How to politely critique

[RiftGibbon]

I'm in a writing group that I set up with a friend. A few people have joined over the past six months, which is fine.
One of our newest members has asked us to look at something they have written (having made some great contributions to a live storytelling thread we recently did). To be frank, what they have is really clichéd and full of 'tell'. What makes it difficult is that one group member had already replied to say how brilliant it is.
I understand that we all have put likes and dislikes but it really has no hook, no drama, and is full of unnecessary description.
I'm a bit wary of how to respond with my comments.

Right now I have a piece of my own work being reviewed by someone outside the group and they have given me some really useful constructive criticism which I am using to revise what I have. However I know this person better...

If you want to be helpful and nice then why don't you praise where they don't tell but show, where they have most hook and where they use least description?

Be honest, OP. It's a writing group, you wouldn't join if you weren't expecting critique. Don't be nasty about it and always find positive points as well as points for improvement, but I think if someone has joined a group for creative writing critique then you shouldn't feel bad at giving it as long as it's done kindly - it will help them get better.

I did creative writing at uni and nothing used to annoy me more than workshops where people just said 'yeah I really like this' without highlighting any areas for me to work on. What was the point in being there?!

Use the shit sandwich approach.

I really like the way your characters do this
I did wonder if it might be stronger if you showed more than told, for example. But just my opinion!
This is a really inventive plot

That's if you can find enough nice things to be vaguely honest about around the things you don't like! Some writers would prefer you be blunter - what's the group like generally?

Say that x sentence really shows something well, so they don;t need y sentence which underlines unnecessary what has already been so subtly implied by x.

Pickup the cliches and suggest they refresh them by being more specific than generic.
As to plot focus - just ask questions. Say you want to know what A is really thinking and what B is up to and will C find her brother/love/the holy grail/missing millions etc and if so, how?

You know, don't you, that you should have discussed and agreed a defined policy at the time you set up the group? Amazed you haven't encountered this over six months.

"What are you hoping to achieve with this sentence/paragraph/passage?" is generally helpful.

There's a specific book on non-wounding criticism - but I can't remember either writer or title.

Can you think of an example of a similar scene in another book which you could show them as an example? (Perfect example of show don't tell!)

I went for sandwich - pointed out that there was a potential cliche but that I understood that it may have been intentional.

Generally we don't critique in writing - we meet and discuss a short piece, or we sit and write something together. Three of us have been in the group from the start, we had two other, older members who have since left and the person in question is very new - they joined two weeks ago.

My comments were well received, so I shall know going forward just to stick with the honest but polite approach.

I am perhaps over cautious as a long time back I reviewed (on request) a passage of writing for someone and politely pointed out that something they had described was physically impossible for one of their characters [someone with a disability] to have done. It wasn't well-received at all.

Next time that happens, ask them how they'd feel about getting a load of one star reviews from disabled people who were angry at the lack of research.

In any case if it ever got to the stage where she got an agent or editor, they would tell her quite bluntly. There's no point in being precious in your misconceptions!

Hollow, it was something that was being self-published with a few people proof-reading. Agree an editor would have thrown that section back for a rewrite.

Compliment first. Then gently suggest a way to improve. Then compliment again.