tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post2210509756935045481..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Critique SpeakDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-61494865084501715012011-07-19T05:53:19.614-06:002011-07-19T05:53:19.614-06:00When my old boss would say, "What's that ...When my old boss would say, "What's that smell? It's coming from this copy ... " I knew exactly what he meant.Christopher Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03667548312923348614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-9228500435849634082011-07-18T17:57:26.572-06:002011-07-18T17:57:26.572-06:00Elspeth, re: cracking the code-- That's true o...Elspeth, re: cracking the code-- That's true of critique groups, and it's true of the best dialogue between our characters. There's usually something going unsaid.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-22982910890303320572011-07-18T17:55:26.472-06:002011-07-18T17:55:26.472-06:00Maryann: You are brutally blunt because you have t...Maryann: You are brutally blunt because you have the natural disposition of an editor! Not everyone has that. And it helps that we work alone. If all the BRP editors did a group edit around one table, would you want to be the only one to say, "I didn't get it?" Our lone working style helps our sense of honesty, in my opinion.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-26399834696548118982011-07-18T17:52:01.476-06:002011-07-18T17:52:01.476-06:00Thanks, Michelle. Let me know how it works out!Thanks, Michelle. Let me know how it works out!Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-14235508143064801002011-07-18T17:07:46.477-06:002011-07-18T17:07:46.477-06:00Thanks for this interesting post. Everyone communi...Thanks for this interesting post. Everyone communicates in their own way; the trick is to be able to unlock the code.Elspeth Futcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10330102545384369360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-5536670081730155092011-07-18T16:09:54.555-06:002011-07-18T16:09:54.555-06:00This is interesting. I never thought about Critiqu...This is interesting. I never thought about Critique Speak before. I guess because I am so brutally blunt, I figured everyone in my critique group was, too. Now I know why some of the responses I received seemed a little off. LOLMaryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-79018966415384198302011-07-18T15:32:49.978-06:002011-07-18T15:32:49.978-06:00Wow, what a great post. I'll really look at my...Wow, what a great post. I'll really look at my critiques in a different way now. I do always try to say what I mean when I critique for others, and now I'll think even more carefully about how I word my suggestions.Michele Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16768815750264631798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-24950309085727198652011-07-18T11:53:46.338-06:002011-07-18T11:53:46.338-06:00Yes Helen, that's a perceptive point. They kno...Yes Helen, that's a perceptive point. They know something's amiss, but can't pinpoint it. I once edited a book in which it sounded as though the authorial voice came across as condescending--to both the reader and his own characters. The implied warning: these characters won't rate our interest. That's obviously not what he intended! After much analysis, the problem was part the author's breezy style, part esoteric vocabulary choice, and part a lack of dimension in the characterization. <br /><br />It is rare that you'll get that kind of analysis from a critiquer, although she will sense the author speaking down to her.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-57367571127006310832011-07-18T11:05:49.629-06:002011-07-18T11:05:49.629-06:00Thanks Kathryn. Most of the time, readers/critique...Thanks Kathryn. Most of the time, readers/critiquers don't say what they mean because they just don't know what they mean. Something's wrong, in their viewpoint, but they're not sure what.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-8979042359322874732011-07-18T10:36:36.871-06:002011-07-18T10:36:36.871-06:00Gigglesandguns: I always like to assume the input ...Gigglesandguns: I always like to assume the input is useful on some level, then try to find that level!Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-56259869624643582122011-07-18T10:35:36.566-06:002011-07-18T10:35:36.566-06:00Sharon: Thanks so much for sharing this resource! ...Sharon: Thanks so much for sharing this resource! I'll have to check it out.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-66095916869416495212011-07-18T10:15:56.441-06:002011-07-18T10:15:56.441-06:00Wonderful! Thanks so much for clearing this up.
It...Wonderful! Thanks so much for clearing this up.<br />It's so disheartening to read someones notes and keep going, "What the heck are they trying to say?"Mary@GigglesandGunshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07350818228268801008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-43021098591555697722011-07-18T10:00:47.924-06:002011-07-18T10:00:47.924-06:00Great post Kathryn. You make powerful points. In h...Great post Kathryn. You make powerful points. In her book WRITING AND PUBLISHING PERSONAL ESSAYS, Sheila Bender has a terrific three-step critique process that teaches critiquers how to state things in the terms you describe. I recently started using it in a group I lead, and it's working wonders. I highly recommend that anyone in a writing group become familiar with it and share it with group members. That will save a lot of frustration and confusion and avoid the need to read between the lines of critiques.Sharon Lippincotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16269757107845288737noreply@blogger.com