>>> Item number 24710 from WRITERS LOG9401D --- (59 records) ----- <<< Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 03:30:03 JST Reply-To: WRITERS Sender: WRITERS From: Mike Barker Subject: TECH: Help with Critiquing what a deal I got for you! see http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/faqs/critfaq.html for a copy of my ponderous text called FAQ: CRIT guidelines (DRAFT!) - critique guidelines if'n you ain't got time to peruse that, listen up to the folks that have made suggestions - they all make sense to me. mostly - read the piece. if'n you had writ it, what kind of comments would help you make it better? scribble those down, and pass them along. sure, maybe the author knows you can't walk an artichoke on a leash in Denver, but maybe they just goofed - and they'll be so happy to have someone point out that it takes a choke chain, they will just expectorate with joy. commas, how to use that shift key, where the quotes are - there's a lot of little stuff, and we all need all the eyeballs we can get pointing it out. you can also suggest how you would have done something. this is something I do a lot of, for two reasons. one - it gives the author a suggestion as to a little different way of handling it. two - it gives you a little exercise in handling something. also, you is bringing your own little blank spots up against this piece of writing. it can be very nice to point out that we don't know what kind of flowers grow on southern fences, or that Joe just went from Alaska to Florida without any explanation of how, or that the bathroom was on the left before, but now it's on the right. the author knows what they is trying to say - you get to tell them which parts went whizzing by without explanation, details, and sense. but, mostly, really, truly, honestly, on bended knees I'se asking you - give them crits a try. even when they hurt, they help, they really do help. and if you'se worried about the bent nose gang breaking your knees for saying that kind of stuff about their brother, don't be. they only get paid if they leave the hands alone, so you can keep writing... BTW - I often find that in critiquing some other person's piece, I learn something about my own blind spots. I mean, I read someone's piece, realize it's all talking heads without no scenery, and then I realize I do that in all my pieces, too... this may be something of a bene, or something of a downer, since you learn to critique yourself better by critiquing other people. (I said I wasn't going to say much, and then I rambles on and on - gotta see a sub about some crit to do now, okay? you all crit now?) marlon brando, where are you? tink