As an English teacher, I spent years proof reading student papers. Then as I pursued a career in freelance writing I yearned for my own personal English teacher to make corrections and notes in the margins of my own manuscripts.
If you are a writer who seeks this feedback and encouragement, a critique group may be the perfect place to find it. Whether you join an existing group or form a new one, give careful consideration to the critique process and determine your own needs by answering the following nine questions.
What do you hope to receive as a writer from a critique group? Some writers are merely looking to share their work for fun. Others approach writing as a business, with a serious desire to publish. Make sure your level of commitment matches that of others in the group.
What is the schedule of the group? Serious writers need to meet regularly and often. Consider a group that meets at least twice a month, or even once a week. Members should be committed to regular attendance. Even if a member has no work to present, her services are needed for critiquing the work of others. And for long-term projects, it helps to follow the piece as it evolves over time.
What is the tone of the critique offered by members? Effective critique is honest, objective, and encouraging. Groups that offer only glowing praise will never challenge serious writers to improve. On the other hand, groups that shred an author’s work for the sake of improvement, will leave a writer with a battered ego and too discouraged to write.
How large is the group? One or two critique partners allow safe and intimate sharing of large amounts of material. However, with six or seven members, a writer gets a broad range of feedback allowing for differing tastes and personalities. As the group expands beyond seven members, the quantity of writing to be critiqued may become unwieldy.
What genres are represented in the group? It can be advantageous to have writers outside of your own genre evaluate your work. However, if everyone in the group writes romance novels, and you write science fiction short stories, you may feel a lack of opportunity to dialogue with the group.
How do writers present work for critique? Some groups permit authors to read their pieces out loud. This speeds presentation of work, but it severely limits the type of feedback. Firstly, authors often add inflections and gestures as they read which are not readily apparent in the written word. Secondly, the pace of reading generally doesn’t allow the slower reflection necessary to seriously and fully critique the piece. Lastly, it is more difficult to be concise, honest, and specific in critique as you address the author publicly. Other critique groups require a separate written copy of each work for members to read individually in silence. This permits thorough review of simple matters such as punctuation, as well as general composition issues. Members can write specific suggestions without influence from other critiques, and the author has time at home to consider the suggestions calmly. Members should still have time to discuss their work at the meeting as written critiques are finished. Make sure printed copies of work for critique are double-spaced. Stipulate a suitable maximum for length such that everyone has an opportunity to have work critiqued at each meeting.
How sophisticated is the level of critique? Writers need a full range of critique, including suggestions and corrections on usage, grammar, style, tone, and voice. Do members have marketing suggestions? Are they attentive to factual details that need further research? Can they offer alternative wordings? Are they able to suggest new methods of organizing a piece for clarity? Members should seek to improve their own understanding of the craft of writing. Do they attend conferences, subscribe to writing magazines, or read books on writing? And, over time, do they use the group’s critiques to improve and rewrite their own pieces? If your friends grow as writers, this also moves you to grow.
Finally, as mentioned before, do members give honest encouragement, regularly noting areas of strength in each piece offered? Writers grow by learning not only what to change, but by hearing what they are already doing well, even if it’s selecting an interesting topic to write about. The best critique groups can be honest and kind.
Are group members submitting their work? If members don’t eventually submit their work, then it might be time to reconsider the level of commitment members have to professional writing. True growth for a writer comes from doing your best and then submitting your best work to the market. Only writers who submit their work and get editorial feedback can truly be on top of what effective writing looks like.
Have you settled on a critique group that seems to be a good match with your needs? Or are you encouraged to organize a group of your own? Here are a few additional suggestions to make sure your group stays focused, dedicated, and enjoyable.
Write out the goals of your group. Give your critique group a name, write a brief mission statement, and set some group goals. Encourage one another in setting personal writing goals.
Make time for fellowship. While the emphasis is on critique and writing, be assured that, over time, critique friends become true friends. As you learn to be honest in your writing and as you trust these people’s honesty to help you grow, lifelong bonds of friendship will develop. If you designate special time for socializing, it will also help your critique sessions stay on-task.
Each year, plan a specific time to review your critique group. Review your goals and mission statements. Perhaps the membership of your group has changed, and you will change to meet the needs of a new group. You will probably make adjustments as you meet throughout the year, and it’s easy to fall into bad habits or drift away from your intended purpose.
Today, I give thanks for my writing friends and their dedication to the critique process. Their tough encouragement has helped changed this English teacher into a writer, and I count on their continued advice for growth and motivation in the years to come.
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“Touch Encouragement,” The Christian Communicator, professional magazine of American Christian Writers, July, 2000, pp. 5-6.
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