Do I Need A Critique Partner?

The short answer is no.

 

The longer answer is, it really depends on your style of writing, what type of editing your book is going to go through, and whether you can find a critique partner that's a good fit for you.

 

So first let's tackle the big elephant in the room: what is a critique partner?

 

I was first introduced to this terminology in school. The teacher would say 'grab a critique partner and read over each other's work.' The goal was to get feedback from a fellow classmate, someone who was, in theory, at the same writing level you were.

 

On it's face, this is good. That is, if the person reading your story is on the same writing level you are and they happen to enjoy the type of story you're writing. They can provide constructive feedback and help you to make the story better.

 

Sometimes as writers, we're too close to a story. As the author, we know what a character's motivations are, but if that doesn't translate to the reader, that could cause a disconnect. Critique partners can pin point those issues and allow you to fix them before a reader ever sees the story.

 

So first and foremost, a critique partner should be a fellow writer...preferably one writing in the same genre. Let's face it, if you're writing a romance and your critique partner thinks all romances are cheesy and a waste of time, their feedback probably isn't going to be overly helpful.

 

They should also have a similar writing style to you. For example, my writing is very casual. I don't use a lot of big words or purple prose. When looking for a critique partner, I'd want to look for another author with a similar writing style. Pairing me with someone who uses a lot of flowery language or words not common in every day society, probably wouldn't be a great fit for me.

 

You should also look for someone with similar expectations. Typically, critique partners exchange their works. So while they're reading your manuscript, you're reading theirs. It's a tit for tat type of thing. But  you should also go into it with a clear understanding of what type of feedback you're expecting from each other.

 

One of the biggest advantages to a critique partner is that since they write in the same genre you do, they should have a good idea on the genre norms. So if you throw an element that's completely outside what readers of your genre would expect, your critique partner can pick up on that. 

 

Editors are looking for plot holes, pacing, and grammar mistakes. And while a critique partner may find some of those things, that's not why author's use critique partners.

 

At the end of the day, if you use a critique partner, you want someone who loves the types of stories you write, is familiar with your genre, and will give you honest feedback. Remember this is your story and you're going to be putting it out into the world. It's better to find potential issues early than to wait on that bad one star review.

 

Have you used a critique partner?