{"id":346,"date":"2013-11-21T16:48:20","date_gmt":"2013-11-21T22:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oneyearnovel.wpengine.com\/?p=346"},"modified":"2022-09-02T18:27:25","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T23:27:25","slug":"how-to-become-a-writers-best-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clearwaterpress.com\/oneyearnovel\/blog\/how-to-become-a-writers-best-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Writer’s Best Friend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest Post<\/em><\/p>\n

Part 2 of a mini-series by veteran OYANer, Rachel Garner (aka Nairam or Nai), on novel critiques. Read Part 1 first \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>On Gold and Pillows<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my previous post, I tackled the value of critique even when it hurts<\/a>. Now I\u2019m here with advice on how to create these worth-their-weight-in-gold critiques<\/strong> and how to minimize the necessary toe-smashing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I am a huge advocate of not only asking for gold, but giving it. First, critiquing others\u2019 work makes us better writers<\/strong>. No joke. Looking at writing from a critical angle, and giving advice to make it better gets good storytelling into our blood. Critiquing is an examination of what works.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Second, put simply, you will not fully appreciate what you have asked of people until you\u2019ve done it yourself.<\/strong> You don\u2019t realize how much work critiquing takes unless you do it; It\u2019s a bit rude to ask people to do something you don\u2019t fully understand or appreciate.<\/p>\n

Third, giving is a Christlike behavior we should be practicing anyway. We\u2019re in this ridiculous writing world together. Give the best gift you can give<\/strong> to other writers.<\/p>\n

(Bonus reason: you might discover you actually enjoy it. I did.)<\/p>\n

And now…<\/p>\n

The Plunge<\/strong><\/span>
\nAs OYANers, there is one preliminary step you should take to figure out how to critique: Read lessons 75 and 76 in the OYAN Compass<\/em>. These lessons teach authors how to revise. The writer you\u2019re critiquing should be trying to do this. You\u2019re just providing some assistance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are the two main things to start with<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Emotion.<\/strong><\/span> This is key at any stage of a novel\u2014draft 1 or draft 13. If the emotion is unconvincing, the book is sunk, no matter how good the prose is.<\/strong> Let the writer know what you\u2019re feeling, even offering comments as simple as \u201cI\u2019m tense\u201d or \u201cthis is boring.\u201d You won\u2019t always be able to tell if the emotion you\u2019re picking up on is what the writer was going for, but if you bother to say \u201cthis is funny\u201d in a section the author did not intend to be funny, you\u2019ve succeeded, if unintentionally, in alerting them. Let them know how their story is affecting you.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Believability.<\/strong><\/span> This relates to tons of things: plot, characters, setting, dialogue, and on and on. Is the author convincing you that this is a real place with real people where real things happen? If a character feels unreal, a turn in the plot too unlikely, or a line of dialogue stilted, say so.<\/strong> This is an area where your gut response can be very helpful.You can\u2019t go wrong helping with emotion and believability. You can if you\u2019re nitpicking prose. Don\u2019t start your critiquing career reminding everyone that adverbs are a no-no. Story is king. Helping someone eliminate adverbs may make their prose sparkle, but if the characters are flat and the plot is a mess, you\u2019ve gotten nowhere.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This brings us to…<\/p>\n

    The Gold\u2028<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n