10 Rules of Critiquing

Rules of Critiquing:

1) Critique the writing, never the writer. Never say, "You are..." or "You should..." Instead say, "The writing is..." or "The story should..."
2) Find what is right in each piece as well as what is wrong.
3) Don't say, "This is how I would write it;" how you would write it isn't the point.
4) Remember that subject matter is personal. You don't have to like a story to give it a fair critique.
5) Remember that real people wrote this stuff, and real people have real feelings.

Rules of Being Critiqued:

1) Listen. The person who is speaking has taken the time to listen to your work, and wants to help you find ways to make it better.
2) Take notes.
3) Explain only if necessary. Don't rebut just for the sake of arguing.
4) Realize that everything can be improved.
5) Be willing to make changes. Conversely, don't change anything you feel must remain in order to make the story yours.