Steering The Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Criticism tends to focus on what’s wrong. To be useful, negative criticism should indicate the possibility of revision. Tell the writer where you were confused or surprised or annoyed or delighted, which parts you like best. It’s at least as useful to the author to hear what works, what’s right.

Address the author, not the others. You may ask the author only a direct, factual, yes-or-no question, and you may ask it only if you tell the group your question first and get their consent to ask it.

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Suggestions for how to fix something may be valuable but should be offered respectfully. Even if you’re sure you see just how it ought to be changed, this story belongs to its author, not to you.

Consider what this story is about; what it tries to do; how it fulfills itself; how it might achieve its ends better.

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The Rule of Silence: Before and during the entire session, the author of the story under discussion is silent. As author, offer no preliminary explanations or excuses. If asked to answer a question, be sure the whole group is willing for you to do so, and be as brief as is humanly possible. While being critiqued, make notes of what people say about your story, even if the comments seem stupid.

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When all the discussion of your piece is over, you may speak if you want to. Keep it brief. Don’t go into defense mode. If you have a question about your story that wasn’t addressed, ask it now. By far the best response to your hardworking critics is “Thank you.”

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