But since the revision process is essential to good writing, I’ve come up with a list of strategies for getting the most out of your critique.

  1. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t let a critique make you think you’re a bad writer. And for sure don’t let it make you think you’re a bad person. It’s very normal for beginning (and even experienced) writers to get discouraged. But just don’t let it. Remember that even the best writers have to revise. It’s just part of the process and doesn’t reflect on you.
  2. Take some time. I almost always need to take some time to let the critique sink in. During that time I’ll work on other things. It allows me to be more objective when I return to the revisions at a later time.
  3. Look at revisions as a challenge. Think of revisions like a puzzle you’re trying to solve. Treat it like a game. Doing so will make you more eager to solve the problems. Furthermore, revising with this attitude will make it more likely that you’ll look for really thorough solutions rather than just a patch for problem areas. It leads to more thorough revisions.
  4. Brainstorm. Get out a pen and paper and jot down some ideas. Or bounce ideas off your friends. You’d be amazed at the power talking out loud has to generate new ideas.
  5. Try writing in a new environment. This can be something as small as changing the font or printing the manuscript off rather than reading it on a screen. At any rate, try something new. This especially helpful the longer you’ve been working with the manuscript. It helps keep your eyes from glazing over the words you’ve read too many times.
  6. Realize that some things get easier. I don’t really believe that writing ever becomes easy. But some aspects of writing do become more natural. I’ve struggled a lot with dialogue tags. But the more it’s been pointed out to me, the more aware of it I’ve gotten during first drafts. While I’m still learning, this is one area where the skills have become a little more natural.
  7. Practice. The more you do revisions, the less daunting they become. You’ll get better at working your way through problems. So, like everything in life, you’ve got to practice.

I’ll finish by saying that while revisions are a lot of work, they are also totally manageable. Whatever it is, you can fix it and your manuscript will be that much better for it.

This is four of the drafts from my undergraduate thesis. The project probably underwent 15 extensive revisions before being ready to defend.
This is four of the drafts from my undergraduate thesis. The project probably underwent 15 extensive revisions before being ready to defend.

Sometimes Less is More

Posted on by Kyra Nelson

shorter

As an undergrad, I was a teaching assistant for a writing class designed for computer science majors. While some of the students were very good writers, many hated writing and really struggled with the class. Most of the assignments were short—one paragraph of ten typed lines—and we deducted points if the assignment was too long.

One student in particular complained when he lost points for writing something twice as long as the assignment required. He argued that he had done more than the required amount of work and should be rewarded. What he didn’t understand was that when it comes to writing, longer isn’t always better, and shorter is often harder.

It’s not hard to see where the longer-is-better mindset comes from. Most class assignments have minimum page requirements, not maximum page requirements. But some of the hardest writing you’ll ever do will be making something long shorter. You’ll need to fit the synopsis for your entire book into a query letter. You’ll have to convince the school of your dreams that you’re a great applicant in a one-page statement of purpose. You’ll have to squeeze your hilarious story into a 140 character tweet. Short is hard!

Writing something long forces you to use a lot of words, but writing something short forces you to use them economically. That’s what makes it difficult. In shorter pieces, each word needs to be working for its keep, and you need to be judicious in knowing which words are doing the work most effectively.

The good news is that learning to write under tight length constraints will improve your longer works too. You’ll learn to choose words that get a lot of bang for their buck, and that will make you a better writer.

Kyra Nelson

Posted on by Kyra Nelson

snow profile

Two weeks into my college career, I ventured into the counseling office to see if they had any ideas on how to make an English degree marketable. As I was waiting for my appointment, I flipped through a brochure on the coffee table and stumbled upon the editing minor. There may or may not have been a chorus of angels at that moment. At any rate, I knew that I wanted to study editing. When the counselor said he was ready to see me, I proudly announced that I no longer needed his services because I’d already crafted a life plan.

As I began my studies, I became absolutely immersed in the world of publishing. I began attending every author event I could get to. I took editing positions with two of BYU’s academic journals. I read every chance I got. I became a teaching assistant for a publishing industry course and started an internship at A+B Works literary agency. I studied abroad in the British Isles. Okay, that didn’t have much to do with editing, but I did love it.

I’ve also developed a strong interest in writing. While I read a bit of everything, my writing prowess is mainly in teen fiction. I wrote an undergraduate thesis discussing the values of adolescent literature, and will rant on the subject if ever permitted. I’d rather write a murder scene than a kissing scene.

The random stuff about me:

I’m a compulsive thing-doer. I like to be busy, whether it’s reading, writing, watching sports, playing violin, baking cookies, traveling, decorating cakes, or just goofing off with friends. I’m a super hero aficionado and champion of 50s rock and roll. I can read Fox in Socks with exceptional skill. I love adventure, even if it’s a small adventure like roasting Starbursts over the open flame of my stovetop.