But is it obvious to the reader if you aren’t there to
explain? Are you so close to your work that you didn’t notice a missing word?
Did your point get across? Are you ready
to submit? HOW DO YOU KNOW?!?!
Critique Partners.
Good critique partners are worth their weight in chocolate.
Most writers are too close to their work. It is just a fact
and we need to be real with ourselves. Others will judge the book, for better
or worse, when we submit it to an agent or editor. So wouldn’t we want to know
up front what people think? What we need to improve?
Phase One:
Critique yourself. Try to go line by line and look at it from an outsider’s
perspective. (Not easy! Takes practice!)
A trick I use is to read the picture book manuscript
backwards so you are focusing on sentences individually. This prevents you from
going autopilot through the story you’ve read 7,982 times.
Phase Two: Text
to Speech. Most all computers have a text to speech capability. A trick if you
don’t have it in Word is to copy and paste it into Excel. The computerized
voice that is stilted and staccato reads much like a child would. It also may
catch errors that spell check missed. You may have written loose when you meant
lose. Spell check won’t save you there. But that computerized voice will shock
you when you say, “That’s not what I meant.”
Phase Three:
Other people. This is where the big fixes happen. They will help you with a number of things.
Big Picture Items:
Is your character’s motivation strong and apparent?
Is your story arc complete? Picture books still need a beginning, middle, and end in most cases.
Is the MC relatable to a child and do they react in
childlike ways or is our adult brain seeping into the story?
Super Necessary Things:
Word chopping – Most contemporary picture books must be
below 1,000 words and the sweet spot, currently, is less than 500.
Does it leave room for the illustrator? Do you really need
to mention their hair color or their shoes? It better be a part of story arc if you did.
Is your word choice active or passive?
What energy is your picture book conveying? Is it loud and
humorous or quiet and contemplative?
Smaller Things:
Line edits.
Word choice like ‘a’ vs. ‘the’.
Any word choices or clusters that make it difficult to read
aloud or cause your reader to stumble. Read-Aloudablility is necessary for a good picture book. Ask any librarian.
Being a good critique
partner yourself:
Some people like the ‘sandwich’ technique.
Bread – Say what you
like. (Positive)
Meat/Cheese/Veggies – The items that need work and will make
your manuscript stronger and healthier. (Not negative per se, but the stuff
that is harder to hear.)
Bread – Say more of what works and what you like. (Positive)
I personally like club sandwiches, so throw some of that
bread in the middle too. Just sayin’.
Your job as a critique partner is to help others find weak
spots in their structure, build on solid foundations, and polish a beautiful
and strong story. An added bonus, when critiquing other’s work, is you may
notice areas that you need to work on too. This will help you when critiquing
your own work and will make you a stronger writer.
It may take a few tries to find a group or partners that are
a good fit. If you write in rhyme, find other poets. If you lead a super busy
lifestyle, find an online group that has more flexibility. Do you need
accountability? Find a local group that you have to look in the eye every week
or every month. Go find your people.
Happy writing and happy critiquing!
Awesome post! I'm a club sandwich critiquer myself. :D
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I'm a club sandwich critiquer myself. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Tracy! Club sandwiches are the best :-)
ReplyDelete