Types of Critique Partners Every Writer Can Benefit From

I’ve seen lists like this around and I wanted to do one of my own. It’s kind of for fun, but also…dead serious.

Critique is part of the process of writing. At some point, you have to acknowledge that the reader, the person on the other end of your writing, matters. They’re your customer. They’re the consumer of your product. Or art.

(And how you think of that relationship between reader and writer MIGHT determine whether you consider yourself an “artist” or not. It’s usually the difference between someone who considers themselves a commercial or “literary” writer. Although you can definitely be both at the same time. More on that later, maybe.)

Anyway, when a new writer asks “who should I share my writing with?” my answer is different from when a more seasoned writer or author asks. Sometimes, a more seasoned author will start to think that they don’t need critique. But critique is still a useful tool. You just have to be mindful what it looks like coming from different sources and appreciate it for WHAT IT IS. So that’s what the list is about. It’s for fun, but also to help you learn to work with criticism from different directions.

Ten Types of Critique Partners Every Writer Can Benefit From

The Super Fan

This is someone who roots you on and encourages you to stop being such a perfectionist. They will not even let you get down yourself. This person reads and loves everything you write. You can do no wrong.

The Peer

This is another writer who is right around the same skill level as you, usually on the same path (but not always). If you’re a newbie, find a peer to read your stuff and tell you what they think. Two beginners rarely have the same skill set, so you can teach each other about what you do well. It’s nice to have company and as you both grow, one or both of you might turn into one of the other types. When and if it’s ever time to part ways, do so gracefully and amicably because you’ll probably be seeing each other around.

The Reader

This person is not a writer. They just love to read. They will give you the purest reaction you can get. (Unless they’re a super fan.) They’ll tell you which characters they liked, if and when they stopped reading, and what surprised them. Some of my readers have been friends who are teachers. Teachers are great readers.

The Critic

This person might not even be a friend. If they’re a friend, this is definitely going to fall under the tough love category. They call you on your weak-ass opening, your historical inaccuracies, problematic characters, tropes they’re sick and tired of, and basically tear your book to shreds. But in a way that you’ll probably appreciate later. Once you calm your britches. Working with this person teaches you to withstand constructive criticism. And they might teach you to think more critically about how your book could be perceived by various readers. You NEED a critic in your life.

The Editor

Ruthless with a red pen and in the bubble comments, this person knows how to use a semi-colon and probably spellchecks spellcheck. This critique partner is here to let you know that you just used the word “just” twenty-five times in the first chapter alone and you need to stop before you hurt yourself. Priceless.

The Artist

This person totally gets your creative vision. They love to wax poetic about craft and theme, encourage you to not read the comments, make you highly aware of the fact that you need to get the heck out of your own way in order to make art. They might not understand the part where you have a revision letter and a contract in hand when they keep telling you to not to cut your favorite vignette of the book.

The BFF

This is the equivalent of someone who loves to hang with you, thinks the world of you, and will tell you if you have spinach stuck in your teeth before anyone else gets the chance to see. This is the someone who adores you and all your projects by association. They’ll calm you down before you commit social media suicide. They probably answer your existential writing crisis texts after midnight. If they don’t, it’s not because they ignored you. It’s because they stayed up all night playing World of Warcraft instead of tackling the revisions they brag-tweeted about. They see you in your work, pick you up when you fall, and clap the loudest when you win. 15/10 recommend.

The Marketer

This person is here to check your creative instincts in a world where books are products and genres aren’t meaningless at all. They love a good strategy and are happy to lend you some of their savvy business sense. They definitely want to see your query letter or press kit. And are you going to get a real author shot? Because the selfie you showed them is not doing it for them.

The Subject Matter Expert

You’re not a police officer, scientist, hair dresser, or dancer, but this person that you know very well is. AND they always seemed very excited about your writing or asked if they could read your book. They will tell you if you got the procedure, environment, language right. (Please do not make the mistake of thinking every subject matter expert will want to give you a critique. And do not ask people from underrepresented populations for critiques unless you have a strong enough relationship with them that it makes sense. I’ve been the Native American writing friend my whole life, and it can be awkward.)

The Hater

Hear me out. This person absolutely loathes your writing, but for some absurd reason, they always offer to read it. They probably think your book is a wallbanger. (Anyone else use that term to describe a book they so disliked that they vehemently threw it against a wall? No? Just me?) They’re not your ideal audience, like most of the people trashing your book on Goodreads. They give you the opportunity to learn how to hold yourself with grace when someone can’t find anything nice to say about your book. Which will probably be often.

So there you have it!

Which critique partner are you? Leave a comment below! I have probably been all of these at some point. Does it change for you depending on who you’re critiquing for? Does this change the way you offer or receive criticism at all?

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Yours in critiquing!
Celeste AKA “The Artist'“