Question Workshop question

I haven't yet found my way into any of the workshop areas, because I don't feel that I'm qualified enough to be offering critiques. On the other hand, I have been a beta reader for a couple of novels (from outside of this site), and I haven't had any hand grenades arrive in my post box so perhaps I don't totally suck at it. I'll get there--eventually.

I'm also not yet ready to offer up my work for critique. Old wounds that haven't healed -- I'm an architect, and the nature of architecture school is that each project is put up on boards in front of a panel of faculty members who proceed to rip your creations into tiny shreds -- along with your ego. Dealing with drill sergeants in the Army was a walk in the park compared to some of my architecture juries.

Should I become active in offering critiques in the workshop areas, at some point I might actually dare to post something of my own. Mostly I do non-fiction but some time ago (longer ago than I ever imagined -- 2004, to be exact) I wrote what I considered to be a short story. Since joining this forum and seeing references to novelettes and novellas, I looked up some guidelines to see what the distinctions are. My "short story" is actually more than 18,000 words, which means it's not a short story but a novelette (or is it a novella?). Looking at the categories in the workshop, I see one for short stories and I see one for novels. Where do novelettes and novellas go?

 

Of course, you should only critique others work when you feel happy to do it. People expectations of critiques very quit a lot. The best anybody can do is read the work and offer your opinion. The process of producing a critique is beneficial to the submitter, regardless of experience. As you have pointed out, receiving critiques often falls short of the good news we would like to receive. Anybody wishing to have any success in publishing their work needs to be really good. The rejection rate with publishers is about 98%. You do need the incentive to push your self into that 2%.
The length of a short story or novella is not precisely defined. It partly depends on what you plan to do with your work. Most publishers will define what they require. Basically a short is something that can be read in a single sitting. So around 5000 words would an average for a short story. 18,000 is too long for a short and would be nudging into being a novella. Novelettes sit between short stories and Novellas. So something between 8000/18000 words.

 

I would recommend offering feedback for a few reasons.
First of all, people are actually waiting for critique. That's why they post their pieces. You've got the right attitude about it; we're all just learning this thing, the blind leading the blind, so to speak.
Secondly, you've got something unique to offer that nobody else could dream to match: your perspective. Just act in good faith and tell people how you experience their reading, point out what you think can be improved, and why, and how if you know it, otherwise just say "but I'm not sure how I'd fix that."
On that note, the third point is that it forces you to really consider your thoughts. Why is this part choppy? I'm not sure, let me think about it... And you reach new insights that you can afterward apply to your own writing.
Adhere to the guidelines for giving feedback and you're always good. In case you're not familiar, goes something like this:
- Don't forget to say something nice about the piece
- Identify an area of improvement
- Mention why you think they could use improvement
- Give an example of how you'd improve it and why you think it's better
- Repeat if necessary

Why not start with a little piece of mine? It's called "Duncan", an under 500 word intro to a longer story (short stories --> flash fiction), and I'm dying to have it torn to pieces
No, I'm not self-promoting, I'm catching feedback in my web. Sue me.

Good luck!