My ABCtales Story: A Blogger's Critique

I've read it scratch. What did you think?

Yes.

Just interested really in your views post-critique. I may try to have a piece of my current work assassinated. An intro of my work was critiqued in Writers mag. The advice gave me new perspective and illuminated lots of things for me. I'm thick skinned (ish) because I am eager to improve.You clearly are too. But I find there is an undeniable unpleasant in being brave and seeking feedback.

Blog critiques do have a personality attached to them too. Less impartial.

I certainly intend to give it a go. We've only got one set of eyes and critiques help us see what we miss. Even people we might think as illeterate assholes sometimes tell us something that can be valueable. Praise is ok, but forensic attention to detail is much, much, better. We has a blog about creative writing schools, a bit of a laugh, but in my eperience the teachers are excellent and know their stuff inside out and upside down (sorry about that cliche). It's a pity we have to pay for such stuff, but my view is it saves time and can be worth it.

Hi Scratch, I think his advice is good regardless of whether we agree with how he applied it to your work. I think at points his own style was unnecessarily aggressive though and seemed to be casting more attention on himself than your writing. For instance I interpreted your mention of the optimistic sixties in a different way but he rather chose that as his moment of triumph. I agree with him about the opening paragraph, I felt it jarred a little when I read it but his other criticisms I hadn't necessarily thought of when I actually read your piece. He does at least concede that he was unsure if all his advice had been constructive but to be honest only you can know what rings true - what you already knew probably - and you will also know better which criticism rankled the most and so which bits you are prepared to fight for. Good effort for submitting it anyway, or even having anything to submit. I was interested in where the story was going and I think that is the most important thing. One of my favourite books, Captain Correlli's Mandolin, has a terrible and turgid opening chapter but the rest of the book in my opinion is wonderful and I recommend it to everyone -it's not all about the first page, although I suppose you have to start there. All the best with it. :)

I have to confess I am channeling Stephen King's advice from his book On Writing, which I read recently and found enormously helpful. As I have mentioned it on the site before I should probably say at this point that I am not on commission and I am definitely not Stephen King. It is a good book though!

Hats off to you, Scratch. You've been hung, drawn and quartered and taken it on the chin with humility and grace. Tim Clare is undoubtedly as masterful at criticism as a stand-up comedian, but perhaps the thoroughness of this literary striptease act is more of an exercise to announce his very real powers of observation when it comes to writing/editing/calling the shots. He does have a brilliant way of explaining his thoughts, great technical insight and clearly knows how to deconstruct a writer('s ego), which is surely half the battle for anyone serious about it, but that's how he earns a living; by offering true love the hard way. What I mean is, I think you'll learn more from this experience (as a writer) than any other in the past, purely because you have had the courage to make your work available for criticism from someone who really does keep his onions close to his chest. I found it very constructive on the whole but I don't envy Tim's job and nor do I envy my chances of survival post-Clare. If I sent him a first page, I'd probably have a steady flow of angry diarrhoea bubbling out from my panties till I knew it hadn't been chosen, and if it was I'd probably just refuse to acknowledge his scissorhands at work. You did the opposite and will reap the rewards. Courage! The accelerator of learning.

scratch - You have said, in a far more diplomatic way, what I was thinking when I read this initially. The words left me, so I just signed off because I didn't want to sound like a petulant child. The picks of the day are plucked from an array of high quality work. Critiques have their merit and professional purpose. Every critic will see different strengths and weaknesses in a piece. They bring their own professional judgement, personality and more importantly, their preferences within their own expertise, to the work they butcher. Without criticism, compliment is deficit. Critics can help improve work phenomenally - and they can suggest it become something it was never intended to be! If you put Virginia Woolf in a room with Conrad Doyle, they would never agree on a final edited version. It is merely a process of bringing literary knowledge and rules in to practice. But it is just as much about style. Without critics, writers are builder's bum cracks - refinement comes with picking stuff apart and re-shaping. You listen, take on board what makes sense to you. And you hang on to things that may go against their grain,and the next person's grain, because you refuse to compromise something within your own writing style and beliefs. And on that note, I will say that one person's fluff is another person's treasure.

Congratulations scratch on being killed by a thousand cuts. I'm sure you'll be resurrected a much stronger writer, and person. Sometimes I think of, and I use the term lightly, us writers, as being like little clockwork toys all buzzing away, doing our thing, not realising we've headed down a couple of blind alleys or cul-de-sacs. Then along comes someone in the know who can pick us up, turn us around and face us in the right direction. For some this can be a challenging experience, realising how much lost time has been spent perfecting certain faults and finding out we're not quite as far along the path as we'd maybe thought. For others, though, this is an enlightening experience and one they would love to relive on a weekly, if not daily, basis, if only they could afford to pay those in the know for their time and expertise. Best of luck to you with this piece. I'd love to see a redrafted version if/when you get around to it.

Dear Scratch, I have commented on the first version and I hope I have not added to your bruising. I am now going to read the critique. If it's any consolation I've had three short stories critiqued two by one person and the other one by someone else. Oh, and I also had a play critiqued by yet another person. And I'm still a rubbish writer but you most definitely are not. More power to your pen MOya

Your attitude to your writing (far from a 'scratch') will ensure you succeed! I have always invited and paid attention to critiques of my work, whether I employ those suggestions or not is entirely my choice - and every time I return the favor, I learn. Win-win.