Today was our May Sisters in Crime meeting with guest speaker Becky Levine. Becky is the author of The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide: How to Give and Receive Feedback, Self-Edit, and Make Revisions. The Survival Guide was published by Writer’s Digest in January, 2010. (I stole that directly off her website). After the usual forty-five minutes of snacks and socializing, Becky gave a great presentation on the importance of critique groups, segueing into tips on how to critique and how to take critique. She stressed the importance of giving critique as a 'sandwich' (my sister calls this a 'shit sandwich') - start and end your critique with something positive, layering the actual criticism (constructive criticism, mind you) between the praise.
Most of us in attendance agreed that a good critique partner or group is important. Some writers like to submit the first chapter of their first draft for critique, while others prefer to wait until they have a finished first -- or even second -- draft. Personally I like to get a good start on a project before giving it to anyone else to read. It's easy to get derailed by other opinions right off the bat when I'm still getting a handle on characters and plot.
My least favorite type of feedback is when someone tries to mold my story into one they would write instead of trying to help me write the best possible story I want to write. They want to stamp their own style onto my work and this doesn't help me become a better writer. It also pisses me off, which doesn't make for friendly relations.
How do you all feel about critique groups? Do you find them helpful? Or do you create your masterpieces without feedback?
9 comments:
I've been in critique groups for about fifteen years and always found them useful. A quick estimate is that over a dozen novels and more fifty short stories were published out of those groups.
You have to break in crit partners the way you'd break in a new pair of shoes. And then you have to learn to use the strengths of each one. But I couldn't survive without that feedback, because it makes me look at the work through fresh eyes.
I know my online crit group has been invaluable to me over the last two years. And yeah, Terry, I like your new shoe analogy. Those that keep giving you blisters need to be tossed!
I'm a big believer in critique groups. There's no question that my membership in a local critique group has made me a better writer. You have fresh eyes and ears looking at your material and listening to you read.
A couple of months back, I posted a blog on my website called "Whole Lotta Critiquin' Goin' On" which addressed this subject. If you have a minute, check it out. It's right down this alley.
I agree that critique groups can be helpful but you have to choose the right level of experience or it can be a waste of time. A dozen years ago I was a member of an online group on AOL and one gal told me that I needed to clean up my characters' grammar (the characters were uneducated farmers). :)
Big believer in crit groups and without question I think they do help.
My biggest issue is my own--I work very hard not to change the original work into something closer to the way I write. In so doing, I may not be as helpful as I could be, because I do worry about taking over the work.
Kevin
Critique groups are definitely important. Chicago-North RWA is a critique chapter. We do at least one at each meeting. That's one reason why we have a 40% published member rate.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
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I wouldn't dream of submitting anything until my crit partners have seen it. They not only point out the errors but make great suggestions. Critiquing is also a two-way street -- I learn by critiquing their work. Finding the right group may take time, but it's worth it.
Kevin, I think your concern with not taking over another writer's work makes you a BETTER critique partner than you would be otherwise. You're trying to make their work better, not turn it into your own. My hat (if I wore one) is off to you!
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