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I love participating in on-line writing groups. Sharing time with others interested in writing and who are willing to give good critiques is priceless to my growth as a writer. When it comes to my turn to give out the critiques, I tremble in my boots. I want to give valuable feedback to improve the fascinating short stories or excerpts presented to me. But it is sometimes very difficult to know what to say and how to say it.

Say:

1. What the writer wants to hear

And I don't mean gush about how wonderful the story is. It is important that you understand the sort of feedback for which the writer is looking. This falls into two categories: the aim of the critique and the aim of the story.

A writer could be on their first or fifth rewrite when you read their piece. At each stage a writer will want something different from a critique. In the beginning, they may want to know if the plot works or if the characters are realistic or if the chronology flows. In later stages, they may be more interested in word choice-often cutting words in the case of the short story-and grammar problems. However, general guidelines like those aren't enough. If possible, ask the writer themselves what stage the story is at and what problems they're looking to eliminate.

Shorts stories are written for a variety of reasons. Do they want to enter it in a competition? Do they want to publish it in a magazine? Are they writing for fun and want an evaluation of their skills? Is it a school assignment?

For what the writer is writing will place different restrictions on the story. If a critique suggests a brilliant change that goes against the rules of a competition, it is a useless critique. Find out the purpose of the story. Once you have that, try to think from the 'consumer's' perspective. For instance, think like a teacher when critiquing school assignments. Or if the story is written just for fun, try and think like the writer, however challenging that might be.

The aim of the story goes beyond the market for the story. It can also include what ideas, mood or themes the writer may have been trying to portray. Try to identify the intended mood or themes of the work. Ask the writer if you must. However, it may be useful to give them a first critique including a sentence along the lines of "This is what I got from your story. What were you aiming for?" If you have the time, give a follow up critique showing where you feel the story has failed to create the desired impression.

2. What

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