Learning to Review, as a Writer
If you’re looking to become a published author, having a trusted cohort of writers is invaluable. Some of us find our communities through classes, others through friends, and others turn to online spaces, or forums for like-minded people. No matter how you find your community, the exchange of feedback is one of the most effective ways to build your personal writing cohort. But feedback, especially feedback to a friend’s work, can often feel intimidating. You can question whether your feedback is actually helpful, whether it’s phrased in an empathetic manner, and if it’s clear enough, among other “imposter syndrome” questions that can stop us from building our writing community. It is always difficult to deliver feedback; learning how to critique tactfully and helpfully is even more challenging. But I’ve found that there’s one practice that has helped me become a more effective critique partner: book reviews.
My first experience with more professional critiques was at Emerson College’s Creative Writing MFA. I remember clearly the first piece I was given, the work of an older classmate, which was a smaller part of their larger thesis project. I remember sitting at my desk, pen in hand, flipping through the pages nervously because I didn’t know what to say. I knew how I felt about their work, I knew that some sections drew me in, and I sped through them, rapt; while other sections took longer, and my pace slowed down– though I couldn’t manage to say why.
I desperately wanted to be helpful, but my nerves made me overexplain. Our assignment limited feedback to one to two pages, max. I wrote four. Four pages of me rambling out my thoughts as I tried to work through my own feelings, quantifying all my advice out of fear that it would feel like I was imposing my own stylistic voice or reading preference when that was purely subjective. I was equally scared my advice might do more harm than good. I was not a confident reviewer, and that weakened my critique.
I still cringe at the memory of those four pages of “feedback.” As a result, I felt guilty and embarrassed: it made me second-guess myself when it came to giving feedback about problems that I saw clearly. I knew I needed to practice, and I needed examples on how to become a better critic and a better classmate. So, I turned to reviews.
When you learn how to review, you learn how to read critically and articulate your judgments. You already know that there are character arcs or plot devices that make your brain tick, but by reviewing, you begin to understand why these literary devices work and how to explain them succinctly. The more experienced you become in making a professional critique, the more you understand when reading your own or your friend’s writing why something feels off or good; too slow, too fast, or just right. You move past the vague “Great!” and start articulating why you’ve fallen in love with a writer’s characters, plots, and descriptions. You become more confident in your analysis of what works and doesn’t work. At the end of the day, your reviews are your personal reactions; your analysis supplies the justification. It is up to the writer to accept or reject your perspective, whether or not they internalize it. Eventually, as I learned how to critique, my critiques were no longer four pages of uncertain ramblings, but a single page of decisive advice and praise.
Writing has been regarded as a solitary endeavor, but the truth is that collaboration will inevitably be a huge part of any successful writing career. Read reviews of the books you love and of books you hate: it will hone your critical skills. Writing reviews will help you practice your evaluative skills. By doing so, you will clarify your own ideas – what do you value, what don’t you value? Writing useful reviews takes time and effort, but mastering the skill will make you a more thoughtful reader, a better writer, and a better writing companion, too.
— Claire Robertson
