Critiquing
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- Parts 6
Ongoing24m
Last published Mon, Dec 15, 2014
This is where I'll try to offer my best advice on giving good critiques of writing. I always try to be thorough -- not holding back from mentioning even the biggest weakness of a piece -- while also presenting the criticism in a constructive way that the writer of the piece might appreciate and even possibly be a little inspired by. It's a huge challenge to maintain such a delicate balance, particularly in a review, which is also meant to recommend (or not recommend) the book to outside readers. I don't think I always do this perfectly, either, but I do think that I've learned a lot throughout my experiences and that I have some good advice that I can offer.
Originally written as a collection of suggestions, the GRA decided to adopt this as a guideline for members to follow in writing good reviews.
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🛑 - CLOSED until 2021. ***If you're interested in my critiques, you might want to check out my weekly newsletter for opportunities to get a personalized critique. https://paula.substack.com/p/coming-soon Does your work stand out in an overly-crowded landscape? Does your story & writing shine as far as: ★ - Concept ★ - Voice ★ - Storytelling The Standouts is a fun, but hopefully helpful contest that can give you a sense of whether your story resonates with someone who's got some experience under her belt. Great! But who are you to judge? Fair question. This is not to humble-brag, but I've been critiquing and have worked with story development for quite some time, and I've picked up a lot along the way. ☙ - As an Ambassador, I work on content projects. ☙ - If you look at my profile, you'll see everything I've published so far has managed to standout in one way or another, whether by leading me to become a Wattpad Star; or by winning a Watty (twice!); or by being picked as a Top 10 in major Wattpad contests (twice!); or being featured. All I'm saying is I'm no slouch. I'm not brilliant either. But I've got some experience around what can catch an agent, editor, or judge's eye, and I'd like to share that with the community. ☙ - In another lifetime, I used to work for HBO in Development and at ICM (the talent agency) in their writers' department which means I understand how professionals quickly gauge whether or not they'll take a closer look at a work and/or make an offer. This kind of insight can be helpful if you're planning to submit your work or even just want to stand out more here on Wattpad. ☙ - I used to provide critiques for three writers, all of them traditionally published. They seemed to value my insight. Read the RULES, LOGISTICS & PRIZES chapter for guidelines. All entries get a brief assessment of their first chapter, with winners getting more extensive critiques. Sound interesting? Give it a go! 😊
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