# Need a Critique?



## Galivanting

Are you looking for a critique on your work and are  perhaps   disheartened by a lack of replies? Please read on to find out  how to   maximise your chances of securing the critique you desire. 




Don't  be too keen to post your work immediately. Take a little   time to  familiarise yourself with the board, have a look at the FAQ  for   guidance, and get to know people in the casual sections of the  forum   such as the lounge and debate. Doing this will help you make  friends,   which will bolster the likelihood of getting a critique. 
It  is  recommended that you offer critiques to people before asking  for  one in  return. We like to live by a credo of reciprocation here,  and  anything  you can do to enhance your reputation as a consistent   reviewer can only  help. 
Try to avoid critiques that aren't  particularly helpful,  such as:  "This was great!" Or: "Please post  more!" These won't help  anyone, nor  will they endear you to many. Try  to be as constructive as  you can. If  you like something, elaborate on  why you like it. Likewise,  if you saw a  plot hole or identified  mistakes, point them out to the  author in a  friendly manner. Be honest  but be polite. You don't need to  patronise,  but before you post  something put yourself in the author's  position.  How would you  construe your reply if someone else posted it on  your  work? Consider  this before you post, and temper your words if   necessary. 
If  someone criticises you or your critique, please do  not  respond  to them in the thread. Report the post and it will be  dealt  with by  staff. Likewise, do not derail someone else's thread with   off-topic  comments which aren't relevant. If you must reply to an   off-topic  response, take it to PMs. 
Don't flood the forum with  four or  five pieces of your work at one  time. Even if you have provided   critiques galore, it's still  disrespectful to other workshop users. It   is unrealistic to expect even  the most stalwart reviewer to reply to  all  of them. 
Please, and I can't stress this enough, run a   spell-check on your  work before posting. The occasional mistaken word   isn't a problem, but  throwing something together in five minutes and   posting it on the forum  with mistakes, lack of punctuation, and  improper  formatting intact, is  disrespectful to the people who have to  read it.  Try to make it as  error-free as possible. That way, everyone  is happy. 
Finally,  don't bump your threads. It's not nice and  it rarely ever  works. If  people haven't responded the first time,  bumping will not  make them  respond now. 


If these pointers don't help you secure  that critique, feel free to PM  one of the board moderators or a mentor.

+credit to Sam for creating this guide


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