What is Critiquing?
Do you need some big-picture feedback on your manuscript? I can provide you with a bespoke editorial report.
A what, sorry? Well, you send me your manuscript and I’ll write you a lovely report all about what works and what doesn’t. But don’t worry, I’m always constructive; I know how hard it is to hand over the fruits of your labour to someone else. I’ll give you ideas about how to improve your writing and you can then trot off and hone your words. If you know you want to rework part of your manuscript, but need some focused guidance, this is the option for you!
A critique gives you an overview of the text, looking at its strengths and weaknesses. For a novel, for example, it might include aspects such as:
Developmental Editing
In many ways this is very similar to a critique, but whereas a critique is an overview of the manuscript, a developmental edit is a much more detailed process. It involves not only a written report on your manuscript, but also detailed comments within the manuscript itself (using Word's comments facility). Although a developmental edit covers the same territory as a critique, it does so in a more in-depth way.
This stage of the editorial process doesn’t just improve works of fiction; it can be invaluable for non-fiction writers too.
A what, sorry? Well, you send me your manuscript and I’ll write you a lovely report all about what works and what doesn’t. But don’t worry, I’m always constructive; I know how hard it is to hand over the fruits of your labour to someone else. I’ll give you ideas about how to improve your writing and you can then trot off and hone your words. If you know you want to rework part of your manuscript, but need some focused guidance, this is the option for you!
A critique gives you an overview of the text, looking at its strengths and weaknesses. For a novel, for example, it might include aspects such as:
- The opening of your story – does any prologue work? Will the reader keep turning the pages?
- Characterisation – are your characters believable and do they contain depth?
- Pace – does your story drag where it shouldn’t and whizz where it should savour?
- Plot – is it engaging and plausible? Do subplots work?
- Dialogue – is there too much, too little, is it varied, does it flow? Does your tagging work?
- Point of view – are you using pov consistently and in a way that complements your story?
- Structure – does it work for your story? Does it suit your genre?
- Final chapters – does your ending work? Will your reader sigh with satisfaction?
- Regular errors of grammar and punctuation
Developmental Editing
In many ways this is very similar to a critique, but whereas a critique is an overview of the manuscript, a developmental edit is a much more detailed process. It involves not only a written report on your manuscript, but also detailed comments within the manuscript itself (using Word's comments facility). Although a developmental edit covers the same territory as a critique, it does so in a more in-depth way.
This stage of the editorial process doesn’t just improve works of fiction; it can be invaluable for non-fiction writers too.
J.B. Turner
Author of Gone Bad (part of the Jon Reznick series)
http://jbturnerauthor.com/
Very elegant, generous and thoughtful critique. I found it not only sympathetic to my writing/foibles (which is rather nice) but gently pointing me in the right direction.