[stylist] Critiquing

[Jackie Williams]

To all the many who have commented about this subject, every comment has
been of value. I think that an extensive article or a little booklet could
be made for all writers.
I am happy now that I waited to contribute until I had read all of the
remarks on this fascinating thread.
I belong to two different groups. The poetry is both a poetry  class and a
critique group of the same. From October until May, there about 8-11
attendees. Assignments with examples and instructions are given. There are
also other prompts provided if one wants to do their own thing.
The second half of the class is given to the reading and critiquing of the
poems which the members have brought in.
With some brand new to the craft, and some seasoned published poets, there
is an extremely wide range of skills available to the critiquing process.
Many new members write nothing or say nothing. I find that even this is
valuable, because it might tell you something about the accessibility of
your own work.
Our teacher encourages the practice of concentrating on just one area, like
hyphenated words, or redundant words, or whatever your strength is to
comment on.  
Then a much smaller group of these meet during the summer every other week.
With just four people, the critique process moves to a truly remarkable
level. Often, there is an analysis one line at a time. This is where the
real learning takes place.
 
The other class is writers of mixed genres. There are from 4to 6 of us
weekly year round. The teacher is a self-published mystery writer with an
extensive writing education, but no  degree or MFA.
Still, she addresses many of the things that Bridgit addresses as the
elements of good writing. It is truly a learning experience, and made up of
people generous with their time.
Where I am unable to see the selections, and have a severe hearing problem,
I still seem able to pick up significant things, and provide a wealth of
ideas and material to the writers, for I am an avid learner, and have saved
articles forever. I am even giving my treasured writing books away.
I appreciated what Lynda said about that at a certain level, you need
someone at an equal or higher level of craftsmanship to critique your work.
Equally, you have to have an interest and be willing to give up valuable
time to someone sincerely striving to make progress.
My pet peeve is when I struggle mightily  with my impaired vision and other
things, to give a meaningful explication of the poem, and a  critique,  it
is answered with no thought or feedback. It can be two or more hours down
the drain.
I usually do not enter a piece to a contest before I have had it
workshopped. I probably use about half of the remarks to improve what I have
written.  
A poem is always read out loud twice. The other class, just once because
there are usually several pages of a story.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to find a group. In my case, one
class is at the Scottsdale Senior Center, and the van from the Center for
the Deaf provides transport. The other is at the Mesa Senior Center, and the
teacher picks me up and brings me home.
The importance of support services cannot be underestimated.  
Bridgit, I know that content is not supposed to sway our critique. So often,
I like the content so much that I lose my objectivity, and the reverse also
happens if I want to put that person into a slot and never read another
thing of what he or she has written.
We are all unfinished works of art, and we have to keep making brush strokes
to reach a  higher level. 
 
Jackie Lee
 
Time is the school in which we learn.
Time is the fire in which we burn.
Delmore Schwartz