Give It To Me Straight
Three times in my life I have worked as the personal editor or ghostwriter for men of fairly unimagineable wealth or fame. Personal fortunes measured in the tens of millions, which is more dough than I can REALLY imagine, though I like to envision how I might spent it (a horse farm, horses, running a camp for disadvantaged kids).
Each of these men paid me to be honest. Brutally honest.
Almost verbatim--though none of them knew each other--they said over a meal, a cocktail, or the phone, "Every person in my life works for me. They're all yes-men. I tell them to be honest with me, but I know they aren't. I understand the dynamic, I don't blame them, but I need YOU to tell me if this is a good idea, if I can write this book."
Imagine that you had to PAY for one of your friends to give it to you straight, no bullshit. As an outsider, I really could. I wasn't on the payroll long-term. I was honest. In my own way. I don't "do" snark in critiques. I don't demoralize. I tell the truth, but it is always gracious (at least I think so.)
Someone said to me recently (you know who you are), "Why didn't any of my critique partners tell me this before? Don't WAIT until I pile up the rejections. Tell me NOW."
A good critique partner is worth their weight in gold. They will tell you what you don't see. Forest . . . meet trees. When someone emails me a pitch, I can usually see in under 2 minutes what the pitfalls are. Forest . . . meet trees. That there's no solid hook. Hello, trees? That the dialogue is clunky or the real story starts on page 7. Hello?
And the next time you feel like whining about what your beta reader says . . . imagine if the only person honest in your life was one you had to PAY to be. And imagine . . . the next time you give a critique . . . that you ARE being paid by a multi-millionaire to give it to him straight, no bullshit. And he means it.
Thoughts?
Each of these men paid me to be honest. Brutally honest.
Almost verbatim--though none of them knew each other--they said over a meal, a cocktail, or the phone, "Every person in my life works for me. They're all yes-men. I tell them to be honest with me, but I know they aren't. I understand the dynamic, I don't blame them, but I need YOU to tell me if this is a good idea, if I can write this book."
Imagine that you had to PAY for one of your friends to give it to you straight, no bullshit. As an outsider, I really could. I wasn't on the payroll long-term. I was honest. In my own way. I don't "do" snark in critiques. I don't demoralize. I tell the truth, but it is always gracious (at least I think so.)
Someone said to me recently (you know who you are), "Why didn't any of my critique partners tell me this before? Don't WAIT until I pile up the rejections. Tell me NOW."
A good critique partner is worth their weight in gold. They will tell you what you don't see. Forest . . . meet trees. When someone emails me a pitch, I can usually see in under 2 minutes what the pitfalls are. Forest . . . meet trees. That there's no solid hook. Hello, trees? That the dialogue is clunky or the real story starts on page 7. Hello?
And the next time you feel like whining about what your beta reader says . . . imagine if the only person honest in your life was one you had to PAY to be. And imagine . . . the next time you give a critique . . . that you ARE being paid by a multi-millionaire to give it to him straight, no bullshit. And he means it.
Thoughts?
Labels: the art of critiques
posted by Erica Orloff at 6:32 AM
30 Comments:
If I put something out there, I definitely want the straight dope. I want my book to be the best it can be.
I've run across a lot of writers who are merely seeking validation, though, so it's tough sometimes trying to tiptoe around the truth--i.e. that what they have is unsalvageable crap.
Jude:
Definitely. But then there's the huge undercurrent of snobbishness of writers--I balme some of the talented people--who have come to equate "critiquing" with rudeness. I don't think you have to be rude about it. On the other hand, some people want to argue every point to death. Take it or leave it . . . I gave you my damn opinion.
And . . . as I have raised on the blog before, critiquing isn't word substitution and rewriting.
E
A few years ago, a CP told me she wanted me to be brutally honest. Ever since I have been, with her and with others. Like you, I do it graciously. I try to find something encouraging to say in addition to pointing out problems. That CP is now multi-published and has a top agent and NY publisher.
I want my CPs to be honest with me, too. Otherwise it's a waste of time.
Hi Edie:
I think the blessing is you have found people to be so . . . not yes-men who will just say what you want to hear.
E
I absolutely understand that what we most desire is to be told how great our work is...
But, I also understand that I'm a pro, that I can be too involved in my own work and it's hard for me to be objective about it. I really value someone who will say, "This part doesn't work here." Even if they don't know why. What doesn't necessarily work is, "I hate it."
Why?
If they can't give me reasons, I have some problems, but I'm totally open to their most brutal thoughts because then THOSE I can judge adequately without getting emotional about it.
Mark;
That's why I really don't understand people who have no beta readers, no writers' group, no cps. No, none of those people can teach you to write. But they can certainly give you an "ah ha" moment when you can't "see" yourself why something is a plot hole, or why you are too attached to your clever dialogue but it's overdone for the scene, etc.
E
I think there two categories of people who give bad critiques. The people who confuse honesty with being mean. And those who are too inexperienced to see flaws in an ms. If you don't know the difference between showing and telling how can you tell someone else?
I'm one of those weird people who likes real honesty (not the mean stuff that people thinks is honesty). Tell me I'm overwriting, I'm telling or that I'm info dumping, because sooner or later I'll start to catch it myself.
Erica, I love this post!
I think some of the CP problem stems from the fact that the CP is also a writer hoping for publication. That said, they already know the underlying sensitivity that all writers possess, so they pussy foot around, viewing it as how they'd want to be treated, what they'd want to hear.
It's a matter of separation - the brutal from the honest. It's all about the label vs. the rational way.
I'm in a writing program at college and our professor doesn't call it "critiquing." He calls it "workshopping." We learned the rules to follow based on the text "Writing True."
I'll never call it critiquing again. (Labeling)
I am completely neurotic about writing, and once I send it off, I have a day where I suddenly see a million things I wish I'd changed.
But, weirdly enough, I then have no feelings whatsoever about it. Someone could be totally mean and rip it to shreds, and I just don't have any feelings whatsoever. Sometimes people are hesitant to say something, and they try to be gentle or whatever.
I just want to say, dude, really, it's not a baby. Just spit it out.
The one caveat to that is if I feel I let a reader down by something I did sloppily. Like, a few months ago, one of my readers just didn't like my current story. That didn't bother me, because it was just a matter of taste.
But a year or two ago, I let a reader down with a sloppy ending. That bothers me. And then, one time, I switched from first to third to first in the writing of it, and in the final draft, there was one sentence left in third. That bothered me. It's just sloppy; there's no reason to let down a reader that way.
My first novella is OUT there. That bothers me immensely, haunts me. I don't like knowing something of crap is out there.
So, gosh, if a critique can save me from that? Goodness. Who'd complain?
mel:
Exactly. Some people, I guess because it's other writers, who are essentially competition, or maybe they are very arrogant about their skills, think ripping apart someone and even getting personal is somehow a more "honest" critique. It isn't. Sometimes I even wonder if the venom means they're jealous.
E
Kath:
I call it workshopping too, sometimes. As in I am carrying a book through a series of workshops to ready it for submission.
E
spy:
LOL! "It's not a baby." :-)
E
Love your perspective, E.
I think a good cp can give examples of how to fix a problem, not just state what the problem is.
BUT, sometimes I draw a blank. And I'll say so. "Hey, this is what I think is flawed, but I need to go drink some coffee and think about how I would do this differently."
I really hate when that happens, though.
Hi Heather:
I will make plot suggestions or character suggestions. Word choice things I just usually point out and that's all. And sometimes, you're right. I will think, "something about this character or plot point doesn't feel true but I can't swear that I know what it is."
E
Great post. Being honest is hard in critique especially if the author isn't even close, but I always try.
Then there are some who can't handle the truth. One thing my time as a high school football ref in Texas gave me was the ability to deal with critique, even really harsh critique. nothing any agent, editor, or crit partner can say will ever be as harsh as what I heard on a nightly basis out on the field from coaches and fans.
Hi Travis:
That's a great attitude, too--applying it from a different kind of criticism elsewhere.
E
I am very honest at work. I don't care if I'm talking to my boss's boss's boss. If they don't like what I'm saying, they can fire me. They never do. In fact, I get praised at review time for my honesty.
With critiques, it's a little harder. Some people are fragile. I can see it in their face when they finish reading and look at me waiting for my words. It's generally easy to see from the writing where they are in the process of becoming an author. If there's a long way to go, I pick high level things to say - both good and bad. The good helps them gain a bit of confidence. The bad gives them a direction for improvement. But I don't do the nit picky things that I will do with my CP's. They are in the place where a down and dirty, here's where it loses me, critique is important.
Sarah:
An intuitive editor will know just how to phrase things so that yes, a writer can see there is hope. Anyone with the desire to learn has hope.
BIG DAY COMING??? :-)
Erica (throwing cyber-rice)
(you know who you are)
You could very well be talking about me. A manuscript of mine recently made the rounds, and everyone, my agent, others at the agency, and nine editors who turned it down---everyone---expressed satisfaction with the opening chapters. "They really pulled me in," was what I heard.
Then you and others (including Mark Terry) showed me why my opening chapters were poorly structured. And I wondered why nobody else (including my critique partner) bothered to bitch-slap me. I wanted to be bitch-slapped. I tell everyone, "BITCH-SLAP ME. PLEASE." Turns out a truly honest opinion is very hard to extract from friends. Turns out, too, that a truly honest opinion is exactly what a true friend will give you.
Stephen:
It was, indeed, you. AND, I doubly know I have rarely met a writer who so fearlessly wanted to work on his writing.
E
I'm still working on finding a steady CP, but I'm in the camp that wants total honesty. Sure, it makes me feel warm and bubbly if you say you like my story, but I'd much rather make you fall over backwards because my story is so kick ass.
Like Travis, I relate criticism to another area of my life: graphic design. I still remember my first job out of college when a client berated a project over the phone, not realizing I was the one who designed it. I believe the words "what the hell is this supposed to be?" were among the nicer ones.
My skin has grown very thick since then but because I'm always nice to people, they assume I'm a wuss.
Well damn. I could have landed myself a ridiculously rich man. I'm nothing if not bullshit free.
Melanie:
You know . . . I forgot that I spent some times as both a bartender, waitress, and graphic designer (used to work in Venturea Publisher). And yes, all three professions can contribute to total bitchfests. And you learn to smile and nod. But by far the worst was graphic design, because people would tell you they hated it--but wouldn't be able to articulate why.
E
zoe:
Somehow, I intuit you are not a bullshit magnet.
;-)
E
Erica, LOL.
Can this be less ... blue?
I was a waitress, too. That must've been where I first learned to put on my happy face. Smiles = money, after all.
Hi Melanie:
Less blue is fine.
Smile and nod. Happy faces. :-)
E
Always appreciate the direct, no holds barred critique--Thank you!
I figure I won't learn a thing unless I'm open to it.
What's that saying? If you give your work to three people and they say the same thing then you know where your problems are.
Sometimes when I get a critique I have to perculate on their comments for a while, let them sink in and then go back with a fresh look at my work. I don't think anyone should be too quick to dismiss a good critique. Sometimes if you think on it a while you get a better view.
Hi Aimless:
My agent usually sends a new book to four editors to "get a feel"--if it gets four rejections with a consistent theme to them, he tells the writer. If they like it but don't LOVE it, he tells the writer, too, and if it's largely positive but maybe not right for their lists, it continues to go out.
E
hehe nope. My problem is, my internal filter is poorly calibrated. Stuff is out of my mouth sometimes before I realized it was in my brain. (Obviously it didn't stay there long enough to be detected by my sensitive "omg don't say that" detectors.)
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