First of all, our list for the Critique Partner Blogfest is growing, but there’s always room for more. If you’re looking for someone to read your work, or if you’re looking for something new to read, check it out ^_^

This whole critique partner blogfest thing has me thinking. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post that got some amazing responses. It appears as though a lot of you are impassioned by strip clubs in fiction. Or intrigued, at least. ^_~

As I looked at everyone’s thoughts though, I realized I hadn’t exactly conveyed my original point. Which I take responsibility for. I tend to focus on the wrong details when I’m…well…breathing. It’s true. It’s one of the things I specifically look for in my critique partner’s note – how did they interpret the story and what does that mean I left out?

Which is still not my point. What I meant way back a whole week or two ago is what I still mean today. If someone doesn’t enjoy reading in the genre you write in, how effective are they as a critique partner?

For instance, say I write Neil Gaiman meets William Gibson cyberpunk with a fantastical cherry on top. (Which is my next project, btw :-D). The book is full of science fiction tropes and conventions, a smattering of magical realism, and strip clubs. Wait. Maybe not that last one. But maybe. I haven’t decided yet.

Or say the story focuses heavily on a group of friends trapped in a video game who speak like the kind of people who write video games for a living. They spend their time talking to AI’s and hiding their loot and one of the male characters is controlled by a female player.

Or what if I wrote historical romance set in Elizabethan England and the women all wore carefully researched period clothing and the men all talked about the business of the time. I don’t do this, btw, not because I have a problem with it, but because I don’t typically enjoy any historical fiction. Which also means I would be hard-pressed to read it and offer any valuable insight on whether or not it was a good story.

Which brings me (hopefully, though I may come back and harp on this again if it doesn’t) to my actual point. How well does it work to have people critique your work who don’t enjoy reading in that genre?

It isn’t just description, though that’s a part of it. For instance, in the historical fiction crowd, I suspect many of them are used to the term ‘corset’ appearing in their stories. If I give my book to a series of someones who don’t read historical fiction, and none of them know what a corset is, I may feel compelled to insert an explanation. One that’s not appropriate for the genre. Or if I introduce the concept of ‘jacking-in’, a lot of people familiar with cyberpunk will know this term. But someone who reads a lot of historical fantasy may never have heard of it, coloring their feedback of the work.

It’s also the content and flow of the story. If you prefer to read heavily plot-driven stories where there’s always a quest or a hero’s journey, how will you approach a literary novel where the character’s internal struggle and growth is more important than a plot? If you write literary fiction, how will you approach a story where the size of the explosions are more important than whether or not the character learns his mother caused his mental problems by the end of the book?

I think people are capable of being objective, even when reading stories outside of their genres. I’m don’t mean to imply otherwise. There are elements that are required to make any story a good story. But when you’re offering a critique, there are details that you my not see the same way a reader would. Especially if you’re critiquing in a genre you don’t enjoy normally and are only reading because your critique buddy asked you to.

As writers, we’re told to read heavily in our genres. My question is, do we need to make sure our critique partners do the same, or is it okay as long as we know they’re skilled in the art of objective feedback? I’m not saying ‘should we only give our stories to die-hard fans who only love the kind of work we write’, I figure there’s room for middle ground. But, will your cyberpunk story get the love it deserves from someone who only enjoys Elizabethan era historical fiction, as long as that person is capable of being objective?