Fiction writing is an art. When we read a book we decide whether it is good or not based on our own subjective taste.
Your critiques are going to reflect that subjectivity and good critique partners should go in with the understanding that every comment made is just one person's opinion. But what about the critiquer? Should the fact that your comment is just your opinion change the way you critique?
Yes--and no.
The no part is easiest and I'll start with that. A critique should be honest. If you're holding back your opinion about
something because it's all subjective anyway, you aren't being honest. You also aren't being very helpful because the piece was submitted specifically to get your opinion.
The idea is the author will learn something about the way her story is perceived by a reader who is not inside the
author's head. There is value in that, especially when the reader is a writer who has some understanding of the novel-writing process.
Bottom line is you do need to share your subjective opinion.
That leads us to the "yes" part of my answer. Knowing the comment reflects your opinion, you should be careful to
avoid absolute statements like - this paragraph needs to be re-ordered because it doesn't make sense this way.
Maybe you're right. Maybe re-ordering the paragraph will improve it. But it is possible the author has a reason for
the order she chose. A reason that fits her particular story, the way her character thinks in his deep POV or the particular author's voice. Even if the author is really, truly wrong about this-all you can do is offer your suggestion. It is his story and he knows best how to tell it.
Voice-both the author's voice and the POV character's voice will affect sentence structure, word choice, and even the order a story is told. Someone somewhere may have suggested to Audrey Niffenegger that The Time Traveler's Wife would make more sense and be easier to follow if it was told chronologically. That person might even be right. But telling that story in chronological order would have made it a different novel. It would not be the story Niffenegger set out to tell.
Does that mean you shouldn't comment on word choices, sentence structure or the order of telling a story? Of course not! What it does mean is you acknowledge when you're making your comment that it is just your opinion.
BTW, this does not mean that every comment should start, "this is just my opinion, but . . ." That would be tiresome. Do avoid making your comments absolute.
The story needs to start with the second paragraph on page two. Cut the first page
Instead-try something like this.
Wow-the action really gets going in the second paragraph on page two. I wonder if this would be a better place for your story to start?
You may also be able to help the author stay true to her voice. For example, you may suggest a different word choice that is stronger, darker, funnier, etc. If a word or a sentence stands out to you because it doesn't fit the tone of the scene or the novel, you can say so. Again-not in absolute terms.
Show your opinion, as follows:
"This sentence seems out of place to me"
"Would your hero use that word in this situation?"
Your opinion can help the author refine the telling of her story.
Your critiques are going to reflect that subjectivity and good critique partners should go in with the understanding that every comment made is just one person's opinion. But what about the critiquer? Should the fact that your comment is just your opinion change the way you critique?
Yes--and no.
The no part is easiest and I'll start with that. A critique should be honest. If you're holding back your opinion about
something because it's all subjective anyway, you aren't being honest. You also aren't being very helpful because the piece was submitted specifically to get your opinion.
The idea is the author will learn something about the way her story is perceived by a reader who is not inside the
author's head. There is value in that, especially when the reader is a writer who has some understanding of the novel-writing process.
Bottom line is you do need to share your subjective opinion.
That leads us to the "yes" part of my answer. Knowing the comment reflects your opinion, you should be careful to
avoid absolute statements like - this paragraph needs to be re-ordered because it doesn't make sense this way.
Maybe you're right. Maybe re-ordering the paragraph will improve it. But it is possible the author has a reason for
the order she chose. A reason that fits her particular story, the way her character thinks in his deep POV or the particular author's voice. Even if the author is really, truly wrong about this-all you can do is offer your suggestion. It is his story and he knows best how to tell it.
Voice-both the author's voice and the POV character's voice will affect sentence structure, word choice, and even the order a story is told. Someone somewhere may have suggested to Audrey Niffenegger that The Time Traveler's Wife would make more sense and be easier to follow if it was told chronologically. That person might even be right. But telling that story in chronological order would have made it a different novel. It would not be the story Niffenegger set out to tell.
Does that mean you shouldn't comment on word choices, sentence structure or the order of telling a story? Of course not! What it does mean is you acknowledge when you're making your comment that it is just your opinion.
BTW, this does not mean that every comment should start, "this is just my opinion, but . . ." That would be tiresome. Do avoid making your comments absolute.
The story needs to start with the second paragraph on page two. Cut the first page
Instead-try something like this.
Wow-the action really gets going in the second paragraph on page two. I wonder if this would be a better place for your story to start?
You may also be able to help the author stay true to her voice. For example, you may suggest a different word choice that is stronger, darker, funnier, etc. If a word or a sentence stands out to you because it doesn't fit the tone of the scene or the novel, you can say so. Again-not in absolute terms.
Show your opinion, as follows:
"This sentence seems out of place to me"
"Would your hero use that word in this situation?"
Your opinion can help the author refine the telling of her story.
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