Writer as critic…
Does being a critic or reviewer make one a better writer?
I sure think so. One way to think about what works is to evaluate and critically consider someone else’s writing.
As a reviewer of reference books for Library Journal, I learned how to analyze a book in light of its purpose in life. And in light of the purpose of the magazine–is this a book a library should spend its limited money on?
How did the writer present the information? Was the book successful at what it intended to do?
On a personal level, it sometimes felt difficult to say that a book was unsuccessful. I know how much work it is to write a book of any kind, let alone a reference work that could’ve taken years upon years to research and write. But given the purpose of the reviews, there were specific reasons I could turn to.
I like to think I was fair, and pretty good at what I was doing. And I like to think that it helped me be more focused in my writing…about the purpose, about the structure, about the audience.
How about you? Can you critique another writer’s work? Can you ask the tough questions?