What exactly is a 'Critique'?
I've just recieved a long awaited
critique from 'WritersOnline', recommended to me by a friend.
I sent my synopsis and first three chapters off on 13th August
along with £49. A month later, I'd had no response. I couldn't
email them, so had to make a phone call. Blah. So the lady doing
the crit for my genre had personal problems and hadn't read my
work. Okay, that fine, we all all only human. So, they agreed
to me sending some revised work ( synopsis & first 3 chapters)
for her to look at. That was on 23rd Sept. Just received a
response today after a further phone call. 'Oh, she's in london
today' blah, blah.
Anyway, today I received the critique. I think perhaps I was expecting more than a couple of hundred words, most of them about my punctuation and indentation in the first couple of paragraphs.
The rest almost made me laugh out loud. She said that my m/c came across as being racist. Me? Now I had to think very long and hard about this, once I had stopped laughing of course.
So, my m/c's best friend is Northern Irish, she grew up in a working class, abusive background and was pushed from one foster home to the next.
If I were to take this critique seriously, by mentioning potatoes and alcohol and she once says 'so it is' as many a Belfast person does, I am being racist and stereotyping the Northern Irish as being spud eating, drinking 'so it isers.'
When the mist cleared, I thought, 'No, actually they are not my stereotypes or my pre-conceived ideas, they are yours - and you are actually ther racist, not me!'
I come from County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Lou, the NI character who, through her conversations with my M/c, has made her come across as racist.
Obviously I am worried 1) about stereotyping - and 2) There was not a mention of structure, pace, dialogue, setting in my critique.
Any thoughts would be most welcome as I am at a bit of a loss!!
Anyway, today I received the critique. I think perhaps I was expecting more than a couple of hundred words, most of them about my punctuation and indentation in the first couple of paragraphs.
The rest almost made me laugh out loud. She said that my m/c came across as being racist. Me? Now I had to think very long and hard about this, once I had stopped laughing of course.
So, my m/c's best friend is Northern Irish, she grew up in a working class, abusive background and was pushed from one foster home to the next.
If I were to take this critique seriously, by mentioning potatoes and alcohol and she once says 'so it is' as many a Belfast person does, I am being racist and stereotyping the Northern Irish as being spud eating, drinking 'so it isers.'
When the mist cleared, I thought, 'No, actually they are not my stereotypes or my pre-conceived ideas, they are yours - and you are actually ther racist, not me!'
I come from County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Lou, the NI character who, through her conversations with my M/c, has made her come across as racist.
Obviously I am worried 1) about stereotyping - and 2) There was not a mention of structure, pace, dialogue, setting in my critique.
Any thoughts would be most welcome as I am at a bit of a loss!!
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14 Comments
I recently received a critique from someone (not here) who'd obviously not read my context brief (it was a later chapter and I was asking for ideas and opinions on a specific aspect of the chapter, not a standard 'tell me what you think' critique, since critiquing late chapters are notoriously difficult to do without reading the whole story) and he fell foul of this. In the end, I had 4 critiquers arguing over my extract, all saying different things. In a way it was flattering - hey, I inspired an argument! - but at the same time, all I kept thinking was 'but none of you are answering my question - in fact, none of you are even critiquing anything. You're all just saying what you like to read, which, whilst nice, is about as useful to me as a chocolate teapot right now'.
Sounds like your critiquer was rushed for time, picked up on one thing she personally didn't like (the stereotyping thing) and just ran with it. If there was no objective overview of pace, structure, settings etc, then I think I'd be asking for my money back... When you ask for critique - especially paid critique! - you should not be left feeling this confused about your feedback. Critique is supposed to help clear the waters, not muddy them further!
As for what she said - well, the point of sterotypes is that they are based on reality - hell, otherwise they wouldn't exist would they? Had your character spoken like I do, for example, she wouldn't sound as if she came from Northern Ireland, as neither do I. I would agree with Elysia, the point of a crit is not to say what you do or don't like about something, but if it works. Having read your work I cannot say that I found Lou offensive - I didn't like her a great deal but I felt that she was not meant to be totally likeable - that was the point. Goodness me, if you had a book where you liked everyone, even the MC all the time, how dull would that be? You can like a person but not their choices, haven't we understood that by now?
I think that this crit is a bigger indictment of their services than your writing - I'd complain, not about what they said but their shabby service.
I'm coming to the same conclusion as Ely. Crits can only take you so far, then you've got to fly solo and believe in ones self. I've been thinking all along that I need crits, crits and more crits. Actually what I really need is an editor. Once YOU like your story and you've maybe had that confirmed by a few other people, get on an write it. Then make it the best it can be by editing.
Write for the story's sake and for the love of it. After, all if an artist paints a picture they often won't let ANYONE see it until it's finished.
1 - Despite it being a pretty poor job it has boosted your confidence in yourself and your work. Yes it has, look at what you say above.
2- Critiques from people you know little about are not reliable - confirmed.
Personally I'm an arrogant SOB. I never ask for critique any longer. I do ask if whoever I'm asking likes it, or if they would want more. Because, as Ely says, it's a tough job to divorce critique from "This is how I would do it", or whether the "critiquer" actually likes it anyway.
As for the stereo-typing/racist question, I think you've answered your doubts about that. If you read any Marian Keyes, she uses Irish dialect all the time in her writing and it doesn't feel stereo-typical at all and definitely not racist! It's all about finding the balance between what people actually say and what people think people actually say. For example, I get annoyed when people use stereo-typical Scottish dialect - e.g. och aye the noo - because I've never said that in my life nor had anyone say it back to me (except drunken English student friends who thought they were being funny). On the other hand, using the word 'aye' is acceptable as it is used all the time and, depending where in Scotland your character from, using 'och' can be ok to (as in 'och well, never mind'). So, I can't see the problem with you using similar Irish phrases in speech.
I don't agree with your critic.
Many TV progammes use dialect, to the extent that I have to use subtitles in order to follow the story. (Though if you watch Downton Abbey, the chauffeur is working class Irish. At least I think he is. He might be a middle class radical. Otherwise he is totally stereotypical and a paint- it -by- numbers character. This is not a criticism of the series, which i enjoy.)
Do you remember a writer called James Kelman. If you look into his writing career he could well have been 'criticised' in the same way you have been.
Manuel from 'Fawlty Towers' might well be a case study for this!
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Get-the-Most-From-Feedback-on-Your-Writing&id=6636832
Trouble is, most writers seeking a critique need moral support, to like their baby, to smooth their feathers, to boost their ego, etc. Your book is a product to any one other than you. A product that agents can sell to publishers.
£49 spent on rubbish feedback is a salutory lesson. Pay peanuts, expect monkeys - and I scream in frustration that so many talented writers just don't have the dosh to pay for more experienced and professional guidance.
In a roundabout way, ND, I have every sympathy - although take heed of what Debi has given you to look at. Maybe there's a kernel of critique that your intended market could find a turn-off (although, from what I've read, it seems nonsensical).
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