38 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
38 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
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*Source: [Manuscript critiques aren't as hard as you think | Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/posts/manuscript-arent-11552026)*
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#### Think of it like a clinical trial
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The writer has a perfect story in their head and needs to test the manuscript, which is the delivery mechanism for hacking the reader's brain.
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#### 3 categories of critique
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- **Symptom** = This is my reaction
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- **Diagnosis** = This is why.
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- **Prescription** = This is how to fix it.
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#### Symptoms are:
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Symptoms include: Awesome, bored, confused, disbelief.
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(Stream of consciousness reactions are also fair, like "Don't go down there!")
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#### As a reader, don't:
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- Offer a diagnosis without being asked.
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- Offer prescriptions without being asked.
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- Edit their prose without being asked.
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In all three cases, you're likely telling the story you wish you had written, instead of helping them redefine the story they want to tell.
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## Reacting to critiques
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#### Pay attention to your reactions
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- **d'OH!** - You immediately see the problem.
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- **I see what you mean, but...** - They've misdiagnosed the problem, but there is something to fix.
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- **No** - They want you to write a different story.
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- **WTF?** - You don't understand how they got there. Ask for a diagnosis.
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#### Decoding reader symptoms
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- **Awesome** - Don't fix this.
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- **Bored** - A pacing issue. Fix by tightening, adding stuff to make the reader understand why it's important, or both.
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- **Confused** - Order of information problem.
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- **Disbelief** - You've violated their sense of how the world works.
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#### As a writer, don't:
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- **Apologize** - It's a clinical trial.
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- **Explain** - They can't give you a clean reaction if you do.
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- **Argue** - Their symptoms are true.
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In all three cases, remember that the manuscript has to stand alone when it's out of trials.
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