DO YOU NEED A PERSONAL CRITIQUE?

Do you stop to consider your value to the world around you? Do you take the time to review and determine if you need improvement? In any venture or project, I find the results are enhanced when one stops to take inventory to eliminate redundancy, faulty material, and paltry workmanship.  Then an honest evaluation of the remainder of the project may still find room for improvement.   Whether reviewing a business, a work station, a household, personal lifestyle, a relationship, or a hobby, an honest evaluation reveals the successes, failures, and weaknesses.  Self-evaluation or critique can reap huge benefits when we apply our assessment with an honest, frank mindset. Too often, we reject the truth and make excuses without searching for reasons. We view ourselves as experts at critiquing others, but when faced with self-examination, our honesty becomes elusive.

 Since writing is my passion, and occupies most of my time, it’s the part of my life that needs personal review occasionally.  Critical to the quality of product, my writing requires nourishing a healthy imagination, refreshing my general knowledge, and staying informed of current events and political issues. Fearful of negative feedback, I frequently search for source material and facts about a subject to the point of becoming fanatical.  I’m amazed how writers and pundits stretch, undermine, or change the truth with adding only a word or two.  More trickery is obvious when a few words of truth are left out to change the tone of a statement.  Anyone communicating information to others should adhere to facts. 

Bogus information continues when facts from one source are combined with facts from another source, often unrelated. The resulting statement is a half-truth. Politicians are genius at this switch and bate deceit. Scams and stings seek victims with attractive temptation for “too good to be true” enticements. If it appears to be “too good,” it probably is flawed.  No doubt, careful checking results in positive accuracy, however, research takes time and delays deadlines.  When researching, I easily become distracted to “chase a rabbit” which often results in wasted time.

The successful writer must organize with a plan, manage his time, and pace his work allowing for the unexpected. I’m guilty again. I’m often writing at three in the morning when I should be sleeping.  I’m working on this bad habit, but teaching an old dog new tricks is a daunting task.

An honest self-critique must observe and confess inferior editing and bad habits. In writing, this may include incorrect grammar, misspelling or misuse of words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings (there, their, here, hear), and habitually overused or misused verbs and adverbs (just, had, forms of to be, and “ly” words).  I’m guilty of all these bad habits and many more that could be listed here.

Thanks to the Microsoft Word program, bad habits are easily discovered using the “find” option.  I’m often amazed at the disturbing results of checking for “ly” words.    In many cases, the meaning remains unchanged when the “ly” word is removed. I admit I like adverbs.  However, learning to eliminate unnecessary words enhances the document and results in a more professional product.

Have I learned from this self-critique?  Yes, to stay informed, follow the plan and keep order, verify the facts, keep an open mind, make a point in fewest words possible, watch the tense, and stay in active voice.  Avoid adverbs, especially “ly” adverbs, and make an honest attempt to sleep eight hours each night.  Or maybe just ignore the whole thing remembering (as my friend, Peggy Renfroe, says) “Only God is perfect, the rest of us need editing.”

P.S.  By the way, this short document contains seven (7) “ly” adverbs, and I like all of them.

         Sorry grammar experts!