Constructive Critiques

by Joan Waites

Seasoned writers and artists know that one of the most helpful ways to improve your work is to receive critiques from trusted colleagues and critique partners. Having a fresh “eye” to evaluate a project you have worked on in solitude for days, weeks, months or even years can bring to the surface glaring mistakes you have overlooked, along with some new ideas for improvement.

Learning how to evaluate your own work or someone else’s in a way that offers positive help is the essence of a constructive critique. Offering only positive comments, (for example: “that’s great!”, “terrific!” or “wonderful!), so as not to hurt someone’s feelings, does not contribute anything useful.  Offering only negative comments, (“I don’t like it”, “It’s just bad”, or “It will never sell”) without any suggestions for improvement also offers nothing to concrete.

Engaging students in a constructive critique session can be a useful teaching tool. Students will hopefully learn how to accept criticism graciously, as well as offer  suggestions to their fellow classmates in a positive way.

Have students begin the critique with a positive comment. If critiquing student artwork, some suggestions for comments are as follows:

Do they admire the artist’s skill?

The choice of colors?

The subject matter?

The composition and perspective?

Does the work leave an emotional impact?

Next move on to how the work could be improved, instead of asking for negatives. For example:

What different color choices, subject matter, composition or perspective might make the artwork more visually appealing? 

What changes could be incorporated into the existing piece without starting over?

If critiquing student writing, break the class into smaller groups and have them critique each other’s work.  Depending on the age and level of the students, comments can be simple or deal with more complex concepts.

What did they like most about the story?

Did the story have interesting and believable characters?

Is there a clear story arc?

Was there a satisfying ending?

Next, ask how all of the above could be improved upon instead of offering negative remarks.

Have the students write down some of the comments they received in their critiques. Ask them to take a few days to really think about what was said, then revisit their artwork or writing and incorporate some of the suggestions. Have the students present their revised work to the class and talk about what comments they found helpful, what changes were made, and if they decided not to change something, explain why.

Learning how to accept constructive criticism as well as give it is an important lesson for students of all ages to learn.  Criticism is sometimes bitter medicine to swallow (and to give out), but if the dose is given with a pinch of sugar, it’s a lot easier to take!

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ENCOURAGING CRITIQUES

by Pamela Ehrenberg

"I liked it."

"It's good."

Or, if you're lucky, "It's funny."

Such well-meaning but unspecific and ultimately unhelpful comments can leave writers feel like no one really read their work after all; perhaps their friends and critique partners were just trying to be nice?  And writing teachers can feel equally frustrated when "critique sessions" are really just sharing sessions.  Surely there are ways to point out the strengths in students' writing, and encourage them to do more of what's working.

In my first creative writing class in college, we began each critique session by having each person in our 15-or-so-person workshop identify something positive in the piece of writing.  This worked well on a number of levels:

1) It helped us to become closer readers.  If you were one of the final people to comment, all of the obvious strengths had already been identified.  It forced us to read line by line, word by word, to find gems that the writer might not have recognized.  (Depending on the age of the students, the length of the work, and the size of the critique groups, teachers might try having each critiquer identify two strengths--no repeats!--before moving on to suggestions.)

2) It helped us to become kinder human beings.  Some people in the class wrote in genres I didn't usually read.  Not every piece in freshman creative writing (certainly nothing I submitted) was worthy of major awards.  But knowing that I would be called upon to identify something positive in this piece of writing shaped my development as a critique partner and writing instructor--not to mention commenter on other people's Facebook statuses and blog posts.

3) Of course, it encouraged us to keep writing.  Each writer heard 14 specific, positive things about his or her work before hearing even one suggestion for improvement.  That helped to foster an "I can do it!" attitude that made us (me) eager to work on the next piece.

4) And it helped us to become better writers.  Some of this was the "keep writing" effect described above.  Some was a greater willingness to address the critiquers' concerns and suggestions, fostered by the environment of trust.  And some was that the ubiquitous, specific positive feedback helped us tune in to our individual strengths--"They seem to like my dialogue!" "Those sensory details really worked!"--and build upon our successes.

How do you help students to encourage and support one another?  What successes and challenges have you encountered?  Let us know in the comments below!

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