Critiques. How? What? Erm?

Critique groups. Critique partners and just critiques in general make my stomach quiver.

Now, I have excellent critique buddies who I trust to give it to me straight so I can make my novel the best I can. But the one thing I want to get off my chest is my critique method.

I want to be a good crit buddy. To help, give advice, support and all the usual stuff but I worry about my methods. Am I too soft and should I be harsher? Should I critique for the sake of it? Or just comment on the bits I think need it?

Sometimes I just feel I'm lacking the critique gene :(

I read a lot. As a result tend to critique from the perspective of a reader. I read twice, crit once. I'm not grammar queen but I have my skills, so I'm told. Plus, I can spot a repetitive word like a demon.

The valuable thing about crit groups is each person brings a different skill. I'm the one who will tell you what I like, what I don't get etc. There are others who have the amazing ability to be blunter but that's just not me.

So I've found some handy tips to, hopefully, help with critiques.

Jana did a couple of cool posts on critique groups and tips:

http://allimsaying-jhutcheson.blogspot.com/2010/03/tips-for-critiquing.html

And here's some more:

http://www.rickwalton.com/writers/critique.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2045526_critique-manuscript.html

http://editing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-critique-a-writers-work

Now it's open to you guys. How do you approach critiquing?