|
April 27, 2008 08:02:51
Posted By The Write Editor
|
|
Have you ever asked a friend, relative, or fellow writer to critique your manuscript, and when they did they said, “I liked it,” or “I wasn’t crazy about it,” or “Yeah, I read it. So?” Not much help, were they?
More than likely, they didn’t know how to properly critique. Following are some questions that will not only guide those who are critiquing a manuscript, but also give practical help to the author as he or she fine-tunes the manuscript:
1. Does the subject matter interest enough of an audience to warrant publication? If not, what would it take to broaden the appeal?
2. Does the manuscript begin at the right place? Sometimes the story needs to start from the second chapter rather than the first. The essential groundwork laid in the first chapter can be dropped in where and when needed.
3. Although the subject matter is accurate, does it drag? Add similes and metaphors to liven it up. If you’re writing nonfiction, how about including snippets of stories to bring the information to life?
4. Does the information flow in a logical order? Does one point lead to the next and so on?
5. Is it too wordy? Can the information be condensed or combined?
This short list is by no means all-inclusive. You can add other more questions that address specific ideas or topics discussed in your manuscript.
Using these questions will take your critique from subjective opinion to objective suggestions. The end result will be a manuscript that has broad appeal, good pacing and word choice, and a logical flow.
|
Categories:
writing,
author,
manuscript,
copyedit,
copyediting,
critique,
critiquing,
writer,
organization,
critic
