Critique Groups 101
By Jacqueline Floyd
Writing can be a lonely endeavor. We sit in our offices, at our computers, and write with the force of inspiration, dedication, and the sweat of our brows. We love what we've written; we hate what we've written. Maybe it's great, maybe it's garbage. Who can say for sure? Maybe we seek guidance, we seek help, we seek an outside opinion. But who should we trust? For many writers, a critique group is the answer.
The main rule for forming a critique group is that there are no definitive rules. What works for one person, one group, will miss the mark completely for another. Trial and error are the only ways to determine what will work best for you.
Pick your critique partners carefully. What should you look for? Look for people who have the same level of commitment to their writing and to the group that you have regarding attendance and the quantity of writing produced. Do you want to meet in person or online? Do you want to meet once a week, once a month? Daytime or evening? If you can't work out these basics, you won't be able to form a cohesive group.
Keep the size of the group to a reasonable number. You need enough writers to balance the opinions of one against another, but not so many that all you're doing in your free time is critiquing someone else's work. Remember for every member in the group, there's a potential work-in-progress you'll have to find time to read.
You'll need to decide if you want to critique face-to-face, or online. Online makes the process a bit less personal but gives the participants the ability to work on their own schedule. An in-person group offers better opportunity to discuss and clarify.
Once you have logistics worked out, you need to determine if everyone in the group wants the same kind of feedback. Do you want to discuss the placement of every little comma, or do you want to focus on the main issues of plot, characterization, goal, motivation, and conflict. It's not a good working system if one or two people want rubber stamps of approval, while other members prefer rousing and heated discussions. Some people prefer tactful coaching, some prefer brutal honesty. Decide which one you prefer and seek others with a similar attitude.
It isn't necessary for everyone in the group to write in the same category or genre, as long as what they write is something you enjoy reading, and you feel you can offer them constructive help on their particular genre. It's good for the individuals of your group to have their own strengths--the strong editor, good plotter, pacing, dialogue, whatever, but you may not know what these are until after you've worked together for awhile.
You may need to limit how many pages or chapters each individual can bring to the table per session. How many times to you want to re-read? How many revisions will you look at? You might like to see the changes that have been made based on the input of the group, but if you have to read the same material more than twice, will you lose your objectivity and get confused between the details of various versions?
Some groups like to read the material aloud. Some groups read the material while they're assembled and critique as they go along. If this works for you, fine, but it makes for a really long meeting. The tried and true method for many is to pass out sections, take them home, read them, critique them, bring them back, discuss them, take home new chapters. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Online critique groups can be as flexible or structure as the participants want. I've been in a couple and one worked a lot better than the other. In the one that didn't work well, chapters were passed around the group without a method or a schedule. In the other one each participant was color coded, we developed a series of understood editing techniques, and generally adhered to a schedule.
Being part of a critique group is not for the thin-skinned. Being critiqued for the first time is a lot like being left on the side of the road bleeding. Try not to be defensive. These people are probably trying to help you.
Be specific in your comments. Don't say, "Cut this." Show them where you feel it should be cut. Don't say, "This doesn't work for me." Tell them why it doesn't work for you. Give suggestions on what you feel would work better. And for heaven's sake, be sure to compliment the good parts while being as diplomatic as you can be on the areas that need work.
Remember the physician's motto during critiquing: First, do no harm. It's always the other person's story you're critiquing. Don't try to make it your own. Someone is giving you the honor of allowing you to view his or her work. and beyond that to voice your opinion. Use that power wisely.
Sadly, as in any relationship, sometimes the first choice of critique partners turns out to be an imperfect match. Don't despair. Look around. Learn from your mistakes. Don't stay with an unsatisfactory group. If your first group doesn't meet your needs, then re-group.
For all the help a positive, supportive critique group can offer, a negative one can do irreparable damage. Learn when to trust and when to turn away. Utilize the advice that works for you, and discard the rest. Because in the end, the work is your own, and you're the final judge.
Jacqueline Floyd is a member of RWA, OVRWA, OIRW, and the Golden Network. As well as frequently submitting manuscripts to agents and editors, she's won and placed in numerous contests including the Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award of Excellence, RWA's Golden Heart, and OVRWA's first chapter contest. She writes short contemporary and single title.
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