Guidelines for Nonfiction Critiques

Guidelines for Writing Fiction Critiques, the most important guideline for a critique is to give an

honest, constructive, and polite assessment of the writing. All comments should be about the words

written, not about the person writing them.

Here are the steps I follow when doing a thorough critique of nonfiction:

1. Overall Impressions: Evaluate the work as a reader.

a. Content: Does it open with something that captures your attention and makes you want to keep

reading? Does the pace seem appropriate for the type of information being covered? Can you clearly

identify the subject or main idea? Is the main idea supported by evidence, anecdotes, interviews,

viewpoints, or some other method?

b. Audience: Is it clear who the target audience is for the book, article, or essay? Is the tone,

language, and reading level appropriate for that audience?

c. Format: Is it following standard submission guidelines for that type of work, or is it tailored

towards guidelines of a specific market? Is it organized logically, so the reader can follow the

development of the topic or progression of the events?

2. The Mechanics: Evaluate the work for structural strengths and weaknesses.

a. Structure: Were paragraphs and sentences appropriate in length for the type of information

presented? Would varying their length add interest or adjust the pace more effectively? Does the

choice of words feel appropriate? Is the information presented in a way that the target audience will

find easy to understand? Does the conclusion summarize the main points effectively, or bring the work

to a satisfying end?

b. Grammar: Are there obvious mistakes in grammar and spelling? Are there too many clichés in the

narrative or dialog?

c. Extras: If there are sidebars, charts, graphs, pictures, or other supporting documents, do they

support the premise, theme, arguments, or hypothesis? Are they formatted properly and annotated in

the body of the work?

Tips on Giving and Receiving Critique
Our purpose is to provide a supportive environment for each other while offering candid
feedback about how to improve our work. The following suggestions combine our own opinions
as well as some advice for other websites and past workshops.

Things to consider when critiquing fiction:

 Characterization
 Dialogue
 Setting
 Point of View
 Development
 Pacing
 Mechanics

Things to consider when critiquing poetry:

 Pacing
 Word Choice
 Flow
 Imagery
 What is the experience of the poem?
 Is the experience poem worthy?
 Is it an inspired moment?
 What does the poem mean to me?
 Does the writer create a scene or do I have to “fill in the gaps”?

Elements of Creative Non-fiction:

In CNF, the writer always has a message: what he or she has to say or show about the
person, place or situation he or she is documenting. CNF captures a real subject in a
literary way using literary techniques to elevate the quality of non-fiction. CNF is usually
written in essay form and has a factual element. It shows rather than tells. Examples of
CNF include literary journalism, narrative journalism, and the memoir.

Tips on delivering criticism:

 Respect the author’s work and their individual style. Refrain from projecting your own
tastes on their work. Be open to new writing ideas.
 Distinguish the author of the work from the speaker. Refer to the narrator of the story,
not the writer.
 No matter how flawless a submission may appear at first glance, there are always areas
for improvement. While our purpose is not to scrutinize or nitpick at each other’s work,
we want to contribute in a manner that is productive and helpful to the writer since our
reading ideally represents a larger audience.
 Read the work more than once and make notes about a sentence that puzzled you and
comment on areas that need clarity. Are the author’s intentions clear, or are they merely
suggested?
 Tips on receiving criticism:
 Make notes as the comments are being delivered so you can refer back to them later.
 Resist taking a defensive stance towards the criticism. While your writing is your
creation, don’t perceive criticism as if it’s being directed towards you as a person. As the
artist, it is clearly your decision what comments you choose to embrace or ignore. But it
is in your best interest to observe the trends of the workshop: if there is a consensus
amongst your critics about an area for improvement, then you should probably listen to
that bulk of advice.