Critique Groups

Critique groups are a very simple and fun way to get feedback on your manuscript. They can be in-person groups where you meet face to face, or on-line groups where you send e-mails back-and-forth. For the most part, critique groups will be people that you’ve met (either on-line or in-person). They are people with whom you will probably exchange several chapters or even manuscripts over the years.

If you stick with one critique group for long enough, they become like a family. They see you and your novel at its worst. They know you. When your book is published and you are writing your page of thanks yous, these are the people that get all the inside jokes and secret codes. (For my group, there will be a mention of bananas and possibly chickens and an extra thanks for keeping me safe from the alien-ninjas.)

The downside to critique groups is that if it isn’t the right fit for you or your story, you’ll be miserable and your story will not be helped. It is tricky finding the right balance of people and the right meshing of personalities. Don’t be afraid to leave a group if it isn’t helping you.

Finding the right critique group is like finding the perfect pair of shoes—only better because shoes don’t help make your novel awesome and make you laugh.

The best advice for a critique group:

1.      Help the others in your group. In critiquing their works, you’ll learn how to make yours better—guarantee. And as a group, you’ll grow together.

2.      Get to know the others in your group. As you exchange stories, you’ll be able to understand their feedback as you get to know the people giving it. You’ll grow comfortable with their critiquing style and ways of phrasing things. Everyone is different and in order to get the most from your critiques, knowing the critiquer is important.
Tune in  on Friday for tips on using writing websites for an editing source.

Conference Recap

Wow, I sure love writer’s conferences. This was a big deal for me because I was pitching my novel for the first time. It was a great experience (I may blog about my thoughts on pitching later on).

Why do I go to conferences?

I go to learn, but really most of the information can be found on-line or from wise critique partners.

Yet it is different. A conference is the one place where things are explained clearly and all in one place. It is interactive, meaning you can go up to the presenter after the class and ask questions, get clarification.

Plus, there are other writers at conferences.

Writers are my most favorite type of people. I love their imaginations and how much they adore books. I love the jokes writers make because they know words. I love the hushed awe that overcomes them over a well-worded sentence.

Writer’s conferences are the best place to meet other writers and we need other writers.

They are the critique partners that help your books be better. They are the shoulders to cry on when rejections come. You can bounce ideas off them without them thinking you are totally insane. They are the people who allow you to critique their books (even if you secretly just want to critique their stuff to read an awesome story before anyone else). Fellow writers are the ones who follow your blog. The friends you make at writer’s conferences are the ones who buy your books even though they’ve already read it because they remember when you were struggling through the first draft and have seen how awesome story has grown. They’re the ones who tweet about your book and share it with their friends. They’re the ones who write awesome books that you are dying share with the world.

A writer would be nothing without friends and a writer’s conference is the perfect place to find them.

The Search for the Right Critique Partner: Part 1

Picking a critique partner might be one of the most important decisions you will make in your writing. Those extra eyes can improve your work. They can see plot holes and character flaws that you miss. With just the right amount of support and advice, a good critique partner can help you make your story fabulous.

What makes a good critique partner?

The answer is different for everyone. Each writer has different styles and needs. Here is a list of things to consider when searching for the right critique partner.

Genre

If you write epic fantasy and your critique partner writes romance, there might be issues. While good writing is good writing, there is certain conventions in the different genres. If your critique partner loathes your genre, they might not be as helpful as they could be.

Critiquing Style

Styles of critiquing vary from person to person. Some like to point out what is wrong and leave it at that. Others prefer to make suggestions on how to fix it. This depends on your personal preference.

Time Commitment

Critiquing should happen at a pace that you are comfortable with. You don't want to have a mismatched level of time commitment. Either waiting forever to hear back from your critique partner or feeling overwhelmed and rushed to get their work back is frustrating. To avoid headaches, find someone who wants to critique at the same pace as you do.

What else do you consider in searching for a critique partner?

Tune in next time for advice on where to find a critique partner. Happy writing!