I WILL HONESTLY AND PASSIONATELY CRITIQUE YOUR WORK TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY

Excerpted from Beyond Beautiful: the Significance of an Objective Critique by Katlyn Stechschulte 
http://brevitymag.com/craft-essays/beyond-beautiful/

The real benefit in critiquing lies in analyzing writing at a structural level and articulating our analysis into actionable feedback for the author. In order to do this, it is imperative to put aside our personal preferences and stop hiding behind subjective summary terms, and instead read pieces with open minds, uninfluenced by our individual tastes, and be brave enough to provide objective feedback.

Some considerations to make when critiquing a piece:

• What do you interpret the author is trying to accomplish and how successfully does the author realize his or her intentions?
• How accurately does the author structure the work for the intended form? If it is a literary journalism piece, are there enough facts woven in? If it is a braided memoir, does the writer successfully balance and weave the various strands?
• Make note of pacing and rhythm. Were there places you stumbled? Places you couldn’t peel your eyes from the page? Call those out.
• Signal spots where you appreciate detail and mark places where you would like to see more. A character or scene is usually more developed in an author’s mind than on the page.
• Make note of tone and fluidity. What is the overall feeling the piece leaves you with?