Tag: Critique Groups

Posted in Critique Groups, Guest Blogger

Guest Post: Peg Finley on Multiple Critique Groups

Posted on by beckylevine

When I asked around for anyone interested in guest posting here about critique groups, Peg Finley sent me a note. And when she told me she belonged to three critique groups, I told her to “come on down!” I wanted to hear her talk about the benefits and the challenges, and she was nice enough to do just that. Read Peg’s guest post for a detailed look at the pros and cons she sees in belonging to more than one group.

 

Peg Finley: Picture-Book Writer, Children’s Stories (Fiction & Nonfiction),
Writers and Inspirational Articles
SCBWI Member/Institute of Children’s Literature Graduate/CBI Clubhouse Member

At the start of this blog entry I should say that being in multiple critique groups is a lot like being on a rollercoaster without being buckled in. You soar to the highest point squealing all the way to the top, and then you close your eyes tightly and hold on all the way down. It is balancing act to do your best for yourself and for others in your groups so that everyone grows as a writer.

I’m a Dreamwriter. I’m a Rainbowwriter and a Flux Member. Being in one critique group might be enough for some but not for me. Here are some pros and cons I’ve discovered during my time in multiple critique groups.

Pro: Being in three critique groups makes me more aware of the trends in the industry. When someone hears a publisher is open for unsolicited submissions or other things industry related, they are quick to share that info. Being in three different groups with at least four members in each means multiple sources of information. (I copy articles off to read while I’m waiting for the kids to get out of school so I don’t take up valuable writing time.)

Con: For some it can be too much information to process. Reading everything you get might leave you with no time to write.

Pro: Being disciplined is crucial when in multiple critique groups. You learn to prioritize. You do critiques as they come in and return them in a timely manner. You submit submissions by the deadline so that they are on time. There is no option to procrastinate. It helps a writer learn to work with revision requests from editor. You learn the value of meeting deadlines. It adds to your professionalism.

Con: The pace can be too fast for some writers. If a writer’s style is very relaxed or they are not seriously committed, it is very easy to get behind.

Pro: By reading and critiquing writings from multiple writers with multiple personalities, you can experience growth. Most writers take and pull from what they know. If there are talented members in your critique groups they can be role models.

In my one group, there’s someone who was a teacher who helps me with my grammar issues. Thanks goodness. Another member notices when transitions in my submissions aren’t smooth. Another has a lovely voice for the very young child that I try to imitate in my work.

Con: For a writer just starting it can be difficult to develop your style of writing, especially if some members have been published multiple times. It can be intimidating.

Pro: More eyes to find mistakes or make suggestions for improvement in a writer’s writing is another reason to be involved with more than one critique group. This is especially true when struggling with a section of a submission. Getting the same type of comments in the manuscript at the same place is a sure-fire way to know that there is a problem.

Con: Knowing what to take away from a critique can be a challenge as a writer.A writer might not be able to accept the need for changes, or it might hurt for a writer to hear that their “baby” needs some more work.

Pro: Another positive aspect of being in multiple groups is if you really need to, you can send the same submission to more than one group. (I try not to do that but sometimes it does happen.)

Con: It takes time and effort to be a “good critique group member.”

Pro: One unexpected benefit from being in multiple groups was that while I was researching articles to share with my groups, I found topics for my blog.If group members found an article helpful, so will writers who come to my blog.

Con: For some this could be considered a waste of time.

Pro: Being in more than one critique group means you get more than the average amount of opportunities to sub. Most members in a critique group submit once a month or less.For people who write a lot, it motivates them. (For instance, Dreamwriters’ has two original submission dates per month with two dates for revised submission. I try to submit every time an opportunity comes up. In total, I have four chances to submit an original manuscript, and two chances for rewrites.)

Con: It is a little crazy at times trying to keep up, but is doable. Some groups offer options to do a second submission a month, with at least one mandatory submission.

Pro: Some writers get lazy/bored easily. ( I am one of those writers.) The two chances to submit a rewrite to the group keeps me on my toes. I have to get my revisions done as the suggestions I take from the critiques have to be incorporated in time for the next rewrite submission date.

I am not the biggest fan of revising. I know it’s necessary. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. Lol. Knowing that there is a deadline makes me write it now.

Pro: Choosing to participate in multiple critique groups can be time-consuming. Some writers use the chance to become the best writer they can be.

Con: If a writer’s personal or writing life is complicated, a writer should seriously consider how much time they can offer to their groups.How often can you write is a question you need to ask yourself.

Pro: The biggest benefit from being in multiple critique groups is the support offered. A good critique group is worth its weight in gold and being in more than one group doubles or triples the value. Groups share their hopes and dreams. Group members pick each other up when someone is down, and they do the happy dance when one or more of the group members get the recognition they have worked so hard to achieve.

Con: Picking the wrong critique group to participate in can leave a writer with a bad feeling about sharing their work. Selecting your groups carefully is so important. Make sure they fit you as a writer.

Would I recommend joining more than one critique group? Not always. Each writer needs to find what works for them. For me, three work just fine.

Posted in Critique Groups, First Drafts, Uncategorized

Thankful Thursday: Another One for the Critique Group

Posted on by beckylevine

I’ve been writing an icky scene.

No, not one with blood and guts (wait, maybe that’s what it needs!). One where the writing was just dragging along, not flowing, where I was staring at it and knowing that–even for a first draft–it was not making me happy.  In other words, the staring wasn’t helping. And next week is slotted (in my mental writing calendar) for a bit of work on my picture book and a bit more work on some talks I’m getting ready to give. So, you know, it would have been easy just to stall out on this scene, let it sit on the computer, and then–yes–have it be that much harder to face when I came back to it.
Or…  I could push through it, with the unhappiness, get it “done,” and send it out to my critique group, knowing that it’s totally safe to share with them and knowing that I’ll get ideas, thoughts, suggestions…HELP!

And then I got an email from my mom who, as I’ve mentioned here before, is pretty darned wise. She’s been working on her memoir, first through a class at the local community college and then–when funding got cancelled for the class (BOO, HISS!), with the group of people who decided to keep writing together. I’d just given her a basic critique, with a few thoughts about scene structure and showing, not telling, and I know she’d planned to get right back to writing. Turns out, not quite so fast–she’s not only a wise woman, but a very busy one. Anyway, turns out  is the meeting of her group. Here’s what Mom said in her email:

          We’re meeting this afternoon, so I HAD to get something written. 

Ha!

Yes, that is the motivation magic of a critique group. It’s the kind of deadline that, in a strong & supportive group, puts just the right amount of pressure on us–the good kind. The kind that says we’re free to get past the reluctance, distaste, or fear about whatever that current writing piece is–to push through it, get it to some kind of “done,” and send it out.

Free to keep moving forward.

Posted in Critique Groups, Critiquing

What to Expect from a Critique

Posted on by beckylevine

After a lovely week of talking about other authors, I thought it was time to come back to talking a bit about…you! This post is modified from a downloadable PDF (of the same title) available at my Critiquing tab above, that I wrote for writers who are considering hiring me for a professional critique. I think a lot of it’s true, though, for anyone getting critique feedback, especially if it’s a new experience. So enjoy and, remember, it’s worth the risk! (And thanks to Jordan Rosenfeld for the suggestion!)

If you have never been critiqued, you may not be completely prepared for the kind of feedback another writer can give you, or for the feelings their suggestions may cause in you. If you have experience being critiqued, receiving feedback from other writers, you are probably familiar with some of the feelings a critique can engender. You feel great when your critique partners tell you what you’ve done well, and you feel not-so-great when they point out what’s not yet working. Hopefully, you haven’t received a critique that made you feel hurt, or that made you wonder whether you should be writing.

You should.

You should also, though, be revising. And one of the best ways to do that, if not always the easiest, is to receive strong feedback from a critiquer.

When you receive a critique, you are hopefully getting a thorough, detailed set of feedback. This may include a page or more of overall comments, suggestions about the big elements of writing—things like plot and characterization in fiction, organization and voice in nonfiction. The critiquer may also make notes throughout the manuscript, pointing out specific places where they think you can do more work, passages they think illustrate the suggestions they’ve made in their overall critique, and—of course—any writing that they love.

When you look at these pages, you’re going to see a lot of comments. (This may be where that fear of red ink comes from!)Even if, logically, you know all those comments are there to help you, you may still feel overwhelmed. Sometimes very overwhelmed.

Try to remember a few things.

You are not the only person to ever have their work marked up this way. It happens to most writers. It happens to me all the time! You are allowed to start slowly. Take it a chapter at a time, work with the small changes you can say “yes” or “no” to, and let the other, bigger comments simmer in your brain as you work.

You don’t have to make all the changes at once. When I’m revising from a critique, I find it most helpful to pick one or two big things to work through in one revision, following the thread of changes through each scene, and watching how my story grows and improves as I work.

You are the author of this manuscript. I happily give you permission, here and now, to decide against putting in any of the suggested changes that you’re not happy with. (I also ask you, if the critiquer make a big point about something multiple times through the pages, to take a second look at those comments before making that decision. ☺)

You can do this. We send our words out with high expectations, and higher hopes. We know, in general terms, that we have more work to do, but—often—we don’t know or recognize, how much work that will be. Take your time. Be patient with yourself, and allow yourself to grow your writing along with your project. Every revision you do of your manuscript will bring it that much closer to being the book you want it to be.

Finally, remember that your critique partner is not (usually!) going to disappear after they send you the critique. They’re available  for questions—don’t hesitate to email them if you don’t understand something they’ve written, or if you’re feeling confused about where to go with the critique. They’re in your group because they want to help—ask for that help when you need it.

Posted in Critique Groups, Critiquing, Guest Blogger

Guest Interview: Wendy Martin on Critique Groups

Posted on by beckylevine

Wendy Martin is the author of several children’s books, An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child (2005, 2008), Aidan’s First Full Moon Circle (2008), and Watchers (2008). She is the illustrator of those three books as well as Rabbit’s Song (2009) by S.J. Tucker and Trudy Herring, and Smoky and the Feast of Mabon (2010) by Catherynne M. Valente.


     
Wendy has a deep commitment to children. Walking her talk, she applied for and completed training to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children of the St. Louis Children’s Division Court foster care system. She was officially sworn into this volunteer position on Sept 11, 2008.

Wendy currently resides with her husband and daughter in eastern Missouri when she isn’t on the road giving workshops at festivals or visiting schools. She claims the dubious title of Perpetual Project Lady and does her best to keep the house clean and the cats fed.

Read on for an interview with Wendy, in which she discusses critiquing for writing and art.

BL: Can you give us a brief description of your critique group (online or in person, how many members, what they’re writing, how you found the group, how long you’ve been together)?

WM: I belong to two crit groups, one for writing and one for illustration. Both are on-line. The illustration group is very informal and is more of a support group than for aiming for publication, although we can ask for specific project feedback. It is a public Blogger site where members post solutions to weekly prompts. The group is morphing in terms of membership all the time since it is so informal but there are about a half dozen “regulars.” I think the goal is 25 active members. I received an invitation via email when the group was being formed about 3 years ago.

The other group is very structured. There are 5 members and we are about 6 months old. It is online and crits are submitted via email. Every sixth week we “meet” in a chat room to just talk about whatever catches our fancy and any changes we’d like to see in the crits. The group is genre specific to MG although our subject matter is all over the place. I believe I also received an email invite for this one, but I don’t remember.

BL: What do you think are the benefits of your groups?

WM: With the illustration group, the benefit is to meet a deadline on an ongoing basis and illustrating a topic or theme we hadn’t selected ourselves. All members are supposed to be working in water media, although some of the newer members are submitting computer-generated art. I’ve been meaning to question the mod about that.

In the writing group, for me, the biggest benefit is finding the flaws in my WIP and having suggestions on how to fix them to make a stronger story. The entire group is serious about finding a publisher for their manuscripts, so this is helpful since we all have a similar goal in mind.

BL: What’s the hardest part of being in a critique group, for you? What makes that part worthwhile?

WM: The hardest part for both groups is meeting the deadlines. I am better at it with the writing group since it is so structured and I know I will be getting as much feedback as I give. In the art group, it is sometimes discouraging not to receive any useful feedback because either no one comments or all the comments are along the lines of “That’s nice, I like it.”

BL: If a writer’s goal is publication, do you think participating in a critique group can help the writer toward that goal? How?

WM: To achieve publication one must perfect one’s craft. Whether that is writing or illustrating is irrelevant. There are certain things that separate the hobbyist from the professional and being in a crit group can push anyone past their comfort zones if they let it. Once a creator has left their comfort zone is when true creation comes. And that’s when publication becomes possible. The work you are submitting to publish has to be strong enough and unique enough to stand out from the crowd. Plus, the creator has to have a thick skin because rejection is a normal part of this business. There’s a lot of rejection, even for the people who achieve publication. Crit groups help to prepare people for the tougher aspects of the business by familiarizing writers and artists with criticism. Even a successful book will garner negative reviews. Everyone has an opinion and not all of them will be positive!

BL: What was the biggest surprise for you, about critique groups or the critique process, when you first started participating in a group?

WM: How often the groups didn’t work out or survive. Most groups I have joined or been invited to join petered out in less than six months. I often found that groups formed by newcomers rarely gave me any useful feedback. I have found that in order for a group to function fully, the members must be all at about the same place on their quest for publication.

Please answer the next questions quickly, without too much thinking time. 🙂

BL: Do you critique with: Red pen or NOT-red pen?

WM: Both.

BL: Favorite critiquing drink: Tea, coffee, or diet soda?

WM: Water.

BL: Do you prefer: Critiquing or being critiqued?

WM: Being critiqued. Love feedback.

BL: Who would you rather have run the house while you write/critique? Jeeves or Alice from The Brady Bunch?

WM: Alice

BL: Name one book that has blown you away in the last year.

WM: Wondrous Strange by Leslie Livingston.

Posted in Critique Groups, Critiquing, Uncategorized

Critique Groups: The Case (Okay, MY Case) for Reading Ahead

Posted on by beckylevine

When I started writing The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide, I knew I wanted to include some of the basics about how to actually run a strong group—the mechanics of it. If you’ve read my blog for a while, or if you know me in person, you may have figured out that I have some strong opinions. As much as I worked to achieve balance, I’m sure some of that shows up in the book.

Let’s just be nice to me for today, and call that voice. 🙂

Anyway, one of the steps I write about in The Survival Guide is critiquing a manuscript before the actual critique meeting. As I researched the book, and as I talked to more and more writers about their groups, I realized that many groups don’t do this. And most, if not all of those groups, are filled with happy critique partners who make progress with their manuscripts and grow their writing skills. Some groups just started out that way and have continued the pattern; others have thought things out and, because of busy lives and crowded schedules, need to contain their critiquing time to the hours alloted to the group’s meetings. “Extra” hours in the week need to be for writing. This all makes sense.

Still…

I’d like to make my case today for doing it the other way.

Here’s what I think you gain by reading submissions and preparing critiques ahead of time.

  • Time. Yes, it’s a trade-off; if you don’t use meeting time to read the submissions, you’ve got to find those minutes (hours!) some other place in your week. However, you get to spend more of the meeting time presenting those critiques to authors, brainstorming stories, and having idea-sparking discussions. Also, I’m a big advocate of writing up a thorough, detailed overview critique, and this is much harder to fit into the limited time you have at a meeting.
  • Focus. When you’re sharing a table with other critiquers, all shuffling pages and scribbling away, it can be awfully distracting.  I know many groups have someone read the piece out loud, often the author, but–again–I think it’s harder to look closely at the work when it’s being read to you. As someone pointed out once, a strong reader can make anything sound pretty good!
  • Depth. A strong critique takes thought. I know there are many readers who have great insight to a story as they read and who are capable of putting together helpful feedback quickly. I believe, though, that we can all do a better job of that if we have the leisure to sit with what we’re reading, to turn back pages and remind ourselves of what has come before, to look carefully for examples of strengths nad weaknesses in the text, to contemplate the best way to present an idea. If you’re trying to get in two or three reading and critiquing sessions during a meeting, I think that cuts short how much constructive feedback you can develop.
  • Simmering. I’m not sure what else to call this one, but it’s today’s word for that kind of thinking we all do after we’re finished reading a manuscript, or even a published book. The story or the characters or the theme stay with us after we turn the last page, and thoughts & ideas come to us in the hours and days afterward—as we cook dinner, while we take a shower, or—as one of my critique partner says—in the car on the way to the meeting. A critique improves with age, with a gap between the process of developing feedback and the act of delivering it.

Okay. There you have it. I’ve piled my arguments on one side of the scale. If you’re in a group that does it differently, try and look at this as a critique itself. Don’t dismiss my feedback out of hand. Take some time and think about it, bounce the idea around in your head for a while. If it sounds good, see what your group thinks–maybe they’ve all been wondering how to get a bit more time at the meetings, or maybe someone’s been feeling rushed trying to read as fast as everybody else.

And see what you think. 🙂

Posted in Critique Groups, Critiquing

D is for Discussion

Posted on by beckylevine

Life’s changing a bit around the old critique group lately. We added a new member lately, someone we’ve all known for years, but who we hadn’t gotten into the “formal” critique relationship with yet. May I just say that it’s going swimmingly.

Something’s happened since she’s joined us. I don’t know if it was just timing, or whether her coming along with her wonderful manuscript has sort of kicked us all in the you-know-what. Whatever the cause, at our last meeting, we all needed a chunk of time for critiquing or brainstorming.

And it was wonderful.

I hear writers worry about what will happen if everyone gets productive at the same time, how they’ll get all the critiquing done, whether they’ll be able to fit their critiques into the normal meeting time. And I don’t want to dismiss these worries. We probably had a total of something close to 100 pages, plus some plotting-thinking time scheduled in. We actually talked emailed ahead of time and agreed to add an extra half hour to the meeting. We also all walked in, got our hot drinks, sat down, and dug in. Because we wanted to fit everyone & everything in. We like this writing productivity, and we want to support it all we can.

Because here’s what happens. One of us starts out and reads our overall critique. The next one follows, and then the third. While each of us is reading, we’re pretty darned good about not interrupting, but if we get a real lightbulb moment, we politely ask for a moment and explain the thought. At the end, when we’ve gone around, the writer asks questions, throws out things she’s been thinking about, and we all chime in. And the individual critiques turn into a full-blown, multi-dimensional discussion. A conversation. A magical mix of back-and-forth interaction that creates its own set of new ideas.

Yes, critique time can cut into writing time. Yes, a group needs to be careful that everybody still feels like they’re making serious progress with their own work. But almost always, I find that the extra energy I put into reading pages and thinking deeply about them more than pays itself back with creativity, imagination, and an extra stimulation to run back & dig into my WIP again.

Try not to put too many limits on submissions in your group. Respect the amount of work everyone can do, but stay flexible and open to what a little extra work will bring you.

Posted in Uncategorized

Quite the Party

Posted on by beckylevine

It came, I showed up, and I had a blast.

Remember the song “Anticipation?” That could be my theme song for the past week. I had very little to do to get ready for the launch party, but I was running on adrenaline all the same, jumping from one tiny task to another, always with that little wave of nerves running along through my brain. I knew the party would be great, but did that stop me from some worrying, some fretting? Of course not. Because, you know, what would be the fun in that?

So, getting to Books Inc yesterday and getting this set up…

 was a big relief. And let me tell you, if you live in the Bay Area and haven’t tried Kara’s Cupcakes yet, consider this a serious recommendation. I tried a couple of other places, and I was overwhelmed by the too-sweetness and underwhelmed by the flavor and texture. Kara’s were incredible…yes, very sweet, but seriously intense on flavor and the cake part was just YUMMY. 🙂

From then on, as people started to show up, and I got hug after hug from friends and family, things just got better and better. The manager at Books Inc, Eric, was incredibly nice and seriously helpful from the time I introduced my self after one of Jennifer Laughran’s NYMBC events, and he made yesterday go so smoothly, I can’ t thank him enough. 

And, yes, I did get up in front of everyone and talk. I told the story of how I got the chance to write the book. And then, after Eric reminded me and my wonderful critique group got things started, I answered a few questions. Here’s the proof:

And I signed.

Okay, I’ll say it–what a rush! I thought I’d be seriously nervous, and there was definitely some of that, but I just kept seeing face after face of friends and writers, and I just kept smiling and writing. No writer’s cramp this time around, but, boy, did my face hurt by the end.  Worth every bit of the ache!

My brother-in-law, who is a phenomenal photographer (and, yes, you’ve heard me talk about him before as my computer guru–I married into a very talented family!), took all the pictures. Including this one that I really, really wanted to get:

There they are. The incredible women I’ve been critiquing with for years. Terri Thayer, Jana McBurney-Lin, Beth Proudfoot, and Cyndy Furze. I’ve know Cyndy since before my son was born, and I’m pretty sure he’s now taller than both of us! These writers are the reason, not only that I wrote The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide, but that I continue learning and growing with all the rest of my writing as well. They more than “rock;” they are my rocks. They’re why I not only believe in the power of a strong critique group, but why I know it with absolute certainty. They’re why I can say to any writer I meet, “This is what you want in your life.”

It was a wonderful day. I know 2010 is going to bring me more incredible moments, and I can’t predict any of them. This party, though, was the best day I could have asked for, to share my happiness and celebration with the people who mean so much to me.

I wish you all a moment like this and the feelings that come along for the ride.

Posted in Critique Groups

Commitment, Persistence, & Downright Stubbornness

Posted on by beckylevine

This post is dedicated to Terri, Beth, & Cyndy–thanks for keeping me on your calendar, guys!

Summer is here. For so many of us, this means a shift in structure, in organization. Even if you are working full-time, there may be a vacation coming up, with plans to make, shopping & packing to do. If you have kids, they may hit the camp circuit, but there’s still more free-time to fill and maybe more driving them around from place to place. If you’re like me, you’re happy to have a child who sleeps in, but you’re also wanting to spend more time with your kids, since that’s what summer is for.

In the midst of this, we all face the struggle to stick to our writing, to keep on track with a current project. Still, writing can be done at home, in bits and pieces if necessary.

Unless you’re in an online group, critiquing typically means getting out of the house. Even if you do critique online, it can be harder to get to, if you’re on the way out the door to take the kids to the pool, or if you’re dug into the closet-cleaning project you’ve put off all year. As another thing to schedule, perhaps another time-slot for which to find day-care, critique-time may look like something you need to reschedule, or even push away, during the summer.

Try not to let this happen.

If you’re in a strong critique group, you know how important it is to your motivation and productivity. If you let the critique part of your life slip for 10 weeks (or the twelve that some other people’s children seem to have!), your writing will most likely slip along with it.  What if you’ve just spend the last 5 days at Disneyland. Or you’ve spent a week camping in the Blue Ridge mountains. You’ve had a wonderful time, but–of course–you haven’t been doing any writing.

Getting together with your critique partners will remind you not just that you should get back to your project, but that you want to.

What if you’re busy packing. You’ve got that Alaskan cruise to get ready for; the kids need new bathing suits, and you need a good-to-see-you present for the great-aunt who lives in one of the port cities. In the middle of this all, you have a critique session scheduled. For a couple of your chapters.

The feedback you get at that meeting will simmer in your brain while you’re on the cruise, and you’ll come back with a better understanding of that character who should be doing a bit more growing, or that plot point you need to add for more tension.

Even if you aren’t getting as much writing done as you like this summer, your critique sessions will keep that writing present in your mind. If you have nothing to critique, which can happen these months, bring your laptops or notebooks and write. Even if those are the only pages you produce that month, you produced them. You’re that much further along on the path. Even if you spend the time brainstorming with the other writers, about their novels, you’re waking up your brain, spurring it on to think creatively about something other than which sunscreen to buy or how much watermelon the refrigerator will hold.

Do what you can to keep your critique time on the calendar. If you need to reschedule a meeting, reschedule it; don’t cancel. If you need to bring the kids along, think about moving your usual meeting place. Swap the coffeehouse for the bookstore, where each kid can get a book to read and a pastry to eat. Or figure out who has the best video-game system and see about using that for the critique base this summer. (Yes, if Caroline Ingalls had owned a Wii, she’d have let the girls play while she and Pa put up that house!) Ask an older kid to play parent’s helper, and offer a bonus if you don’t get interrupted, and there’s no blood or fire visible by the end of the meeting.

Of course there will be times when a meeting cannot happen. People get sick, or sun-burned. Long-family vacations fill up the weeks. The county fair comes to town. Life happens.

Try, though. You have made a commitment to this group, and it is not just a commitment to be there for the other writers; it is a commitment to be there for yourself. As the title says, be persistent–be stubborn. Challenge yourself to honor your critique time this summer, to keep it as a top priority.

It will pay off. Honest.

Posted in Critique Groups

Critique Groups: Genre-Based or Not?

Posted on by beckylevine

In The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide, I talk about various “kinds” of groups a writer can join or start for themselves. One of these kinds of groups is a genre-based group. By this, I mean that everybody in the group is writing the same kind of material—whether that be fiction, memoir, how-to, or poetry.

Do I think a genre-based group is a good way to go? Sure. Do I think it’s absolutely necessary? No.

The bottom line of any good critique group is that the various members are supportive, respectful, and constructive. That last criteria means that the members do truly help each other dig deeply into writing projects and make serious, substantive changes. If you know a set of writers who you believe can help you do this and for whom you think you can return the service, then grab then, set up a place and time, and start critiquing.

If, however, you’re looking for a new group or setting out to build your own group, and two or three writers’ names aren’t just springing to mind, consider making your group genre-specific. Here are some of the benefits:

  • If you’re looking for an online group, it may be easier to find one that is genre-based. National and regional associations like SCBWI or RWA often have resources for finding a group or posting about one you’re building. These groups are usually made up of writers working in one genre.
  • Every writer in the group will be reading in that genre. (If they’re not, they’d better get started.) You’ll all be more aware and more educated about what is being published and what makes a strong well-written mystery, or romance novel, or picture book. Or whatever form it is that you’re writing.
  • As you critique, you’ll not only help the other writers in your group, but you’ll learn from your own critiquing—about your genre.
  • You can share information about agents and editors. You’ll all be doing your publishing research and education in the same areas–you can talk about articles you’ve read, pass on who might be a good person to follow on Twitter or Facebook, and discuss who’s going to be accepting pitches at what conference.
  • You can consider, as you get closer to submitting and (hopefully!) being published, setting up a group blog. Group blogs are often genre-based, and sharing the posting cycle can take some of the load off your individual shoulders. Watch this carefully, though. If you sense at all that sharing a blog may threaten the cohesiveness or productivity of your critique group, consider whether this is a step to take together, or separately.

Now remember, the most important thing about a critique group is that you feel your writing is growing and that you are learning from the critique process. It’s more than possible to achieve this with several writers working in different genres. My current critique groups are a mix. One writer also does MG and YA. Another has two mystery series in publication. Another has worked on “grown-up” mysteries, as did I for many years. She’s now working on a nonfiction book, and they just critique the Survival Guide for me over the past few months.  I wouldn’t trade these critiquers for anything.

On the other hand, I do keep expanding my network of kids’ writers. When Caro’s story is done, really close to being ready to submit, I’ll probably put out feelers to some of these writers and talk about swapping critiques. Because, again, writers in this genre will have a unique take on my story, and it will be a take I highly value.
What about you? Who critiques your writing, and whose writing do you critique? What are the pluses you find in working with writers in the same genre? Or in critiquing from a wider base?