In Today’s Journal
* A Day Off
* On What Is “Customary” in Critiques
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
A Day Off
I know. A what? A day off?
But yesterday, after I floated TNDJ in your general direction and constructed a cover and a promo doc and (what the hell) went ahead and published B0-52 (I can always upload a new document after I get feedback)….
I took a day off.
Mona bought us a wood chipper, but we had to drive to Sierra Vista to pick it up.
While we were there, we also dropped in at the commissary to grab some groceries, then went to lunch.
So I didn’t start a new novel yesterday. So I wrote zilch point squat for fiction yesterday. Ugh. Maybe today.
But in the meantime, I thought I’d published the following some years back, but I was unable to find the post, so I decided to post it today as kind of a filler. Enjoy.
On What Is “Customary” in Critiques
Several years ago a writer sent me a short story and asked me to read it with an eye to critique. She wanted my thoughts, she said.
I told her I don’t do critiques. A few writers who ask for critiques are looking for free advice, which is fine. I’m flattered they come to me, and I’m pleased they believe I won’t pass along bogus information.
And asking advice directly is fine. I have no problem with that. If you know what you want and ask me directly, and if I feel it’s something I know, I’ll be happy to share my knowledge.
But I suspected that isn’t what she wanted. I suspected she wanted blanket approval and unfounded praise.
Sorry. I don’t do that. If you want automatic, unconditional praise, show your manuscript to your mother. Loving you and telling you how wonderful your writing is even when it isn’t is a mom’s job.
But this writer was insistent. She said she thought I was “afraid” to read her story because I thought I might find she was “a darn good writer.”
All righty then. So I carved some time out of a very busy schedule and read the opening of her story, the first 300 to 500 words.
I went in with an open mind. If the opening forced me to continue reading (that’s the job of the opening), I would continue reading and praise her for the good points of her story.
It didn’t.
But because she asked me for a critique and insisted I read her story, I pointed out what was lacking from the opening that would have hooked me had it been there. Here are the dim spots:
- the POV switched from the first paragraph to the second
- in the first paragraph, there was zero description of the setting (an Arizona desert)
- in the second paragraph, there was extremely limited (and all external) description of the new setting (in orbit)
In real life, as a reader, this is where I typically stop reading and find something else to do. Something more pleasant, like slicing the end off a habañera pepper and grinding it into my eye. However, please note, once the reader selects a story in a genre he likes (reader ‘taste’)
- the reader’s reaction is always the writer’s fault. If the writer doesn’t ground the reader in the setting, the writer hasn’t invited the reader into the story.
- It’s as if the reader walked into a theater to watch actors perform a play, and instead there was only a narrator standing behind a mic at center stage reading all the parts to the reader while the reader, who prefers to be an active participant, sits on his hands and passively listens.
- At that point, the reader is bo-ho-ho-hooooooored.
But I agreed to read the opening. So back to that.
- in the third paragraph, we’re in the same setting and there’s still no description
- in the fourth paragraph, the POV switches again back to the surface and a guy on a treadmill. Again, no description of the setting. Just a guy with no face or clothing or personal features on a vague, generic treadmill in a room (I assume) that’s stark and white.
- When I say “no description of the setting,” I mean there was no floor, no carpeting, no furniture, no walls or windows, no framed photographs. Nothing.
Still, I was not snarky. I told the writer she had written an excellent seed that was “all right” as a story but that could be excellent if she only described the setting so the reader could experience it.
Predictably, she emailed me back to say, “It’s customary for a critiquer to find something good to say.” (‘Something good to say’ in addition to what I wrote in the previous paragraph, I guess, but I didn’t bother writing her back.)
She’s right. I’ve noticed that it IS “customary” for a critiquer “to find something good to say.”
But it isn’t helpful. In fact, it’s harmful.
This is one example of a writer who wants only praise. Even empty praise is better than no praise at all. We all have that writers’ ego to varying degrees, and that’s perfectly fine.
But remember that only a reader’s honest participation in and enjoyment of your work justifies that ego.
Anyway, she also thanked me for the advice and said she’d take it into consideration.
But I’m sure she didn’t and I’m sure she won’t.
And that’s fine.
*
I anticipate that, unfortunately, I’ll have more to say about writers’ ego soon Stay tuned. And if I don’t, I’ll report why too.
Any questions about anything above or anything to do with fiction writing or publishing, email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
Dr. Mardy’s Quotes of the Week: Strong Weaknesses
The Numbers
The Journal………………….. 970
Mentorship Words…………….. 0
Total Nonfiction…………………. 970
Writing of
Day 1…… XXXX words. To date………… XXXXX
Fiction for November……………………… 92608
Fiction for 2025…………………………… 754647
Nonfiction for November.………………… 25660
Nonfiction for 2025………………..……… 265130
2025 consumable words………………… 1012208
2025 Novels to Date…………………….. 18
2025 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2025 Short Stories to Date……………… 36
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 122
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 310
Short story collections……………………. 29