Does your age make you a less better critic?

Discussion in 'Revision and Editing' started by Youniquee, Nov 23, 2010.

  1. FantasyorDeath

    FantasyorDeath New Member

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    I'm 14 going on 15, too. I find it kind of hard to critique styles of writing that I never read and/or have no interest in (wow, that's kinda blunt) but I think that if you feel strongly about a point in someone else's story or really feel like you could help them improve it, then go right ahead...? In other words (after a lot of ado that I will skip) it's perfectly alright. (In the opinion of a fellow teenager...that isn't too reliable.)
     
  2. Paris_Love

    Paris_Love New Member

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    No! Not at all! I'm working on a young adult mystery and would greatly value the input of people close to the protagonist's age. You would know if I'm way off base about youth culture and the like. My 16 year old stepson is helpful, but he could really care less, to be honest. ;)
     
  3. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    Not really. Hardly anybody enjoys all sorts of writing. Chick lit has never appealed to me, and I don't think that's an age thing. :D

    Whatever, all any of us can do is say why something works or doesn't work for us. It's up to the author to decide what to do with that. Ian Rankin might be interested that a piece of writing doesn't work for a teenage girl, but unless it's because of a general problem with the passage he's unlikely to act on it. Jacqueline Wilson might be interested that a piece of writing doesn't work for a middle-aged man, but unless it's because of a general problem with the passage she's unlikely to act on it. But that's their choice, not yours, and unless you give your feedback [1] they can't make that choice, can they?

    [1] I don't think either of those writers is actually posting here. But who knows, maybe under a pseudonym... :)
     
  4. Halcyon

    Halcyon Contributor Contributor

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    Yes and no.

    I think that it's unfair to question the validity of someone's critique purely because of their age, but speaking personally, I do feel much better qualified to offer a critique at my age (without giving it away ;)), than I was as a teenager, because of the experience of living, and because of the amount of reading, writing and learning I've accumulated.
     
  5. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    However if you were critiquing my first book which is from the POV of a teenaged boy I'd have taken the teen review over the current one. As the book is aimed at teens their opinion is actually more valuable to me for that book. Now for my current work where I am writing pensioners your not old enough lol :)
     
  6. evelon

    evelon Active Member

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    It's not your age that would put me off, but the title of your thread. Can you actually be 'less better'? You are either better, or you are not. There's no degree.

    I don't think we're meant to critique thread titles, but in this case it's relevant.
    If you want people to respect your opinions as far as grammar is concerned, you have to be pretty sure of what you're saying.

    If you are looking to review and comment on storylines, plots etc., then it doesn't matter so much. In fact, in that case, I think your opinion would be as valuable in most cases, particularly in something aimed for the younger market, as anyone's.
     
  7. Halcyon

    Halcyon Contributor Contributor

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    That's a specific situation, Charlotte. The original question was more general, so that's what my answer was based upon.
     
  8. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    I know was just kind of teasing you - but it does depend on the book. Some situations a teen is a better reviewer. And their opinion valuable.

    I personally have found teenagers to be the most honest hardest critics I have dealt with - they find things an adult wouldn't and comment on things I would never have considered.
     
  9. Halcyon

    Halcyon Contributor Contributor

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    Ahhh....so you're a tease, huh?

    I learn something new every day around here. ;)
     
  10. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    Always dear ;)
     
  11. Youniquee

    Youniquee (◡‿◡✿) Contributor

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    This thread never dies ^^;...
    Thanks for your responses. After 2-3 months of being on here, I kind of realised age doesn't matter..so yeah...
     
  12. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    Anyone who would think/say something to the effect of "Your input is not valid because you're only a kid" is a pretentious bigot who needs an excuse to discredit the critiquer because he/she doesn't want to admit his/her work sucks.
     
  13. Dandroid

    Dandroid New Member

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    lol!
     
  14. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    It's true. ;)
     
  15. Dandroid

    Dandroid New Member

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    seems like a pretty rare exchange...maybe a 17yo to a 13 yo...
     
  16. Mxxpower

    Mxxpower New Member

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    The saying is, opinions are like assholes, everyone has them.

    Just because you are younger doesn't mean you don't have an opinion. Harry Potter was basically written for you, and it is the most successful written series to date.

    Personally, I would relish the idea of you critiquing my young adult stories, but not so much by Sci-Fi fantasy, or my contemporary, situation based stuff without knowing your in junior high.

    I am good with critiques as long as I understand where they are coming from.
    Everyone writes (publishes) to an audience whether they admit it or not, that audience may or may not be as accessible to you as a younger reader.

    In short I guess yes, your opinion counts in the genres you have life experience with.
     
  17. evelon

    evelon Active Member

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    Too true. But too often we don't give kids credit because of their age. They have their own knowledge base. Things we've forgotten in the melee of life are still fresh to them. They have a different perspective on so many things.

    I am amazed at what I'm learning from my grandchildren.
     
  18. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    I agree with you Mallory and actually you have a good point. I value teen and younger opinion of my work because it isn't clouded by the expectation and rules of what makes a good piece of literature or work. By the age of twelve/thirteen I had read more books than a lot of adults read in a lifetime.

    As an adult I don't read anywhere near as much as I did as a child, I am not currently studying English in school that was a long time ago and is out of practice etc Ultimately if one of my teen readers likes something I can be pretty sure it's good because I would have had it back with 'this is crap, he sounds like a middle aged woman having a shower why don't you just wax his bikini line while he is in there.' Or something similar.
     
  19. Boxter9

    Boxter9 New Member

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    Age, to me, is less about experience than about perspective. There are 10-year-olds who have been through greater ordeals than 70-year-olds, and since we are not a telepathic species and tend to value privacy, it's very risky business judging somebody's qualifications based entirely on their numerical value.

    Don't feel bad about critiquing older people. If they reject your criticism without a thorough and reasonable explanation for it, who's loss is it really?
     
  20. Dandroid

    Dandroid New Member

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    come to think of it...i would be more inclined to say that....being a little older, having a little more experience...especially with writing...i am a more well-rounded critic now in my early 30's than i was at 17...
     
  21. Untold

    Untold New Member

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    I have a 13 year old daughter who, at the age of 11 had better sentence and paragraph structure than most adults I know. So I don't think age makes a difference. I think has also has a lot to do with how you look at a story. All writing is a form of art and everyone has different tastes.
     
  22. webbo_5

    webbo_5 New Member

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    It all depends on what is being reviewed. Someone young may have a better view at times and an older reader could be prefered on a different topic.

    When I post my first work here, I'm hoping for a wide variety.
     
  23. Thanshin

    Thanshin Active Member

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    When I was two, my reviewing skills were certainly what I'd call sub-par.

    I had a tendency to splurt various kinds of foods all over the piece on review, I bit the paper and I have to admit having slept over the least thrilling non-fiction submissions.

    Add that to my difficulties to adequately express the results of my careful analysis and you could say it was a not entirely satisfactory reviewing experience, in all.
     
  24. Bay K.

    Bay K. New Member

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    LOL @ Thanshin!

    It's not the age that counts, but the experience and understanding.

    When you read a piece and don't know what to say about it --don't!

    Do you understand the SPAG requirements in writing?
    Do you understand (or at least have a feel) for the ideas / themes conveyed in the piece?
    If you do --for both criteria, on some level-- then by all means cast in your two cents.
    But if you don't --at all-- please, move on. (You'd be saving both our time and effort).




    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Be good, wise and strong --or don't be at all
     
  25. jelinekjava415

    jelinekjava415 New Member

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    I would say any critic would be good no matter how it is written. It is hard to critic other people's work but urselfs. I am with you on that, but I say hey....got to learn sometime, even if it is from a 15 yr old or a 50 yr old. Don't matter to me as long as it helps with my writing. :)
     

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