Quick Crit

We've all been there -- pressed for time, but really wanting to do a crit. Well, if you have time to read the fic once through, you have time to crit. How? Try out these quick crit suggestions:

1. When you open the fic, before you start reading, hit the "Reply" button.
2. Take a few seconds to say "hi" to the author, and then start reading.
3. As you read, make note of anything that you think of. The key to this is
   *don't censor your comments.* That is, if you read a paragraph and think "I don't get it," take the time to type that in below the paragraph. If something makes you think "hey, that's a really cool phrase" or "mmm that was great description" write it in.
4. Be honest, but remember, no flames. If something isn't working for you, try to point out why, or summarize what your view of it is, rather than saying just "that doesn't work."
5. Look for things like sentences that you have to read more than once to get the sense of. Point those out, and say "I had to read this a couple of times, and I take it to mean "x"."
6. Delete the paragraphs you have no comments on as you finish reading them. You don't want to quote the whole story back at the author.
7. If something that previously didn't make sense suddenly does later in the story, say so! The writer needs to know that sort of thing too. Don't go back and delete your previous comments. They're still valid. Writers need to know where the reader "clues in" as well as where they're confused.
8. Don't worry about having to find and fix grammatical errors if those are not your strong point. Focus on your feelings and reactions, how you interpret things, what the story says or does *to you.*
9. Be constructive. If there are problems you notice, try and suggest a solution. We're here to help each other improve as writers. Everyone's experience is valuable.
10. Hit the send button!