General Critique Guidelines

Analyze and evaluate the literary work with the goal of improving the piece.

Don’t judge disapprovingly or look for fault.

As the author, do not defend the piece. Listen and learn.

Characters

• Could you tell the characters apart during dialogue?
• Did the characters stay true to their personality?
• Are the characters interesting and believable?
• Did you care what happened to them?
• Did the protagonist grow/mature throughout the story?
• Were any characters extraneous?

Plot Development

• Is the plot believable and supported?
• Is the plot original or cliché?
• Did the plot grab you?
• Did the conflict get resolved satisfactorily?

Foundation

• Was there a clear beginning (conflict and character introduction)?
• Was there a solid middle heightening the conflict and drama?
• Did the ending resolve the initial conflict or problem and did it tie up the loose ends?

Elements

• Did the opening sentence or paragraph grab your attention?
• Did the sentences flow well with good rhythm and clear ideas?
• Was the grammar correct?
• Are there repetitive sentences, redundancies or unnecessary points made?
• Did the story maintain pace, hold your interest, and continually pull you forward?
• Did the story “Show vs. Tell” the salient points?

Published: May 23, 2020