Editing Writer (section)

====Critic====
{{Main|Critic}}
Critics consider and assess the extent to which a work succeeds in its purpose. The work under consideration may be literary, theatrical, musical, artistic, or architectural. In assessing the success of a work, the critic takes account of why it was done – for example, why a text was written, for whom, in what style, and under what circumstances. After making such an assessment, critics write and publish their evaluation, adding the value of their scholarship and thinking to substantiate any opinion. The theory of criticism is an area of study in itself: a good critic understands and is able to incorporate the theory behind the work they are evaluating into their assessment.<ref name=Habib>For example, see {{cite book|last=Habib|first= M.A.R.|title=A History of Literary Criticism and Theory|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofliterar0000habi|url-access=registration|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|location=MA, USA; Oxford, UK; Victoria, Australia|isbn=978-0-631-23200-1}}</ref> Some critics are already writers in another genre. For example, they might be novelists or essayists. Influential and respected writer/critics include the art critic [[Charles Baudelaire]] (1821–1867) and the literary critic [[James Wood (critic)|James Wood]] (born 1965), both of whom have books published containing collections of their criticism. Some critics are poor writers and produce only superficial or unsubstantiated work. Hence, while anyone can be an uninformed critic, the notable characteristics of a good critic are understanding, insight, and an ability to write well.

{{Quotation|''We can claim with at least as much accuracy as a well-known writer claims of his little books, that no newspaper would dare print what we have to say. Are we going to be very cruel and abusive, then? By no means: on the contrary, we are going to be impartial. We have no friends – that is a great thing – and no enemies.''<br />[[Charles Baudelaire]], introducing his Review of the [[Salon (Paris)|Paris Salon]] of 1845<ref name=Mayne>{{cite book|last=Baudelaire|first=Charles|title=Baudelaire – Art in Paris 1845–1862: Reviews of Salons and other exhibitions|year=1965|publisher=Phaidon Press|location=London|page=1|editor-last=Mayne|editor-first=Jonathan|translator-last=Mayne|translator-first=Jonathan|chapter=The Salon of 1845}}</ref>}}