Tag Archives: Critique group

Brainstorm for Critique Groups

Posted on by
Reply

Middle Grade Mondays

Brainstorm for Critique Groups

By Natalie Bright

Are you stuck in the middle of your story and can’t decide where to go next? Unsure about your character’s motivation? Maybe you need some spin off ideas from your finished novel to move on to your next WIP.

Organize a brainstorming session at your next writers critique group.

This is a tool often used by business managers. When I worked as a human resources director, part of my job was to plan employee events. I’d invite a few people from each department and we’d brainstorm ideas for the coming year. Everyone could speak out and make suggestions based on the first thing that came to mind and I’d take notes. In no time I had a list of ideas for places, events, and possible dates. Writers can utilize this tool as well.

A list of edits from my super agent included the need for one more episode before the climatic scene near the end. I had a solid story arc, but it needed work and I needed one more intense scene for the main character. My writers group was very familiar with the story and characters, which by the way, is reason to find compatible critique partners and stay with them. Their input is so much more intuitive when they’re familiar with your complete body of work.

I prepared a chapter grid for my group as follows, which I’ve listed headings and one example.

Chapter # and  Locations  Day # and time of day Main event or scene(s)
Chapter 1, Main StreetHotel lobby June 20, 1887 / high noon TrialVerdict is guilty

With a red dry erase marker in hand, I listed the two ideas from my agent first. This gets the creative juices flowing in the group. I asked for ideas of a scene before the climatic scene, and told them to speak out no matter how crazy. The thing about brainstorming is that creativity begets creativity. One person’s idea will trigger an idea for you, and so on. In a short time, I had a white board full of possibilities which seemed amazing since I’d spent an entire week worrying and pondering over what to do.

When I started writing, I discovered several of their ideas combined into one scene. I had to add a few elements early on in the story to tie it all together. The whole process turned out to be fairly painless.

My current work in progress is set in 1887 Texas featuring a wonderfully spirited eleven year old named Silver Belle. I’m so excited to think that she might be on the bookstore shelves one day.

And thank you awesome wordsmithsix partners. Lucky me for being a part of such a creative and inspirational group!

http://www.nataliebright.com

FOIBLES

Posted on by
2

FOIBLES

by Sharon Stevens

I was reading a young adult novel this week.

Let me rephrase that. I attempted to read a young adult novel until I reached chapter four, and I just couldn’t bear to read another word. I had to put the book down.

It wasn’t that it was evil or dirty. The cover was beautiful. The writing was bright, and the characters engaging. The author brought each person to life, gave them a past, and you just knew the story would share a future until the very last word amid the final period or exclamation point.

So why did I set aside a perfectly good book and weep? Only for the simple fact that the author wasn’t true to the characters stored within the soul of the memories.

It was so hard for me to lay down these pages. I wanted to know the ending and how the main character achieved her goals, but I just couldn’t bear witness as the heroine lost her way. I truly felt whoever wrote the book that she or he betrayed the heart just to write the story, not caring if their beliefs mattered or the time period matched.

My passion in life is to read, and I will read anything and everything within reason…cereal boxes, Reader’s Digest, marketing blurbs, I love it all. BUT I will not sacrifice or betray a book just to read a tale.

Our critique group, Wordsmith Six, works so hard to get it right. We try time and again to share our musings, but we are totally honest and true to our craft. Each speaks up when we hear an echo, or we lose our focus, or our characters stray off the beaten path. Every individual in our group helps us to get back on track before we stray too far afield.

Not only that, the speakers that present at our Panhandle Professional Writers meetings, and the presenters at our Frontiers in Writing Conferences, say in so many words time and again to remain true to the characters we believe in, that we write about.

As writers, we not only have the ability and the commitment to build a life and make it come alive, but we also have to honor the most basic concept of writing 101.

We can give our characters a twist or thicken the plot, but we must strive to always be dedicated to those we write into our stories. Instill in them a spirit and passion, trials and tribulations. Never forget that each person connects together at some point, and we have to stand steadfast for each and every one. And please note I would have had this same opinion as a reader way before I became a writer.

My Webster’s Dictionary gives the description of the word “foible” as a weakness. I have nothing against the author of this book, otherwise it was beautifully written. Someday I may return to its pages. To me this was a weakness that would have come across if there had been a strong critique group to catch the glaring errors. He or she has probably sold a million copies. I think it’s that good. And I can imagine that people of all ages have fallen in love with this book. I just can’t be one of them.

My loyalty lies with the characters. They deserve at least that much.

It’s as simple as this, and comes right down to this fact. Bees love flowers, bears treasure honey, and a leopard can never, ever change its spots.

End of story.

In Search of Meaningful Critiques

Posted on by
Reply

In Search of Meaningful Critiques

By Natalie Bright

The creative writing instructor provided numerous reasons for joining a critique group and I rejected the idea at once. How could I possibly find a small group of writers attempting similar goals plus a willingness to meet at the same time and place for the rest of our lives?

Let us imagine we find such an assembly.  The unattainable involves leaving your feelings at the door and listening with an open mind as complete strangers criticize your best efforts. In return, you must provide positive comments and insightful suggestions for their work.

The final deal breaker was time. Whose real world itinerary allows meetings on an already unyielding schedule? I discovered so many reasons why NOT to find a writing group.

Based on the form rejection letters I’d received, I soon realized a second opinion might be more than helpful.

I turned to a son who listened intently to my ramblings. One day, he responded to my request of “listen to this” with, “That’s okay, Mom. I’d rather not.”

Not to be discouraged, I searched my heart and contemplated my dilemma carefully. I needed someone who believed in me, someone who was not afraid to bestow the gut wrenching truth.

Behold, there he sat, relaxing comfortably in his easy chair surfing through 210 channels of mind-numbing bliss. I approached my darling husband.

He agreed to help and seemed pleased that I included him in my newfound passion. Thrilled at the possibility of sharing a common interest besides kids, I envisioned lengthy conversations into the night, deliberating words and phrases.

I recognized a pattern appearing in his critiques. He started with “Promise you won’t get mad,” and ended “You should write a Western.” The critique itself consisted of one to two word comments, such as “needs research,” “no emotion,” and my personal favorite, “cornball.”

A critique group of strangers was the only option left.

Through a local writer’s organization, I found a few critique partners, who knew of a few more. We came together preparing to pour our heart and soul onto written pages with hopes of receiving sparks of inspiration — not only to learn ways to improve our work, but starved for any words of praise. We had to know if there were any good parts.

If you have not found someone to critique your work, keep searching. In case you are wondering, my husband continues to be the first line of critique, only because once in a while he surprises me with a unique, very male perspective so amazing and so opposite of mine.

More importantly, I have learned if someone responds to your story with “cornball”, it’s probably true.

Natalie Bright

 

WIP? Do Tell!

Posted on by
2

WIP? Do Tell!

By Natalie Bright

Do you talk about your WIP (work in progress)?

Some writers feel it takes away the momentum of their story. They don’t breathe a word about the characters and scenes mulling around in their head.  Ask me about my stories, and I’ll talk your ear off.

The first niggling of an idea works itself out in my brain, and as I ponder the possibilities a character, a place and usually their problems begin to evolve. Once I have the ending in my head, I like to verbalize the story idea. When I talk about my characters, it makes them even more real to me. Their personalities and quirks come to life. The whys and reasons and obstacles begin to make sense. And thank goodness, I have a critique group that listens.

Our meetings usually run long. We delve into much more than commas and sentence structure.  Since we’ve been meeting together for several years, we are familiar with each others projects. We dig deep and talk character motivation and plot structure, and it’s wonderful.

What about you; do you spill about your WIP?

Natalie Bright

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Posted on by
1

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

by Sharon Stevens

Recently I took a story back to my critique group. My words had been posted in a blog, but I knew from the moment I clicked it into cyber-space to our facilitator that it wasn’t quite right. It may not have been terrible per se, or even wrong, it just needed work, and I looked to my fellow writers to listen to the story and help me “fix it”.

I think they were relieved. They had been confused by the story and didn’t quite know how to tell me. It didn’t connect and not only that, it was filled with many words leading nowhere. The main focus, the heart of the story got lost somewhere in all the jumble.

Our facilitator told me to rework it and bring it back, and he would repost it. No one would ever know.

I left that night even more confused than before. None-the-less I took it back home and worked and reworked the story, following the advice of my fellow writers until it was perfect with a capital P. If I do say so myself it was my finest masterpiece. Granted the word count was over a thousand words, but strong, connected and glowing. Every thought matched to the next. Each paragraph connected together in one sweeping saga linked heart and soul. All my facts were checked and rechecked. All the names honored and placed within the body of the piece. I made sure the story was grammatically correct with every word in its place. I took out all the “wases”, found the echoes, edited the errors and streamlined the focus.

After I had read this saga over for the millionth time I felt it was ready to resubmit. I highlighted to copy and save and then paste to the facilitator. (He would be so proud of me.) And then I clicked a key, I’m still not sure which one, and my work was gone. Not gone to my blog post, or gone to my file folder but gone gone…never to be retrieved again.

I stared at the screen before me not comprehending what had just happened. I pushed paste and paste again, and the computer still glowed empty.

And that is when it hit me. I realized what I had written and what I had initially taken to my critique group and what they had tried to get me to see, was nothing more than an acknowledgment. My story wasn’t a story after all, it was simply a dedication, a Pulitzer prize winning entry to a story not yet written aimed at all those who had paved the way for me in Heaven as well as here on earth.

This is who I am and who I will always be, but it provided a revelation. I worked so hard honoring the people and memories close to my heart who inspired me to put words on paper. I guess I just wanted them to know how much they touched my life and lifted me up and encouraged me to dream. As one of the members of my writing group explained that my heart was so full that it spilled over into my writing.

When my blog disappeared I was hurt. Not only that, I was devastated, dumbfounded, depressed, discouraged and any other “dis” in the dictionary. But I truly wasn’t that upset. There was no gnashing of teeth or ripping of clothes or tearing of hair. There were tears, but no sobbing. It was all just so perfect and I didn’t think I could retrieve it from my memory word for word.

It wasn’t until I found Jennifer Archer’s book, “Once Upon A Dream” at our bookstore, and read her acknowledgment to her friends and fellow writers that I came to my “aha” moment.

There was no question the fault of loosing my written work lay with my stupidity, for not saving it first before taking any other action. That’s a given and one of the first rules in writing!

When I clicked on that key that wiped out my tale it was if the Angels above were admonishing me. “Get past this, go further, reach higher, GET OFF THE FIRST PAGE! We know what we have done and we are proud of what we accomplished while there on earth. You don’t need to acknowledge us any more. You have a glowing, empty screen before you. Now go and write your story.

And so I did, with one last acknowledgment.

Jennifer Archer will be the guest speaker at the Panhandle Professional Writers meeting on September 17, 2011. She will be at the east campus of the St. Stephen’s Methodist Church, 4600 S. Western from 10-3 speaking on the “5 Senses: How to Capture the Magic & Bring Your Story Alive.”

PPW was founded by two women, Laura V. Hamner and Phebe Warner who not only encouraged writing, but were involved in the entire community way beyond the pages of a story. They along with Loula Grace Erdman and the many members of PPW down through the years, have made it all possible for those of us who love to share a story with each other, and in a tangible medium with a printed page.

Jennifer will be speaking on how to make your writing glow for a reader using all your senses and theirs. She should know, she knows how to write a great story.

But I can’t leave without honoring HER acknowledgments, as I think she said it best. But with doing so I want to honor MY Wordsmith Six critique group, Natalie Bright, Nandy Ekle, Barbara Propst, Joe Nichols and Craig Keel.

In Jennifer‘s words…“Many thanks to my Thursday night critique group: Karen Smith, DeWanna Pace, Jodi Koumalats, Bruce Edwards, Kim Cambell and Judy Andrew. Each week you challenge me, encourage me and teach me something new.

Thanks also to Ronda Thompson, Kimberly Willis Holt and Charlotte Goebel for giving me their time, suggestions and friendship.

And, as always, to Jeff for making it possible for me to chase a dream.”

Sharon Stevens

WIP? Do Tell!

Posted on by
1

WIP? Do Tell!

By Natalie Bright

Do you talk about your WIP (work in progress)?

Some writers feel it takes away the momentum of their story. They don’t breathe a word about the characters and scenes mulling around in their head.  Ask me about my stories, and I’ll talk your ear off.

The first niggling of an idea works itself out in my brain, and as I ponder the possibilities a character, a place and usually their problems begin to evolve. Once I have the ending in my head, I like to verbalize the story idea. When I talk about my characters, it makes them even more real to me. Their personalities and quirks come to life. The whys and reasons and obstacles begin to make sense. And thank goodness, I have a critique group that listens.

Our meetings usually run long. We delve into much more than commas and sentence structure.  Since we’ve been meeting together for several years, we are familiar with each others projects. We dig deep and talk character motivation and plot structure, and it’s wonderful.

What about you; do you spill about your WIP?

Natalie Bright

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Posted on by
2

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

By Rory C. Keel

“Okay, somebody write a quick blog on trying to find a name for your blog!”

                                                                                             –Natalie Bright

Choosing the one specific term that describes six different writers with very different styles and genres, can be a daunting task. One would think that such an imaginative group could quickly produce a name so extraordinary, so remarkable that the mere mention of it would describe each individual and their genres perfectly. We settled on something a little less complicated.

What about Tuesday?

Welcome to our blog. My name is Rory and every Tuesday I will be sharing with you some of the ideas and lessons that I’ve learned, and will learn along the way to publication. I’m excited to be a part of a group of writers ranging from beginners to the experienced, from the unpublished to multiple publications, and that has the motivation to move forward in their writing. I write Christian fiction and non-fiction, Historical western, short stories, and creative nonfiction. I have published several Christian devotionals, and I have song lyrics published on a CD, “Alabaster Box.”

Choosing the Name

So, how did we choose the name? We tossed words onto a dry erase board, and then the six of us wrestled them around until one stood up and screamed, “Pick Me!” And what is the name that captures the essence of our critique group?

Wordsmith Six

Wordsmith Six consists of six writers who cover the spectrum in genres—a group of a half-dozen close friends who love words, whether we’re reading, writing or researching them. We have individuals who write Women’s Fiction, Historical, Inspirational and Screenplay. Others love Romance, Western, Christian fiction and Middle grade children’s books. Included are authors with published Fiction and Nonfiction books, TV Documentaries, Song Lyrics, Humor and yes, even HORROR.

We have lots of stories to tell and you’re invited to follow along.

Click on the author page above to connect with Rory.

Rory C. Keel

Hello world!

Posted on by
1

Wordsmith Six coming Soon!