How to Critique a Novel

Being asked to critique another writer’s novel draft is exciting, but it can also be really daunting. Where do you even start? And how can you point out issues without causing offense?

To help you get in touch with your inner developmental editor, we’ve gathered our tips for how to critique a novel, including advice on framing feedback and helpful questions to ask yourself. Bonus: this could give you inspiration for evaluating your writing too (and we have a suggestion to make that process even faster and easier, which we’ll cover later).

How to Write a Book Critique

An important part of learning how to critique a story is getting to grips with how to frame your written feedback. You want to make it as useful as possible while being empathetic.

Shying away from mentioning areas that need work or downplaying issues isn’t helpful as it doesn’t give the writer the opportunity to fix them. Remember: someone likely asked for the critique to get this constructive feedback.

To achieve this while being considerate of their feelings, phrase comments as possible improvements rather than things being “wrong.” Instead of “the climax was too rushed,” you could say “it might be more impactful if you devote some more space to the climax because...”

You should also mention any strengths you notice and things that you liked. It can be just as useful for a writer to know what’s working.

In both cases, explain the impact of what you’re flagging, be as specific as possible, and include examples of what you’re talking about so they can easily understand the feedback.

Saying “this doesn’t work for me” isn’t useful without the why. Likewise, generic praise (“I love this!”) can be encouraging, but it doesn’t help them understand exactly what they did well so they can build on it.

It’s valuable to talk about your emotional experience while reading too. You might want to read the book several times, so you can experience it as a reader on your first pass, then focus on critiquing while rereading.

The last thing to keep in mind is your role isn’t to fix things for them. You can make suggestions, but try not to step on their toes too much.

What to Include in a Book Critique

Here are some suggestions for areas you could cover while critiquing a novel. We’ve included some questions you could ask yourself to uncover helpful insights too.

Plot

Issues related to plot and structure can be hard for a writer to see from the inside as they’re so close to the material.

Ask Yourself:

• Was the plot emotionally satisfying?

• Was the central conflict or problem clear? Was there a strong narrative arc?

• Did you always understand what the stakes were?

• Were there any twists that took you by surprise? Was it satisfying, frustrating, or confusing? If you saw any twists coming, was that exciting or boring?

• Did you spot any unresolved plot threads or plot holes?

Pacing

Pacing is another area where issues might be more obvious to you as a reader than to the writer, as you’re experiencing it for the first time.

Ask Yourself:

• Were there any parts where you felt your attention drifting?

• Did any parts go on too long or feel too rushed?

• Were there any transitions that felt too abrupt?

Characters

For a writer, it can be difficult to gauge whether the version of the character that exists in their head properly comes across on the page.

Ask Yourself:

• Did the major characters feel well rounded?

• Did you understand what they wanted/what was motivating them at different points in the story?

• Was there anything anyone did that felt out of character?

•Were you able to keep track of all the characters?

Setting

A setting might feel fully realized for the writer but not for you as a reader.

Ask Yourself:

• Did you feel immersed?

• Was there enough description? Too much?

• Did you ever get confused about where things were taking place?

Dialogue

There are lots of pitfalls to watch out for with dialogue, from descriptive dialogue tags that distract from the story to complicated speeches that just don’t feel like something someone would say.

Ask Yourself:

• Did the dialogue feel realistic?

• Did the dialogue tags help you understand what was going on, or did they pull you out of the story?

• Could you easily keep track of which characters were speaking? Did they have unique voices?

Exposition

When there’s a lot of backstory or world-building to fit in, exposition can get out of hand.

Ask Yourself:

• Did you feel you had enough context to make sense of what was going on?

• Were there any points where you feel like the author overloaded you with exposition?

Style

You should also comment on the writing itself.

Ask Yourself:

• Did you find it easy to follow?

• Was there anything about the style that you found distracting?

• Did you notice any overused words or phrases?

• Was the perspective always consistent?

Critique Your Own Novel With ProWritingAid

If this has got you wondering about getting your own novel critiqued, ProWritingAid’s Manuscript Analysis feature can give you a head start.

The tool can flag many of the issues we’ve covered here, from problems with pacing to unclear character motivations, and suggest ways to tackle them.

While it can’t replace quality human critiques from developmental editors or beta readers, it can help you get your novel in the best shape possible before they see it. It’s ideal if you’re nervous about showing someone for the first time or want more immediate feedback.

Conclusion: How to Critique a Novel

Critiquing a novel involves providing someone with detailed insights into what worked for you and what didn’t. You can touch on all the elements of the story, from structure to characterization.

Rather than a critic or a cheerleader, think of yourself as a trusted pair of eyes, there to spot things a writer might be too close to the book to see for themselves.

Using ProWritingAid can help you grow your writing knowledge, useful whether you’re polishing your own work or critiquing someone else’s. Sign up for a free account to discover more.