I had
never critiqued someone’s work, or had my work critiqued ( see my earlier post 'The Lonely Life of an Indian Writer’) by another writer. So it came as quite a shock for me when a writing friend I had met at a
workshop conducted by my publisher asked me to critique her short stories.
I was
pretty nervous, not only was she a new friend, she was also the only writing
friend I had. I didn’t want to lose her as my critique could upset her, or, hurt her
feelings. Before I could reply she said she would email the stories to me as she wanted another
writer’s opinion on them before wishing them Bon Voyage. “ You are free to
make changes, edit it if you feel the
need for it,” she said.
The
next day I downloaded the
stories. As I read them I realized that they were good, but riddled with
several grammatical mistakes which she had perhaps overlooked. Structral errors I can understand, but not grammatical errors at her level (she
has been writing for several years). I know that its easy to be critical of others ( but let me tell you that I am
extremely critical of my work too).
As
I switched on the track changes
tool and started editing I realized
that doing critiques was like looking in the
mirror. I became aware of all the mistakes I tend to make
while writing short stories. Very often we write the way we talk,
without paying in depth attention to either grammar or tense. As I
waded through her stories I realized
that the first impression I got was that the soul of her stories was good, but the attention to details was missing. The feeling
that came across was that she had written the stories in a hurry, as
though racing against time and she had to finish it any which way. Several
times I felt that she could have handled
the scenes differently, added tension and done away with boring descriptions. She could have stayed away from common frequently used clichés, invested in imaginative and innovative similies.
As I plunged deeper and deeper into the
critique, I felt like I was staring in a mirror. My
reflection appeared before me
with all its faults magnified. What I
considered a great piece of writing ( my stories) must have looked pathetic to
my editor. Did she have the same expression I had while editing ?
That
episode has brought about several changes in me, has made me more conscious of my grammar and tense. Nowadays I
read each line several times, pay more attention to plot, tension and character growth. I consciously
stray away from clichés that we should have left behind in junior school. When
I read any descriptive paragraphs I have
written, I wonder whether my descriptions can be more original. I have become
ruthless while editing my work.
Does doing a critique of someone elses work help you become a better writer? Does it
make you aware of your own writing mistakes? I would love to know if
critiques are like staring in the mirror for you too?
Great piece Rachna. Thanks for sharing your experience. Will Tweet this!
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting way of looking at critiques, Rachna. I hadn't thought of it that way before, but I definitely do see my own work differently after critiquing the work of others. It hones my critical skills, demands that I understand what works and what doesn't, and why.
ReplyDeleteYou totally nailed it. Writing and critiquing other people's writing makes me a stronger writer myself. It a win-win situation for all!
ReplyDeleteAlways! I think I remember the basics and then later will catch myself doing them again when I critique someone else's. I'm curious, do you write all your work in English? Or Indian? Is that your language there?
ReplyDeleteLia....critiquing my friend's work has made me more perceptive to the errors in my writing.
ReplyDeleteLydia...critiques make us stronger and more critical when it comes to our own work. I agree it is a win-win situation.
Terri, we all write in English, not in any regional language. There are many regional languages in India and many writers prefer writing in the regional languages.
I've found the same thing! Critiquing other's work has me a stronger writer. It's amazing how much we can miss in our own work and how acute our eyes can be in the work of others. Great post!
ReplyDeleteRachna, critting always makes me better. And now I'm not doing so much of it,(my crit partner is in England for a couple of weeks) though I did help a writer with her query last week, but I have gotten really good at weeding the crapola from my own writing.
ReplyDeleteNice post. And I hope your friend was very grateful for your help. =)
You're so right, Rachna! I was a judge for a contest this spring and it really helps us hone in on the issues that are truly important, reminds us of what we ourselves need to be doing.
ReplyDeleteJoining a critique group was the best thing I ever did. I learned so much from other people's writing, I feel like I grew exponentially. It's hard to put yourself out there like that, but so worth it if you're with other serious writers.
ReplyDeleteI think editing others does definitely help with your own writing, and yes, it can act like a mirror - good analogy! At the same time there can still be an annoying blind spot with editing your own work, the distance afforded by editing someone else can be hard to achieve. So I always try and get someone whose opinion I trust to read over my work, just in case I have missed something truly obvious!
ReplyDeleteI gave you an award on my blog, btw!
ReplyDeleteThere is a Zen saying : If you would learn more, become a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI learned that as a teacher of creative writing. I'm glad to have found your blog. Roland