How Would You Like To Be Criticized?

For those who have only recently subscribed to my Substack: Just short of two years ago, I moved to one of the most expensive cities in the world and lived off my own savings while I pursued this writing dream. For those who have been here for a while: don’t worry, I’m not going to yammer on about that any further than I need to.

I wasn’t starving, I wasn’t suffering, but I was trying to pick up side income here and there.
One of the avenues I looked into at the time was a website called Critique Match. It’s quite a well thought out platform that matches up writers from around the world and allows them to critique each other’s work in exchange for feedback—much like an in-person writers’ group.

Given how many hours I’ve wracked up thinking about this stuff- not to mention all the free time I had at the time— it made a lot of sense getting involved.
I liked their model, they offered a service that I was personally interested in using, and they were willing to pay writers who proved they were up to a certain standard.

What made Critique Match so good?

The main problem with traditional writers’ groups is the unavoidable truth that not all advice is built equally.

You put yourself out there, let some stranger read your work, only to get teared apart —in some cases at the hands of somebody who’s idea of quality writing is a Shotgun Kelly Lyric.

This website recognized this flaw and established a tier system to separate the wheat from the chaff— organizing its users into amateur and pro “critiquers.”

This way when you got your heart torn open publicly, you at least knew it was coming from an informed place.

Critique match was able to draw a distinction between educated critiquers and amatuers via the wisdom of the crowd. Albeit, not always a flawless system, but by collating reviews for each critique a user makes, the website grants it’s participants a unique score based on both quality and quantity of critiques they have given across their history on the site.

While some people are suckers for flattery, so you can never entirely control against people gaming the system. However, thanks to the website’s slightly genius framing, the ratings will average out in rewarding high reviews to only those providing genuinely helpful advice.
In theory, you became a pro off the back of the value you were bringing to the table. Meritocracy at it’s best.

So I set myself a goal.

At the time, the criteria to “go pro” on this website (at which point you’d get paid for each review) was forty five star reviews. Naturally, I put my nose to the grindstone and went to work. It took me on average two hours per critique and each critique partner demanded a unique approach— working out how to walk the line of positive feedback and helpful advice. There was naturally a lag time between each critique because you are beholden to how quickly each partner responds with a critique of their own, not to mention the feeling out phase of finding a critique partner who writes and reads stuff that is at least vaguely within your wheel house.

In any case, fast forward a few months »»»»»»

I hit the criteria. Submitted my application to go pro and…

It’s only open to Americans….

This wasn’t stated anywhere in their advertising criteria.

Granted it was a free service, so I couldn’t cry woe is me too loudly. I hadn’t lost out monetarily after all, but this didn’t spare me the distinct sensation that I’d been scammed.

I sank more hours into that website than I’m proud of. Though I undoubtedly benefitted from some of the very talented critique partners who used the website (Susan if you’re still a regular reader of these emails, I appreciate the help), there was a part of me that felt much of my time had been wasted.

But was it?

I’ve been participating in critique groups of various shapes and forms, since I was at university. Shit, that’s essentially what an English Literature degree is. Breaking down what makes a certain piece of writing great and lasting? (Though I will add one caveat here: I’ve got an allergy to a lot of what the academic approach towards literature entails. I don’t have a lot of time for all the “shoulds” you find cropping up in literary critique).

I sat through too many tutorials with talentless turtleneckers who were more interested in explaining why a given writer was “problematic” in their eyes, than they were in dissecting why that author, despite all their flaws, had somehow managed to get their work studied decades beyond their death.

To me, the interesting element of writing is it’s alchemic quality. How can someone take words, use them to hypnotize a person from another time and location into seeing some element of what’s inside their imagination.

As a critiquer, I feel like your main skillset is your “ear” as a reader. You notice what works, the areas where your interest lagged in a given piece of work, and from there you might dip into your own knowledge of the craft to offer helpful suggestions.

Human beings have told stories for millennia— when we write we’re locking in to the fragments that resonate, and may not even be conscious of why that is. All a critiquer really has to offer is noticing the bits that resonated with them and helping dial up the areas that might be hard to see for someone who is “inside” the work.

So after all that preamble, here’s my elevator pitch.

There’s a DM feature on Substack. If you want to get an educated second set of eyes on your writing, send me a message. Send me a piece of your writing. I’m happy to critique it for free.

If I do a good job. On the next one I’ll ask that you subscribe to my page for one month. That’s $5 NZ. Then feel free to unsubscribe (or stay if you’re enjoying my page— after all there is a reason you came here in the first place)

I’ll keep this offer open until it becomes unfeasible timewise. But trust me, I’m good at this. I’ve included 45 five star reviews from my critique match page as testament to this.

Note: After I found out I wasn’t eligible to go Pro on the website, I carried on with a small number of critique partners for the sake of improving my own work. It genuinely helps. For the longest time there was a disconnect between the quality of my short stories and my longer form writing. Something in the “seriousness” of the longer project weighed it down, made it stodgy, and the process of essentially anonymous critiques made it clear to me.

I’m aware that in promoting Critique Match so heavily in this very article, I’m at risk of driving traffic away from here, which is fair enough.

It is good.

But I’ll warn you. There’s a lot of shit to filter through on there. If you don’t have all the free time in the world. You will be forced to endure the most reductive critiques from people who don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about, and you will be left waiting weeks and months waiting for feedback on your work despite how prompt you were on sending your critiques through.

All that is to say. You can find strong critique partners on there, but you will have to put in the leg work to find them. I’ve got proof that I am one of them. You’ve seen my writing, so obviously you already see a glimmer of talent in it.

I can save you some of that leg work and lend you some logic behind what created that glimmer.

Alright that’s enough self promotion— I won’t talk about this any more.

Here are my receipts:

November 6, 2023

Partner: S. R

Hamish's comments and suggestions are solid improvements to the narrative and reflect the kind of show-don't-tell writer he is. Thanks so much.

September 14, 2023Partner: S. R

Hamish is a gifted writer, and I feel lucky to have someone with his talent critiquing my work. His comments and suggestions are more than helpful, and they go far to improve the narrative. Thanks so much.

July 11, 2023Partner: S. R

Very good, usable comments, suggestions, and feedback from a superb writer. Thanks, Hamish.

June 6, 2023Partner: S. R

Hamish is a careful reader and a superb writer in his own right. As such, his comments and suggestions are very helpful, and I deeply appreciate his taking the time to make them. Thanks so much.

May 31, 2023Partner: J. S

Thanks for comments. You've remarked on a key issue I need to work on.

May 13, 2023Partner: J. S

Good catches.Thanks!

May 12, 2023Partner: S. R

Hamish's ideas are very much appreciated, especially for chapters written such that I have no idea whether or not they work. Thanks so much.

May 2, 2023Partner: J. S

Thanks for your insights, Hamish. Your suggestions were great!

May 2, 2023Partner: S. R

Hamish offers such interesting suggestions and possibilities. His encouragement is so welcome. Thank you.

April 19, 2023Partner: S. R

Hamish's comments are always helpful and thought-provoking. His encouragement is as welcome as flowers in spring. Thanks so much.

April 5, 2023Partner: J. S

Great suggestions!

February 28, 2023Partner: J. S

Great insight, and thanks for answering my question.

February 24, 2023Partner: S. R

A critique from Hamish always leaves me with questions that merit answers about the characters, their reactions, the story's pacing, and the sequence of events. Thank you so much.

February 22, 2023Partner: J. S

Super! Thanks!

February 14, 2023Partner: S. R

In his own writing, Hamish is super at selecting those details that show a great deal about a scene without being too wordy. He made suggestions to help bring this chapter to that level, along with advice to cut some repetitive phrases and add tension. All right on target and doable. Thank you so much.

February 9, 2023Partner: S. R

Hamish offers terrific suggestions and potentially better alternatives for presenting certain aspects of the narrative. His enthusiastic encouragement is just wonderful. Thank you so much--Oh, IAU is police talk for "Internal Affairs Unit."

February 2, 2023Partner: S. R

Very useful feedback--which is important coming from a writer like Hamish who, as a fine writer himself, knows how to make characters memorable and their words fit their personalities and circumstances. Thank you so much.

January 25, 2023Partner: S. R

Hamish has a terrific eye and ear, both of which reflect his superb writer's instinct for making sure images make sense and words sound right. His suggestions and comments are spot-on, and his encouragement is more than welcome. Thank you.

January 18, 2023Partner: J. S

Stellar, as usual.

January 10, 2023Partner: S. R

In his own writing, Hamish is very good at making sure his characters' behavior has an emotional resonance. My own background as a journalist--a field in which even trying to figure out what people are thinking should be verboten--often leads me to forget this important aspect of fiction writing. I'm very grateful to Hamish for pointing out where it would be useful to ditch the journalism ideal and dig for the emotional cadence in order to explore the character's personality. Thank you.

January 10, 2023Partner: J. S

Great specific suggestions! Thanks!

December 8, 2022Partner: J. S

December 8, 2022Partner: S. R

Hamish's encouragement is very much appreciated, Thank you!

December 5, 2022Partner: N. B

A good mix of both positive and constructive feedback, with a careful eye for words that disrupt and clutter the narrative. The suggestions will help me streamline and fine tune.

December 1, 2022Partner: W. S

Thanks I don't know what to say.

November 29, 2022Partner: J. S

Very informative and helpful critique. Hamish has an expert's eye.

November 26, 2022Partner: J

Gave me interesting things to think about. Much appreciated.

November 24, 2022Partner: S. R

I think Hamish's instincts as a superb writer allow him to recognize when something is missing in a narrative he's reading. He pointed out such a spot in this chapter of mine, and when I followed his suggestion, I felt as though I had found a missing piece to a puzzle. Thank you so much.

November 21, 2022Partner: C. H

Hamish raises some interesting questions. Put a lot of time and effort into the critique. Some actionable items, which is great.

November 20, 2022Partner: A

Lots of good feedback, from general impressions to specific points that need clarification and places to add description.

November 19, 2022Partner: P. L

Helpful insights with actionable suggestions for character improvement and plot clarification. Feedback that is good critique with positive comments as well. Thanks!

November 19, 2022Partner: J. S

Thank you Hamish. You're comments are insightful, with spot-on suggestions. I love that you have a command on syntax, and a good eye for flow.

November 18, 2022Partner: S. R

Hamish's critique is filled with the most useful kind of comments and suggestions: those that indicate what specifically can be done to improve the narrative. His encouraging feedback is so appreciated. Thank you so much.

November 11, 2022Partner: S. R

Hamish's suggestions, comments, and feedback gave me a great deal to think about. I like that his recommendations reflect his own inclinations as a very fine writer. His encouragement is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

November 11, 2022Partner: A

Very on-point reader reactions plus suggestions for how to improve. Good insights into how the narrator comes across and why and how to make the story have more of a progression.

November 11, 2022Partner: V. L

Very Helpful Feedback And Explanation.

November 11, 2022Partner: K. F

November 7, 2022Partner: S. R

Hamish is a careful reader who brings his own considerable writer's skills to the process. His encouragement is wonderful. Thank you so much.

November 5, 2022Partner: A

Good, thoughtful suggestions for how to make my story more immersive. Thanks!

November 4, 2022Partner: N

Thank you for the critique! I appreciate you pointing that out. I will keep that in mind for my rewrite

November 4, 2022Partner: S. R

Hamish's thoughtful critique left me with many ideas to think about. I have not yet read anything he's written, but based on his suggestions--many of which I believe are right on target--I can't wait. Thank you so much.

November 3, 2022Partner: V. L

Thank you, Hamish, for the detailed critique and explanation. Very helpful!

October 28, 2022Partner: N