How to be a Good Critique Partner

A good critique partner can be as hard to find as a rare diamond. Once found, it’s all important to hold onto them. The best way of doing this is to be a good critique partner in return. Anyone can read a manuscript and offer an opinion, but a good critique partner does a little more, thinks a little deeper than the average reader. Below are some tips on how to be a good critique partner.

1. Respect the author and the manuscript. Before delving in, remind yourself that the manuscript you’re looking over isn’t your story and neither is it likely to be written in your voice. While you’ll only ever have your opinion, it helps if you are able to approach the manuscript not as a general reader, but from the writer’s point of view, attempting to see what the writer is trying to express through their work. Rather than offering what you think should be portrayed in the words, try to work out what you think the writer is trying to portray and then, based on that, offer your opinion.

2. Tread lightly. Treading lightly is especially important with relatively new writers or writers who have never experienced a critique before. Be mindful that the writer is a real person with real feelings and their manuscript is often their precious baby they have entrusted into your hands. Your valid opinions will have a greater chance of being heard if they are delivered in a thoughtful manner.

3. Avoid assumptions. If you happen to spot a broken writing rule, don’t assume the writer made a mistake. Perhaps the writer broke the rule on purpose. Ask yourself what the author was trying to convey. Did the author achieve their goal? Don’t make assumptions about the characters either. Perhaps the author has a grand plan in mind which will be revealed later in the text.

4. Offer concise comments. When you make a comment or change the text, make sure you clearly communicate the reason. If it’s about personal taste, then it helps to offer why. This gives the author a chance to see where you are coming from, to get to the heart of the issue. The author knows the manuscript far better than you do, so what you think might be the issue, may only be a pointer to the actual problem.

5. Offer suggestions. If you do see a problem, your job isn’t done once you’ve pointed it out. It’s especially helpful to the writer to hear possible suggestions on how to fix the problem. The writer may not follow those suggestions, but they might inspire a whole new solution. Hearing the suggestions might also give the writer a greater insight into the problem.

6. You are a critique partner, not an editor. You may not have the same vision for the piece as the writer, but that shouldn’t get in the way of your job, which is working within the bounds of the writer’s vision. If you can see a path that’s different, by all means share it, but make sure you justify your reasons for the suggestion otherwise the writer could be left in the dark as to why you feel a change would be appropriate.

7. On Grammar. If you are going to correct the writer’s grammar, please make sure you have checked the rules first. Too often I’ve seen critique partners ‘correct’ already correct grammar. And if you are the writer who has been critiqued, always double check the grammar that’s been corrected. Don’t assume your critique partner is right.

8. Follow instructions. Sometimes a writer is after a specific kind of critique. They might not be after all that little stuff like sentence construction, rule hunting, or even grammar. They might have just finished a messy first draft and needs someone to cast their eye over the bigger devices such as the general plot, the pace, the character arcs. If you then offer observations on the little details, you are wasting both your time and the writer’s.

9. Praising what works is as important as spotting what doesn’t. This is not about stroking the writer’s ego, or softening the blow for a later critique. It’s helpful to know what is working in the manuscript. It can often bring insight into the reader where the writer couldn’t see before.

10. Return the manuscript in a timely manner. The best critique partners are fast workers, but not everyone has the time to churn out a carefully considered collection of comments. This is fine, so it helps if you can agree how long the critique might take. If you are delayed, then let the writer know. If you are a slower critiquer, then it also helps to return portions of the manuscript at a time so the writer isn’t waiting around for the full finished piece. This way the writer can start working on the first part while you continue to critique the next part.

What do you look for in a good critique partner? If you are looking for a partner, then don’t forget the IWSG Critique Circle on Facebook.


Lynda R. Young

Insecure Writer's Support Group Post Day and IWSG Critique Circle

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts today are Gwen Gardner, Dolorah, Sarah Foster, and M. Pax!

One of the advantages of belonging to a group like this is the connections. You have a common ground with other authors and can easily find those who write in your genre.

If you are looking for a critique partner, cruise through the IWSG list and visit members’ blogs. (We also have the IWSG Facebook Group with over two thousand members.)

In addition, we paired with another group and started the IWSG Critique Circle. This group is dedicated to matching people up with the best critique partners possible. If you’re looking for partners or will be in the near future, please join this Facebook group as well.

Anyone looking for critique partners? If you have some, where did you find them?

Qualities of a Good Critique Partner

The manuscript is polished – huzzah! Time for another set of eyes to look at it.

Beta readers/test readers are often those who are just readers of our genre. They’re great for spotting flaws in the story. But we also need skilled writers to go over the manuscript and examine the plot, the character arc, the grammar, the structure, etc. Enter–critique partners.

What should we look for in a good critique partner?

Similar writing ability and experience

A professional tennis player doesn’t want to play with someone who hits the courts once a month for fun. He needs a match with someone at his level. We need to find partners who are also at our level or above. A published book isn’t always the best criteria as there are many writers of talent not yet published. But they do need to be in a similar place on the journey in terms of ability.

Familiar with your genre

A partner who writes in our genre is great because he understands the setting, structure, and flow of that kind of book. But most writers read outside of their genre as well. They can judge a manuscript based on its characters and storyline. Often they are more subjective and spot things we miss.

Honest but tactful

We need to know the truth. Yeah, it can hurt. But if something is wrong or doesn’t work, we need to know while there is still time to fix it. This needs to be done with tact–and with suggestions if possible. The critique partner’s point should come across as ‘I don’t think this works’ rather than ‘this is all wrong, stupid.’ We also need to hear what does work well.

Familiar with your style and voice

This might not always be possible, but a good partner has read our writing before (even in blog posts.) He knows how we tend to write–what elements we usually include, the flow of our stories, the voice of our characters, and so forth. He’ll also be less likely to impose his own voice on our work.

Reliable and trustworthy

Most writers are trying to work on a schedule. We need someone who adheres to deadlines and is consistent with critiques. We also want someone who will not only deliver as promised, but will be discrete with our work. (Sharing it with the world or running off with it is just not cool.)

Good sense of humor

Everyone involved needs a good sense of humor. (Writing is intense enough–need to lighten up now and then!) We don’t always get to sit down with critique partners and words on a page can come off cold and harsh. A good partner knows when to add a little humor.

Understands you

This is a package deal and why it’s important to use people who know you well. It helps if they understand your standards, your morals and beliefs, and what you’re trying to accomplish. And just like making friends, it’s great when critique partners share many of those same attributes and goals.

If we find one or more critique partners with all of those qualities, then we’re set!

What do you look for in your critique partners?