7.3 Questions to ask

Figure 7

It is much easier to give criticism than it is to receive it. Useful questions to ask when considering other writers’ work should cover more than the technical aspects about setting, point of view, language and sentences.

Here are some other questions to ask of the work:

• Does the piece intrigue you?
• Do you find it involving?
• Are the characters involving?
• Do you want to know what happens next?
• Are there any parts of it that you find unclear or confusing?
• Are there any examples of language used in fresh or surprising ways?

Asking and answering these questions when you are reading the work of others will help you to reflect on your own writing.