Sunday, February 17, 2013

TEN THINGS TO MAKE YOUR CRITIQUE GROUP A SUCCESS

I apologize for being absent lately. Sometimes we have to make choices, prioritize and  address more pressing matters.  Thank you for being patient.

Two articles came to my attention this week on writing and critique groups. Guide to Literary Agents, Chuck Sambuchino, in his article, discusses The Top Ten Worst Types of Critique Partners

Included among the attendees one might encounter were: The SnobThe Time HogThe RetroThe DistractorThe Harsh Critic/The NiceyPieceyThe DebaterThe PickerThe SulkerThe Boss, and The Sporadic.

Blog author, Elmowrites describes in Critique and Critics, the attendees to her first group with slightly different names. The FanThe OgreThe Stuck RecordThe FeelerThe Mechanic, and The Holy Grail.
You get the gist.

Having belonged to a critique group for the last couple of years, the titles intrigued me. The "type casting" of members, however, left me wrinkling my brow. I won't rehash the definitions here; you can read them for yourself.  Whether it was one of the above personalities or group dynamics, the experience left a less than stellar impression on the author's. Still, in the end, both acknowledged  the importance of feedback and encouraged  writer's to  keep looking for a writing or critique group.

Reading these articles made me wonder, was this the group experience of most people? It hasn't been my mine. 

I belong to a wonderful writer's group, the South Carolina Writer's Workshop (SCWW). We're diverse in our experience, opinions, and genre's. I imagine there are things in other areas we don't see eye-to-eye on; I wouldn't know. We discuss writing. We focus on genuine critiques, helping one another improve, get published, cheer the other  on when they do. We promote the others columns, blogs, author pages, websites, or publications.  That's not to say we haven't disagreed, at times, but that's  not our purpose. We're writers supporting writers.

So, here's what I say:  You can have a good group experience, but you have to participate. You can't just be an observer. Here are my ten suggestions for a successful group experience.
  1. Find a group, or start one of your own. Growth comes faster with feedback.
  2. The group should have a designated leader who can moderate a meeting.
  3. Make the focus on writing, not people.
  4. Be prepared. Members are less disruptive if they're prepared and know what to expect before the meeting. We find sending work in prior to the meeting an effective method.
  5. Don't confuse social activities with the group meeting. The focus gets lost in the gossip.
  6. When difficult members do surface, let the leader or group moderator handle the situation one-on-one. 
  7. Don't take it personally.  
  8. Be respectful of each other's, work, time, and the group.
  9. Take time to familiarize yourself with group etiquette. If your group has guidelines, honor them.
  10. Know your own voice. It's your story.
Ultimately, you are responsible for your writing and any experience you may or may not have. All critique groups are not the same, but don't give up the first time. It takes time to get to know people and the dynamics of a group. Instead of giving up on the group, stick around, learn to listen, and speak up. You might just find yourself a group.


Leave me a comment. Let me know about your group experience.

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