I Heart Critique Groups
With Writeoncon in full swing and RedLightGreenLight starting,
I have critique on the brain.
I have read a few blogs recently bullying
the critique group. Well, this is a no
bullying zone, so let's all be nice. (But not too
nice, or we'll be proliferating one of the complaints about critique groups.)
I was stuck before I found a critique group. I thought I had edited to perfection. I knew the stories weren't the best I had
ever read, but I didn't know how to take things up a level. My first critiques felt like Superman came
and picked my truck out of the landslide. I saw my story from a whole new
perspective. And I wasn't stuck anymore.
The process catches mistakes you became
blind too. One pointed out my tense was
wrong in the first sentence. I took a drink of water just so I could spray
it out of my mouth in shock. How had I missed an obvious error? Goes to show you need a fresh set of eyes.
Critique groups help you let go. You gave birth to two beautiful sentences you love,
but they say the same thing. Critique gives
you permission to throw away that sentence you don't need.
"Sally
ripped off her doll's head. She was
mad."
A group of readers will see unique pictures
in your words. They will help you leave
room for the illustrator. "You
described too much. I thought Eddie was
floating with a bunch of balloons, but then you described a pink-polka
dotted kite with red ribbons."
Why Critique Groups get Bullied
Critiquers come with a variety of
experience, y'know like me with around zero. Writers at different levels
can still help one another. My newbie
critiques mainly reflect my application of the "rules" and my
schoolmarmly editing. I can help with a little
humor, and I hope the writer gets at least one good tidbit.
Sometimes submissions have significant grammar and
spelling issues. With my corporate background
I have to edit first; I was trained to not trust things with errors. Unfortunately, that means I am not open to
really hearing the story until it is corrected. You should always share your best work.
 |
| My Dad was ruthless with the red pen in high school. |
You can get differing opinions. One may say "scratch the dragon and
focus on the boy" and the other say "scratch the boy and focus
on the dragon." This is
frustrating, but the message is clear: you need to focus the story
somewhere. You are the writer. You get to pick.
At the end of the day you don't have to
change anything about your manuscript you don't want to. Of course you will change some things,
because you want your story to be the best it can be. Absorb the critique, and let it flow back out
through your own voice.
Love 'em? Hate 'em? Please share your critique group experiences
in the comments.
I've never been in one, but I think I would benefit from joining one. As a newbie writer myself, I find editing to be the most intimidating. Learning to see my work from a different perspective would be incredibly helpful. Obviously, you just have to make sure that whichever group you join is helping you write more and write better, not hindering you.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a fine line with critique between "come on give it to me harder" and "ouch." Just like when you were little and your body was stretching, you are going to have some growing pains. As long as you feel your work is improving, it will be worth the sting of critique.
DeleteGood luck finding a group. There are also the events I mentioned in the post as well as many more where you can get advice.
I've never had anyone look over my work except my husband, who *gasp* isn't even much of a reader. When I posted short bits of my work on the WriteOnCon forums, I got invaluable critiques. You're right, some you can feel alright ignoring, but others showed me a new perspective or a hazy point I need to clarify... and my writing will be better for it. I have a lot of things to think about. What to do with the new thoughts swirling around in my head is another matter... but yes, I can see how critique groups can elevate your story.
ReplyDeleteNow, HOW to find those awesome CPs? That's the question I need you to answer for me!
Do you know I think you are braver to let your husband read it than a critique group? Try to save all the critiques from writeoncon too. Sometimes you have an immediate adverse reaction to a crit, but let it sit. You may even try the suggestion out of spite to prove it won't work only to find it does work! You never know.
DeleteFinding them: If you are in SCBWI, try the forums. Ask at your local library - mine just started a writing group! *squeals* Attend a conference to meet other writers in person. (Advice I haven't followed yet, but will.)
I love critique groups! I belong to two. A local one that meets once a week at our library and an online one. I belong to CBI Clubhouse and they recently started critique groups, so I joined a PB one. I feel they are invaluable to our writing. They find things that I never noticed or things I should have noticed, but didn't.
ReplyDeleteJanet - thanks for adding CBI Clubhouse to the list of places writers can find critique groups!
DeleteThis is great! It is so important to get feedback, but for an introvert like me, throwing myself to the lions...I mean to a group of fellow writers...is intimidating. This is a great reminder that it's worth it!
ReplyDeleteJust like the great group we formed of My Name is Not Bob followers, most of those lions are really there to help you, not eat you. Even though it may feel a little like getting gnawed on, it's worth it to be part of a pack!
DeleteLove them and hate them, but I view them as invaluable. As writers, we really need an extra set of eyes to see the things that we can't see ourselves, because we're too close to it.
ReplyDeleteYes, even if I let my manuscript chill in the freezer for a month, it only gives me a little distance. The more eyes, the better.
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