You've been writing in solitary confinement for months now, afraid to show anyone what
you've written. Will it be good enough? Will it be rejected? One way to find out if your
writing is acceptable before taking the plunge and sending it to editors involves critique
groups. Most writers eventually join critique groups. Some writers move from one group to
another until they find the group that suits them.
How to find your group.
Find a group that will criticize your work, not tear it to shreds. Avoid groups that love every word you write. You want a group that will complement your writing when it's good, but still find ways to make your writing better.
Find a group with a mixture of writing skills. While a group of all beginners can be helpful, it would be better if there were some more skilled writers in the group, too. A group with all full-time, professional, published writers may not want to take in beginners. So, find out the skill level of a group before you attend. Decide what mix you're comfortable with and seek that group.
Find a group with similar writing interests or genres to yours. A science fiction writer may have a hard time getting valuable criticism from a group of romance writers and vice versa. Some fiction genres may work together, like romance and mystery, especially since there are many writers doing romantic suspense. But if you are writing magazine articles, you probably wouldn't get help from a group of writers doing only fiction. Many writers write lots of different things, and you may find a group with writers like that. Before you attend that first meeting, find out what the others are writing and decide if you will fit in.
When you look for that right group for you, make sure there is a balance
to the comments given. The group should not be used by one member to beat everyone else
down just so she/he can feel better about their own writing.
Once you've found a critique group.
Don't spend the time defending your writing. Gratefully take each person's criticism. Don't argue or defend. Once you've returned to the sanctuary of your writing room or space, review the comments made and decide for yourself what is valuable and what is not. Pay attention to comments made by several members of the group. A comment made by one person only may or may not be valuable. Remember, it's your writing and you have the final say so.
Also remember that no matter how flawlessly you have written the piece, it
can always be improved. Don't be too prideful to take constructive comments. Use those
comments to your advantage. Use the people in your group as extra eyes. However, don't
rely on their eyes to catch mistakes because you were too hurried to proofread your
manuscript. That's not the job of a critique group. The group's job is to help you put the
shine on an already polished manuscript.
One method for critiquing.
The "sandwich" method is one method used in critique groups.
This is where you tell something you liked about a manuscript, then something that didn't
work, and finish with something else you liked. A group should encourage writers not
discourage.
One of the greatest benefits.
Networking is the greatest benefit to belonging to a critique group. Get
into the habit of sharing with each other tidbits of information that you find on editor
changes or publishers looking for particular types of material. Take some time during your
meeting to share tidbits of publishing news. Take some time to share each of your
successes since the last meeting.
Don't be afraid to try a critique group.
Everyone experiences some anxiety the first time they go to that first
meeting. But also don't be afraid to leave a group if it's not working for you. Keep
looking, keep trying. There is a perfect group out there somewhere for you!
Su Wright is a freelance writer who has worked for public relations agencies as well
as in-hour PR departments. In addition, she has worked as a newspaper
editor/reporter and magazine editor. She has a B.S. in journalism and teaches press
release writing and press kit preparation at Colorado Free University. Someday she will be
a multi-published novelist in mysteries and romantic suspense.
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