Etiquettes in Giving Critiques by TINA V (audio ebook reader .TXT) 📖

Copyright ©2011 by Tina V


All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, used or transmitted in any forms or manner, electronic, graphic, recording, or mechanical such as printing, photocopying, or stored in any systems, except for brief quotations for personal use, without prior written permission from the author.


The content of this e-book was written to serve as guidelines for Bookrix members in writing reviews and comments. A research was made if some reference materials included in this book required permission to be quoted. If there has been an error, I apologize and corrections will be immediately made.


Writing doesn’t only pertain to finishing, publishing or marketing our articles and books. It does not only refer to good grammar and style. Creative writing goes beyond that; somehow, writing comments, giving feedbacks or making reviews are part of it.

It is easier to write and read positive comments; however, it is more sensitive to receive and accept weaknesses. Most often, we also avoid telling somebody of his mistakes for fear of conflict. There are times we are tactless when voicing out something, even if there is truth to it. We become unsympathetic to the feelings of others.

But why do we need to give critiques or criticisms to others? I think we need to step back a little bit, reflect and understand our purpose for writing our comments and giving feedback. There are seven possible reasons why we criticize others, which are as follows:

(1) to help someone improve their work

– The writer gives constructive feedback to help improve the material and the style of writing without expecting anything in return.

(2) to impart new knowledge for further consideration

– The writer shares new ideas not included in the material, but it is still related to the topic.

(3) to see changes in the material’s viewpoint

– The writer shares his personal opinion that may post some questions to consider, which may needs attention.

(4) to give critiques to others so that they also will do the same to our work

– This is the “I read your story; you read mine”

principle.

(5) to boost our self-esteem

– This is “I’m okay, you’re not okay”

theory.

(6) to express our anger or frustration on certain topics

– The material becomes the writer’s voice to convey disappointments. This is the “Here’s my chance”

technique.

(7) to retaliate on somebody we don’t like

- This is the “If you think I’m not okay, then you’re not okay too”

notion.

The first three reasons are more helpful, the fourth one has a question on the sincerity of the feedback; whereas, the last three are quite unfavorable.

Inasmuch as we don’t have any existing guidelines or rules in writing our comments, this might be useful to help us in giving constructive feedback to each other. Yes, we are all entitled to our own opinion. But this will remind us that negative criticism can be helpful if it is presented in a cautious, respectful and constructive manner. The Do’s and Don’ts listed below will fit to the first three favorable and helpful reasons. It is encourage that we stay away from the last four purposes in giving critiques.

I’m studying a book written by Wendy Burt-Thomas about Creative Writing (1). I want to share with you what she wrote about giving critiques –

“When it’s your turn to critique another member’s writing, put yourself in her shoes. Criticize the work, not the writer. Give your full attention to the material. . . And keep in mind that your role is to help improve the material. . . And try to offer suggestions for improvement when you find flaws.”

Below is a list of do’s and don’ts that we need to consider in writing comments, reviews or feedback to our fellow writers –

DO’s

1. Think first before you speak or write.

Rationalize your purpose for giving critiques or feedback.

2. Focus on the topic or story concept

, presentation of thoughts and style of writing, design layout, or even just the general overview of the material.

3. Jot down important notes

that will help you express your thoughts. This will guide you in expressing your opinion or views. Keep it simple, clear and relevant to the material.

4. Communicate undesirable criticism as gently as possible

by citing something positive and then the negative aspects. Point out both the strengths and weaknesses of the material. For instance you may say, “You have a good story concept, but I suggest you need to be careful with your punctuations and tenses.”

In this way, you will be able to relay your message without offending the writer.

5. If you think that you cannot hold on to your negative thoughts or you have a long list of corrections, you can still send a message through e-mail to convey your opinion but keeping it private.

You will definitely help the person concerned; besides, you’ll never know if your fellow writer will help you in the future.

Remember, too specific details of the mistakes might be too sensitive for public viewing. Be sympathetic and let the person save his face.

6. Offer useful information

and suggestions that will help improve the writer’s material. The main purpose is to give a constructive feedback and objective review.

7. If e-mail doesn’t work in other websites , they may rate the story or essay as “voted up or down.” Perhaps, this is one feature that Bookrix might also want to consider in the future.

8. If you have nothing good to say, then SHUT UP! Less words, less mistakes, less dilemma. . .

Thoughts to Ponder on – “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, his lips promotes instruction.” (2)

DON’Ts

1. Do not comment

anything about the writer’s age, race, religion, gender, or anything that may discriminate somebody from the group.

It has less relevance to the material you’re reading. Age may be stated for positive comments, but avoid mentioning it for citing the negative areas of the writer.

2. Do not focus on the negative side

, but also try to see the positive aspects. In every article or story we read it has something good and something bad to offer to its readers.

3. Do not embarrass the writer

by writing harsh words or insulting remarks. Harsh words can leave a scar in one’s heart. It will not help improve the material or the writer.

Being frank doesn’t give us the authority to say anything we want, in any manner we want and whenever we want. It doesn’t give us the right to be rude. We can still be honest, but “speak the truth in love.” (4)

4. Do not post a long list of mistakes

or errors in the comment box. It will only embarrass the writer. If you really want to help, then send him a private message. I assure you that that member will surely appreciate your effort.

5. Do not accuse somebody if you don’t have any proof.

For instance, never say to another writer that he’s guilty of plagiarism if you cannot prove that he is indeed committing such act based on his materials. But if you have the evidence, then report it.

6. Do not compare a writer to another writer.

Remember, every person is unique. We will all learn and grow at our own pace – sometimes it may be slow or sometimes it may be fast. But growth is possible to all who strives to achieve it.

7. Do not always think you are better than the other writer.

As Morgan Freeman said in a TV interview, “If you think you are good, then most likely, you aren’t.”

8. If you don’t like the topic, then don’t bother to continue reading the material. The few lines of an essay and outline of a book will give you an idea of what to expect from the writer and his story. At least, it will offer you some hint. So do not write any comment.

Thoughts to Ponder on - “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (3)

These instructions do not encourage superficiality with your critiques, but rather to promote courtesy, cooperation and support for each other as one community of writers.

For those who are being given the critique, be open-minded to criticisms and learn from it. Let us be reminded of the golden rule – “Don’t do unto others what we don’t want others to do unto us.”

Just to mention what Becky (a.k.a. becky12345) said, “A good critique should help you improve, not make you feel like an idiot.”

Likewise, Barry (a.k.a. barryj1.write) shared an important lesson to us, “How important it is to be supportive at the same time that we offer constructive remarks/ feedbacks.”

Remember, the manner you write your comments, reviews or critique will show your personality. If you think it’s fun to put down other people, I bet you it’s not; it just shows the level of your professionalism or insecurity as a writer.

Our comments, and even our interaction in the forum, will reflect what type of writers we have in this website. Eventually, it will create the Community Image of Bookrix.

So before you post any comments be sure to ask yourself, “How will my comments affect the writer? What can I say or do to help improve the material? Or what can I say or do to help resolve any conflict in the forum?”

Please feel free to add and share your thoughts, too. I’m sure we can learn from each other’s ideas, opinion or even from our mistakes. This instructional material can help us prevent conflict, improve this website and write better as professionals.

APPENDIX 1
Good Examples of Giving Critiques
(For Both Positive and Negative Aspects)

I randomly selected some comments written by Bookrix members, which can be considered as good examples of giving critiques. The writers were able to show both the strength and weaknesses of the material without being offensive. If your name is listed, and you want it to be deleted, kindly send me an e-mail so that I can make the necessary changes.


ayelet (http://www.bookrix.com/-ayelet)

Agree with the above - there were some spots where I also had to read twice to get the meaning of the sentence. I enjoyed the plot... please keep writing it!

One concrete suggestion: watch your commas - adding them in appropriate places might help people understand the writing more.

bexalicious(http://www.bookrix.com/-bexalicious)

There were nice messages behind these poems. However, I felt they were a bit too preachy. The good messages you were trying to get across were bright and evident which was good but it would have been better if you let it come more naturally.

peeps927 (http://www.bookrix.com/-peeps927)

So sorry...this is not the kind of book I would read...due to personal beliefs. Thank you and the best of luck to you. I do think this is the