tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post3611035679408240422..comments2023-09-16T15:03:34.579+07:00Comments on Adam Heine: On Telling the Truth and Staying FriendsAdam Heinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225813532455467868noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-70117438287251864392010-09-16T07:58:46.882+07:002010-09-16T07:58:46.882+07:00Thanks, Krista! Glad you liked it. I liked your po...Thanks, Krista! Glad you liked it. I liked your post on the topic too :-)Adam Heinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225813532455467868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-58329350460306180582010-09-15T22:06:14.848+07:002010-09-15T22:06:14.848+07:00Adam, Myrna sent me over after I blogged about the...Adam, Myrna sent me over after I blogged about the same idea yesterday. Your list of tips is fantastic.Krista Van Dolzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08830193414560232842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-40561220492912853342010-09-14T08:09:29.844+07:002010-09-14T08:09:29.844+07:00@aspiring: Exactly!
@Susan: I like the analogy (k...@aspiring: Exactly!<br /><br />@Susan: I like the analogy (kind of a trucker analogy ;-), and your examples are great!<br /><br />@JJ: I don't like the justifications either. Maybe that is "just the way you are," but it's not actually helping anybody.<br /><br />@Myrna: The golden rule, exactly. You can be honest AND nice.<br /><br />@Taryn: It can definitely help to understand someone's vision, but even if a beta reader of mine doesn't get it, it still helps for them to tell me something's not working for them. As the author, I can usually figure why anyway.Adam Heinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225813532455467868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-23856133789283642052010-09-14T07:19:37.964+07:002010-09-14T07:19:37.964+07:00Very sound advise on giving advice. It is much eas...Very sound advise on giving advice. It is much easier to follow sugestions than commands. <br /><br />The most frusterating to me when trying to criteque someone's work is when I can not see their vision at all. It's like trying to give directions when I don't know where they're going. Its just so tempting to tell them to go where I would go with the piece when I can't figure out what they're trying to acomplish.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11271149538259398956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-9172957337505775142010-09-14T03:24:10.117+07:002010-09-14T03:24:10.117+07:00Great post! And it's okay for writers to have ...Great post! And it's okay for writers to have different strengths and styles. If all stories were written the way I think is best, I wouldn't learn anything, and I'd get bored. <br /><br />It's important to be honest, but the golden rule applies to critiquing as much as it applies to anything else.Myrna Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13534358757278599925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-12036489217730304942010-09-14T02:49:31.663+07:002010-09-14T02:49:31.663+07:00YES. (Oops. Sorry about the caps.)
If your aim is...YES. (Oops. Sorry about the caps.)<br /><br />If your aim is to teach, there is nothing to be gained by demoralizing the student. If you feel frustration with the student, that should NEVER show; it's simply self-indulgent.<br /><br />Some people also are blunt in critiques because "That's just the way I am."<br /><br />But this is a weak argument. Are they a competent writer? Then they can make the words imply whatever they want them to, including kindness. <br /><br />A writer is not obligated to be "just the way I am." We can be someone else for the length of our critique, if that's what's necessary.jjdebenedictishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16950592240599703771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-33514455272698912392010-09-13T21:24:10.960+07:002010-09-13T21:24:10.960+07:00Hallelujah! (Ok, I'm not sure if that's sp...Hallelujah! (Ok, I'm not sure if that's spelled correctly)<br /><br />I think there is actual, scientific proof that people cannot learn when they are being hurt (and words hurt, yes they do).<br /><br />I take this one step further in my critiques (or at least try to). I imagine writing as a long journey along a road with many twists, turns, and forks. I picture myself with a walkie-talkie, talking to people ahead of me on the road (more experienced writers, better in craft) and people behind me, sometimes just starting out. When I critique someone who I'm ahead of on the road, I try to visualize where they are and what would help them get further down the road.<br /><br />"Look out for the snake pit of adverbs. They're fine on a rough draft, but when you go back to edit, look for ways to use your descriptive talents to replace them with something more unique."<br /><br />"The plot is feeling like a standard romance to me in this section. What is it that makes your story unique and different, and how can you bring that in here in a way that makes your characters pop, or your action sizzle?"<br /><br />"I know it's tempting to bring in the space monkeys to save the day, and as much as I like monkeys, it feels deus ex machina. Maybe your MC can come back from the dead? Maybe the sidekick really didn't leave in chapter three? Ok, those are bad ideas, but maybe you can bring a different closure that uses the characters you've already spent 60,000 words creating."<br /><br />It takes more words, and time, but I feel better about it in the end. And I think the critiquer might actually get further down the path. :)<br /><br />p.s. awesome post!Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-76317556834660608792010-09-13T21:01:21.402+07:002010-09-13T21:01:21.402+07:00great post! people are always saying to "be ...great post! people are always saying to "be brutal" when critting their work- but there is no reason for brutality, just honesty! :)vic caswell https://www.blogger.com/profile/01218698236837610704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665052536053897386.post-70875811995265266362010-09-13T20:53:02.894+07:002010-09-13T20:53:02.894+07:00= )= )Diana Bleu-Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01120359522346424807noreply@blogger.com