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Have you just joined - or been on hiatus - Wattpad? Or maybe you've just been feeling so overwhelmed by all the changes and you need a guide. Whatever the case may be, the Team of Dreams is here to present you with that guide.
Our How To: Wat...
A critique is a step up from reviewing. Answered by Shailesh Yadav on Quora on February 26th, 2017, "the key difference between the two is that a review can be compiled by anyone and consists of a subjective opinion of a work, unlike a critique which is written by an expert in the field with a technical comprehension."
Critiques tend to get down to the nitty-gritty details of writing such as plot, character development, grammar and mechanics, etc. Critiques are more technical because of this, which is why they're very popular. But here's the thing about Wattpad, you won't find someone as technical as a professional who's been a book critic for years. If you do, then it's very rare. While Wattpad is home to many writers who want to make this a career or have made this a career, it's a very lenient site.
https://bid4papers.com/blog/writing-critique-novel/ includes a nice photo of how to structure a critique. While that's a little on the professional side, Wattpad critics are a little more simple. On Wattpad, people will often offer to critique maybe the first five chapters for free. Anything above that will need a payment such as reading and commenting on the critics' story, or a follow plus something else.
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While we don't want to discredit anyone's work, a poor critique on Wattpad will either be sugar-coated or will be extremely harsh. You have to have tough skin if you want to get your work critiqued. Check out the examples we have below.
A sugar-coated example: I like your book. I think it's great. Maybe you might check out some grammar stuff, but even if you don't, I think that everyone can understand the story. Your characters could use some work, but I think they're pretty cool. I used my imagination a lot to fill in the setting, which is interesting. Nice job!
A harsh example: Your book is boring. The plot moves so fast that I can't even follow it. Your mechanics are horrible and you need to go learn to grammar if you want to be a writer. The characters you've created or tried to create, are flat and no one will be able to relate to them. Your setting is completely unknown, too; how do you expect the reader to know where they are if you don't tell them?
A decent example: I really like your creativity; the overall story you are trying to tell is very intriguing. I think this story really has potential if you're willing to invest in it. First, I would focus on your tense choices. For example, you hop back and forth between past and present tense a lot in the second paragraph. There's nothing wrong with either of these, but you should pick one and stick with it. Second, you might consider fleshing out your characters a little; good characters have flaws, so, instead of James being the "perfect man" you might give him the flaw of also being very self-conscious, which would affect how he sees himself. Doing this would make him more relatable. Also, readers love to be given some description of the characters' surroundings, so include a little in your writing. All of this will help to slow your plot movement down a bit so that you create some tension and the desire to read more in your reader. I really think your storytelling has a great deal of potential and I really liked that your plot is well thought out. Keep writing!
*Note: This is our personal experience from being on Wattpad and what we've seen. Everyone is different so what one person may experience, may not be what someone else will experience.*
