Avoid Bias in Critiques: Concentrate on Craft

by Cynthia Williford

As readers, we each have our likes and dislikes. One reader prefers a lighthearted cozy mystery, while another prefers hardboiled thrillers. One reader delights in the quiet tale of Owl Moon, while another prefers the zaniness of Walter, the Farting Dog. Each to his own.

And the same is true for us as writers. I love to write fantasy, while a friend of mine writes true-to-life coming of age stories. She wouldn’t know fairy from djinn, while I couldn’t channel teenage angst if my life depended on it. Each to his own.

The problem comes when we take personal preferences into our critique groups, hidden behind our notebooks and pens, ready to rear their biased little heads when we least expect them. Sometimes, without realizing it, we let our personal opinions interfere with our ability to evaluate and critique craft.

I once had a critique on a short story that left me baffled. The critiquer made it clear she didn’t like my story, but she couldn’t put forth any concrete reasons why. When pressed, she finally admitted (to someone else), “I don’t like fantasy. I don’t think children should be exposed to sorcery and magic.”

And that, my friends, is not critique. That’s judgment.

So how do we avoid superimposing our values and personal preferences on someone else’s work? By concentrating on craft.

Point of view, plot, conflict, theme, form: these are all parts of a story’s structure that are independent of its subject matter. I may not enjoy reading horror, but that doesn’t mean I can’t evaluate a horror manuscript with an eye out for head-hopping, uneven pacing, conflict that occurs too early in the story, too much “telling” and not enough “showing,” and plot points that don’t get resolved.

Be aware of your personal preferences when you critique someone else’s work. Ask yourself, “Are these criticisms valid and important to the overall success of the story? Or am I letting my personal feelings color my response?”

If you find yourself unable to filter out your bias against a particular piece, be upfront about it. Inform the author of the manuscript that your comments may be influenced by your feelings, or excuse yourself from commenting altogether.

When we join critique groups, we want to be the best critique partners that we can be. By concentrating on craft, and lessening the impact of our own biases, we can be.