Over the course of several years (and several groups), I’ve experienced the joy that a healthy critique group can bring. It can invigorate your writing practice, inspire you to work harder, provide friends to celebrate (and commiserate) with, and help your writing skills flourish.
But not all groups are created equal. Sometimes groups, or individual members, fall into bad critique habits. At best, this results in you not getting the help you need on your work; at worst, it can alienate you from writing altogether. Here are six signs of toxic feedback to be on the lookout for.
- It’s cruel or mocking. A crit group should be a safe space where all members feel comfortable sharing their work. Feedback can and should be critical, but it should be given in considerate words and a kind tone of voice. It should focus on improving the work rather than judging the writer. When critters get mean or make fun of a work, it’s hurtful for the writer and toxic for the whole group.
- It’s lazy. One of the fundamental tenets of the critique group is reciprocity. If you take the time to read someone else’s work and provide thoughtful commentary, you should get the same in return. But some writers are lazy, providing limited and unhelpful feedback such as “I liked it. It was good.” Sure, sometimes a critter won’t find anything wrong with a piece. If that’s really the case, they’ll explain why they liked it so everyone in the group can learn from what you did right.
- It misses your intent. Nothing is more frustrating that hearing your fantasy story get picked apart by someone who insists “magic isn’t real,” or hearing a writer of adult fiction complain that your children’s story needs more violence to “make the action exciting.” Not everyone will be familiar with the genre you write, but they should at least try to understand what you’re going for and help you improve the story you want to write—not turn it into a story they would write.
- It focuses on style. Critters shouldn’t be picking apart your sentence structure and word choice simply because it doesn’t suit their own style preferences. This is an unwritten rule of critiquing that many people fail to grasp. Again, you want help improving your story; you don’t want them to turn it into their story. And if they’re busy rewording every sentence, they’re probably not providing the feedback you need on big-picture things like plot, character, and theme.
- It plays by the rules without understanding them. Some critters are rule followers to a fault. They’ll point to the one adverb in your story and say “I’ve heard you should never use adverbs,” or they’ll point to your mention of rain on page two and say “I’ve heard you should never open with the weather.” These rules exist for a reason, but they’re also made to be broken. As writers, you and your partners should strive to understand why these rules are in place, and how they can be followed (or not) to good effect. Following them blindly without understanding them won’t help anyone.
- It provides prescriptions, not diagnoses. As Neil Gaiman once said, “When people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” Remember, it’s still your story. It’s the critter’s job to identify what’s not working, but it’s up to you to determine how to fix it. That’s not to say your critters can’t offer suggestions—I’ve gotten some of my best ideas from crit group brainstorming sessions. But they shouldn’t get carried away telling you how to write your story.
Crit groups are great, but remember: You have to do what’s best for you and your writing career. If you’re getting one of these types of toxic feedback, don’t be afraid to speak up—or, if necessary, find a new group.
This is so true. I’ve been in several critique groups and had some really bad experiences. Some individuals will use it as a means of power and tear apart everything they read. I finally gave up on them due to a couple of people like that. Now I rely on “Beta Readers”. Good friends (and professional writers) who will help me make the book better without trying to put their personal stamp on it. It’s important that new writers know these things because they are so vulnerable. Thanks for putting this out there. Cheers!
Thanks, Mary! I agree, the beta reader approach is a great alternative–it can be been more personal, take up less time, and still be just as helpful as a group.
I’m going to “file” this post and refer back to it. You make very good points about the different feedback one can give and receive. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful, Merissa!
Another great blog post, Rachel. Love the way you’ve broken down a complex subject and given concrete points to watch for. Could also be used for critique group guidelines. Thank you!
Thanks, Margaret! It’s a great idea to share these (and other) guidelines with a group before starting, since many poor critters don’t seem to realize they’re doing anything wrong.
Thank you, Rachel, for this reminder. Critique groups are, in a lot of ways, like a relationship with an editor. You have to be able to trust the people who read your early work and know they have your best interest at heart. I had to switch from my first critique group after two years because the fit wasn’t there. (lovely writers, just didn’t mesh.) Your blog should be foremost in peoples minds as they figure out if a group is right for them.
So true, Jason! I recently left a group for similar reasons–we just weren’t meshing anymore. I’m now searching for a new one, which is why I’m thinking so much about these things. I’ll write more about when/why to leave a group in Part 2!
Similar to Mary, I gave up critique groups all together. I am now working with beta readers for the first time. It is a much better experience than critique groups, but I still find it challenging. I also found a writing “friend”. We share work sometimes and sometimes, we simply commiserate. I plan to use her as a sounding board for feedback from my beta readers. That is probably a subject in and of itself.
As a new writer about ready to self-publish and bring up a web site, good feedback is critical. Thanks for sharing Rachel!
Thanks, Debbie! I too have been doing the “writing buddy” thing–we trade critiques when needed and generally bond over the writing journey. I like it because it’s much more relaxed than a regular group.
I disagree with the part about telling you when something is wrong is suggesting how to fix it. New writers may have no clue how to fix it. Writers are often critiquers, and so I think teaching how to fix something, is very beneficial. It has helped me improve my work, and later have the work published. I don’t believe in having such strict restrictions on critique, to the point that one can not even suggest change in lines or words, or else it is changing style.
I had a situation where a guy would barely give critique on my work, but it showed in revisions of his work, that he was using feedback, he saw I was posting on work of others. It was like he was only in the group to get feedback, and use the feedback others got on their work, but never really give feedback in return. I think people like that, don’t believe in critique groups.