Redemption for the Critic

Today I critiqued three chapters or stories for three different writers. Let me throw the metaphor out there right now. I feel like I scattered kitty litter over their work.

I love to critique works in progress; it's like mentoring a child as he grows. Just as the child needs occasional guidance and correction (okay, some kids need more than occasional help), works of art can benefit from it too.

But being a critic is difficult for me for a couple of reasons.

First, I'm a recovering left-brainer and I'm always questioning myself on how to approach the critique. Start or end with the general comments? Go for the big picture or mark up misplaced commas? Hit on every literary element I can think of from character to dialogue to metaphor to story arc to theme? The problem is, this is a work of art I'm dealing with, and my right brain wants to go with the flow, comment on what strikes me at the moment, forget about any systematic approach nonsense. This isn't an audit, after all.

Also, I don't naturally take criticism well, so it's a little hard to dish it out. I was the child who ran off in tears with the slightest admonition. I was the teen who yelled at my father to let me do it myself (and I'm sorry about that, Dad). I was the young professional who wrote a rebuttal to her personnel evaluation. (Are you reading this, Don?) I was the new MFA student who wanted to give up writing permanently when an early advisor (who shall not be named) said the piece wasn't worth saving. I happen to know that criticism, however well intended, can hurt. And furthermore, as my kids can well attest, I don't know everything and I'm not always right. So the last thing I want to do is hurt someone and be wrong at the same time.

And so I guess I'm looking for a little redemption: past, present, future. I love to read the work; please keep it coming. And please accept my apology if I make a little mess for you to clean up now and then. As John Lennon said, I didn't mean to hurt you (but unlike him, I'm not a jealous guy). And, as long as it's just kitty litter, without the kitty waste, the mess can't really be all that bad. Can it?