1

Is it possible to get better critiques on a blog than showing my story to family members in real life?

I have a blog where I post the progress of my story without posting the actual thing, would it be beneficial to just post the chapter being worked on each post or to keep doing what I'm doing?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
6

The best place to get critiques is in a critique group or a writing class. In these settings you will get feedback from other writers, or from a writing teacher. These are people who are (to one extent or another) studying and practicing the craft of writing. They care about why things work and don't work and have a vocabulary to talk about it. Because they are not your family or friends, they are not judging you as a person, and they are not going to love your stuff, or tell you love your stuff, just because it is yours. Most of all, they are making a commitment to you, as you are to them, to give you honest (but not cruel) feedback.

Blogs are for building an audience. They don't work until you are good enough to build an audience. Until you are good enough for your blog to do you some good, improve by reading attentively and widely, including reading about the craft, and by receiving and giving critiques in critique group or writing class. (By the way, you may find that you actually learn more by giving critiques, if you take it seriously, than by receiving them.)

Improve this answer
6
  • It's probably also worth noting that putting your work on a blog is running the risk of the content being stolen.
    – ggiaquin16
    Jul 12, 2017 at 20:13
  • 4
    @ggiaquin, stolen is perhaps the lesser risk, given the oceans of free prose available throughout the net. The greater risk is that publishing your writing on a open-access blog may count as its first electronic publishing which might disqualify that piece from some magazine and writing contest submissions which accept only unpublished works.
    – Henry Taylor
    Jul 12, 2017 at 20:57
  • @MarkBaker, excellent answer! Especially the last sentence! +1
    – Henry Taylor
    Jul 12, 2017 at 20:58
  • 1
    @ggiaquin The chances of having your unfinished stories stolen from your blog are just slightly less than having your dandelions stolen from your lawn. Writers want to write their own stuff and no unpublished story has a street value that makes the theft worth the effort for anyone else.
    – user16226
    Jul 12, 2017 at 21:29
  • so I just need to critique some people in order to get critiqued and then follow some masters?
    – Aspen the Artist and Author
    Jul 12, 2017 at 22:35

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.