Part 3:

Giving and Receiving Critiques: Consider the Ground Rules

By Natalie Bright

In receiving a critique of your writing, it’s only fair that you’d be expected to give back.

Once you’ve identified several reliable critique partners, set some rules or guidelines to ensure that everyone is in total agreement as to how the critique should proceed. This only makes certain that the process is fair to everyone involved, and that it’s not a waste of your time. I’ve read numerous manuscripts for people, and it’s always nice to hear “send me one of your stories sometime.”

You can learn much about story craft by reading other people’s work, in addition to having them read yours in return.

The Rules Rule

Based on my experience, following are a few basic rules to consider for critique groups:

*Confidentiality

*Page limit: minimum or maximum number of pages to submit for critique

*Time limits for equal time of discussion

*New or edits: limit submissions to new material only, or can members bring edit? This eliminates the problem of someone bringing the same chapter over and over.

*Determine order of reading, if you meet in person.

*Find something positive, then move into the negative. Identify strengths and weaknesses.

* Group size; do you want to limit the number of members?

Wordsmith Six

My first critique group, that I found through the creative writing course, sadly didn’t stay together for various reasons. Some of us had work and family obligations that made it impossible to attend meetings, and several others moved out of the area. A few of us from the original group met a few more writers through a local writers organization, and we formed a new group about three years ago. Six months ago we started a blog about our publishing journey.

Even though we write in a variety of genres, the commonality is that we are all actively writing and submitting for publication. We stay on task. I come away from every meeting with invaluable critiques.

Here are the rules of Wordsmith Six critique group: we meet every other week, and our meetings usually lasts three to four hours. Due to time constraints, we’ve set a maximum of ten pages each. If we don’t have our own work to read, members bring a general interest article on writing craft or share notes from a recent conference, for example.  The key is everyone participates.

We generally restrict readings to new material, however if a piece has had a tough critique, then we’ll look at it a second time after edits. We draw numbers to determine who reads first, and we each read our own work out loud to the group.

Productivity is the Key

This is a biggey rule: we work first, and visit last. Everyone arrives on time, we begin on time, and we get right to business. After the work is done, a few might hang around to discuss character motivation, books we’re reading, or just gabbing about families.  The main point is that our writing is the main focus, and the main goal is to keep everyone moving forward.

Members who only bring chips and dip do not make for a productive atmosphere. Everyone understands life is crazy, and some weeks are unbearable as writers. We all know this. Do your critique mates a favor, and become a dependable giver as well as receiver. As you become familiar with each others work, you’ll move beyond basic grammar checks. A magical thing happens when you begin discussing character motivation and plot structure. As you realize the development of your story through others eyes, you’ll be able to edit and polish your work until it shines.

Next week in Part 4, I’ll discuss responsible behavior.

Natalie Bright

Giving and Receiving Critiques: Part 2:

Giving and Receiving Critiques: What to Expect

By Natalie Bright

WAS is a pesky little word. I had no idea how much I truly love the word WAS until I joined a critique group. Someone actually counted the number I had on one page and it wasn’t pretty. Then there were other pages with not one WAS in sight. Who knows what goes on in your brain during the writing process?

That is an example of what an honest and unbiased critique of your work can do for you; invaluable insight into your tendencies and quirks.  If you write humor, obviously you want people to laugh at the funny parts. What if they’re laughing in places you didn’t even realize were funny?

When you listen with an open mind, a critique group forces you to step away from your work. You must take the gutt-wrenching, personal feelings out of the process and develop a critical eye.  Critique members can help you do that.

Next week in Part 3; establishing ground rules for critique partners.

Natalie Bright

Giving and Receiving Critiques: Why bother?

By Natalie Bright

Part 1:

The story you are working on is important. It’s so important that you spend hours writing and rewriting, and even more hours thinking about the characters, the setting, and the plot. There is no doubt that it’s very real in your mind, but how it comes across to the reader might be a totally different experience than what you intended.

Books on Impulse

Books have become impulse buys, and surprisingly I’ve purchased more eBooks than I ever imagined. One click and it’s there, ready and waiting, and saavy authors understand how to make that purchase a no-brainer. I’ve discovered some amazing stories in a wide variety of genres, all affordable and effortless. I’ve also discovered many wonderful authors. Some with great potential, and sadly, some that I’ll hesitate to purchase again because of the typos and very basic story craft mistakes.

If you’re thinking about putting your work out there, I say go for it. Make certain that it’s the best that it can be. You can’t afford to have your name associated with something that is less than perfect. Writing is hard work, and an honest critique is essential to your career as a writer.

Where to Turn

The first step is to ask other writers where they go for help. You need an honest, unbiased opinion. I’ve talked to many authors who have had great success with online groups. You can find other writers looking for critique partners by joining your local writing organization, or inquire at local junior colleges or universities. I met my first critique group through the creative writing course which was taught by a NYTimes Bestselling author at our local university.

Today, more and more writers have found helpful critiques online, either by joining an online group which may involve thousands of members, or simply exchanging work via email with one or two people. Some local writing organizations have large scale critiques where everyone is invited to participate.

Give it a Whirl

Experiment with several different venues until you find the one that fits. You’ll be rewarded with a polished, professional manuscript ready for submission and you’ll discover definite improvement in your productivity level.  The very best inspiration is being surrounded by creative people.

Next week, in Part 2, we’ll discuss what you can expect from a critique.

Natalie Bright