I have a sort of mental 'copy and paste' set of things for beginning writers, especially beginning poets: when I read something that's clearly written by a new poet I go into autopilot and list a bunch of things that might help them. There would be no point in really critiquing the poem, but there is a point in explaining the need for imagery, some notes about punctuation/rhyme/format, and the need to read poetry. I have no idea how well that works, since a lot of those poets aren't around posting their work for long periods of time - but I think there's a point where someone is such a novice that teaching is more important than critiquing.
The difference between our moms: yours tells you to make a character kill itself, mine tries to talk me out of having a character die of natural causes.
I agree with the replies I've read: go kind of easy, but don't make it obvious. Always try to get the grammar and stuff pounded in (it's what my English teachers always did: "grammar and adjectives are more important that any dream in your puny little minds").
I'm pretty young myself, and I appreciate having everybody tell me what's wrong, and being brutally honest. I don't like the "it's nice, keep working" replies. I also think it's important to point out the good things too, though. Even if it's crap, there's usually still something good in there to dig out.
I try, I try. But sometimes my 13-year-old-big-mouth gets away with me too.
All my fellow friends in English class at my school were afraid to let me critique their stories. Except for Esther, since she knew I would be blunt anyways and she didn't have writing that sucked that bad.
What really gets me, though, are the young'uns over at those horrible writing forums that post titles along the lines of "A FICTION NOVEL BY A 13-YEAR OLDPLEASEREAD!!"
Then I have the right to be merciless.
And to remind them that all novels are fiction.
Well, most, I think.
All?
Gah.
I'm talking to myself again.
"Video games don't affect kids. If Pacman had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills, and listening to repetitive electronic music." --anonymous/banner.
"2-4-6-8! I like to delegate!" -Meshugenah "Teague: Stomping on your dreams since 1992." -Sachiko "So I'm looking at FLT and am reminded of a sandwich." -Jabber
But still. It just pisses me off, it's like they think that since they're 13 years old they get special attention, or since they're younger than a lot of writers that we all need to be gentle with them.
"Video games don't affect kids. If Pacman had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills, and listening to repetitive electronic music." --anonymous/banner.
"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach
"Video games don't affect kids. If Pacman had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills, and listening to repetitive electronic music." --anonymous/banner.
AetLindling wrote:And they give us a bad name. So many people blindly hate 12 and 13 year olds now, it's an insult at this point to call someone that age.
>.< It's not like we enjoy the rest of you people, either.....
.
J/k. XD
Let me just make the point that age and experience with literature doesn't always coincide. Young often equals inexperience, but inexperience isn't often equated with young. Sort of like B was sayin'; maybe this is their first time posting online or such; maybe they just don't know.
