A critique group can be a gathering of kindred spirits who comb through each other's manuscripts in the common spirit of raising the quality of their work. These groups sometimes exist for decades and are the source of support, hilarity, Kleenex, champagne and inspiration.

Or it can be a group of people who are all secretly thinking of committing murder by paper clip.

 

 

There are as many different kinds of critique groups out there as there are writers, so obviously no fast and fast rules can be developed. Except….

1. You must all figure out what the rules and guidelines are for your group. If you haven't had this conversation in a while, bring it up at the next meeting, with gin, if necessary. Make sure that you're all on the same page (ha!) about frequency, location, and duration of meetings, how much time each writer gets, what is an acceptable length of work to submit, should pages be submitted a week in advance or read cold at the meeting, etc.

2. Respect for each writer's work and process must be the highest priority. If you're in a group that feels competitive or nasty, then flee. We already feel insecure about our work. Your critique group should be a place that feels safe, not scary.

 

 

I've belonged to four critique groups. I found the first one because of a flyer posted in the library of the local community college. They were nice people, I guess. I was the only one writing for kids and felt a little out of place. There was the guy who was writing science fiction erotica, a man writing a memoir to make make all of his relatives feel rotten about being so mean to him, and a woman writing Regency romaces "with a twist." (I didn't stick around long enough to find out what that was. Sorry.) I attended it twice.

The second group spent about 5% of the meeting on critiquing and the rest of the time complaining about their partners, kids, and therapists. Not for me, thanks.

 

 

The third critique group changed my life. I attended it regularly for more than a decade. We met once a month in the public library. The mornings were for reading our selections out loud and getting feedback, then we'd go out to lunch and talk business, moan about the publishing industry, and laugh. A lot. The only reason I stopped attending was that I moved 300 miles away.

 

 

I belong to a critique group where I live now, but because of my schedule I only make about half of the meetings. They are very patient with me and I consider myself lucky that they haven't booted me to the curb. It doesn't matter how many books you write, getting the opinions of trusted peers, plus having the chance to analyze the work in progress of other writers is going to make you better.

A question came in on Facebook that fits in well here:

"Say you've gone through major revisions including critique from writing buddies and professionals. You think you might be ready to send to an agent. How do you know and what kind of feedback could help you at this point?"

You don't.

But Time is your friend here, the irritating kind of friend who always flosses and washes her sheets once a week and is almost always right. Take a month. Take three. Seriously. You are not counting on some phantom advance to pay your rent, so you have the luxury of time. And it is a luxury, so bask in it.

There are no do-overs when it comes to submitting manuscripts. You can't fly to New York and bribe the agent's intern to let you crawl through the mail room and steal your manuscript back because after you sent it you realized that the main character's major conflict was the lamest conflict ever.

Make a note on your calendar to read through your manuscript in three months. Do not look at it until then. Start a new book. Learn tatting. Raise goats. Teach yourself particle physics. If – in three months – you read it through and cannot think of how to make it any better, then say a prayer and send it.

Take time before you that leap.

 

Non-fiction prompt – What are the strengths and weaknesses of your writing? What comes to you naturally and what do you have to work on? Bonus points – take out one of our favorite books and reread it. Highlight or copy out the best passages in the book (setting, pacing, narrative, dialog) that exemplify what you are trying to improve in your own writing. 

Fiction prompt – What is the hardest thing for your character to do? Write a scene in which your character sees a minor character, someone younger or more vulnerable, forced to do that Hard Thing. Your character is compelled to take on the task so spare the other person the burden of it. Or maybe not – maybe your character really doesn't have the gumption. How would that play out?

 

Fifteen minutes spent writing today could change your life.

scribble… scribble… scribble…

It's always something, isn't it?

You change up your daily schedule to make time for writing and then you WRITE and you create something wonderful and you're so excited, but you are a wise writer, a seasoned artist. You know that you need some feedback before you hire a plane and pilot to drop copies of your masterpiece (equipped with adorable little parachutes) over midtown Manhattan so that one will land in the hands of an agent or editor.

You need feedback.

This can be tricky. I know writers who have quit writing because they were so beat up by comments about their work made by people they thought they could trust. That is incredibly sad and I don't want it to happen to you. So here are some handy rules. As always, your mileage will vary.

1. Don't expect honest, useful feedback from someone who loves you or wants to jump into your bed. People like that should only say, "Looks great!" which won't help you, but might keep the relationship intact. I guess if you want to break up with someone, you could ask them to read your manuscript and then exit in a dramatic huff when they give you a crappy critique. That seems a little passive-aggressive to me, but you could always use it as a scene in a future book. 

2. Seek out people who read and/or write in the genre that you are writing in. If someone is unfamiliar with or doesn't like your genre, they can't possibly offer you helpful feedback.

3. Adjust your attitude. Assuming you've found a competent, caring person who will give you an honest evaluation of your work, make sure you are emotionally strong enough and in the right frame of mind to receive their feedback. Arguing with that person because she couldn't see any point to chapter ten, or was confused by a character who showed up in the last pages of the book won't help you or your story. Maybe your critiquer is an idiot, but she's entitled to her opinion and you asked for it, so be quiet and listen.

4. Ask for written feedback as well as a conversation. The experience of having your work critiqued can really mess with your head. Your reader might say one slightly hurtful thing and twenty useful, positive things; guess which one thing you'll remember?

5. Don't leap too early. Many writers (me) are so excited in the early chapters of an early draft that they are desperate for someone to read those pages. Resist. This. Urge. 

The story is going to change a bazillion times before it's ready to show to an editor. Your critiquer is not going to want to read a bazillion drafts. If you're lucky, she'll read two. Plan accordingly.

6. After you get your written feedback and you reread it, put it and the manuscript away for a while. Start a new project. Take long walks. Give your brain time to ponder the comments. One of the hardest things about writing is learning how to gain enough perspective on your work to be able to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. You want your emotional reaction to the feedback out of the way before you get back to work on the manuscript.

I have a lot more to say about this, so I think I'll devote two more posts to it. One will talk about the Care and Feeding of Critique Groups and the other will be about how to cope when someone you trusted savages your work. How does that sound? Do you have any other questions about feedback and critiquing? If you can't leave them in the Comments section of this blog (WordPress is acting up again), you can tweet me or leave a note on my Facebook page or Tumblr. 

Non-fiction prompt – Make a list of people you think could offer you good feedback. Freewrite about why those folks might work, and why it could turn into a disaster. How would you feel if they asked you to critique something they wrote? 

Fiction prompt – Think of a young character, someone between the ages of four and nine. Your character has created a school project or piece of art, writing, or music and has to present it in front of the class. Write about the presentation and how the teacher judges or criticizes or praises the work after the presentation. This could be a nightmare or a wonderful thing for the character – you choose.

 

Fifteen minutes spent writing today could change your entire life.

scribble…. scribble…. scribble…..

 

OK. I've meditated and thought very happy thoughts about how this WordPress blog will be completely cooperative today. Keep your fingers crossed!

Many of you have written to me with your frustrations about not being allowed to post your comments here because the Evil Capthcha will not let you pass. Others say the Captcha let them in some days, but not all. Please accept my humble apologies. My website has been hacked a couple of times this year so we've had to increase security and position archers on the ramparts to keep out the bad guys. Keep trying!

On to Tools – Part 2!

Scrivener is a WONDERFUL tool (for Mac and Windows) that allows you to organize the structure of novel, keep your research in reasonable order, and even write the book, if you want. (That's a really bad description. They do a much better job on their website.) I wouldn't have been able to write CHAINS and FORGE without Scrivener. (Note: I only use it for outlining and the early draft, then I shift over to Word.) Giant Hat Tip and hugs for author Holly Black, who turned me on to this very functional tool!

The same company also makes Scapple, a free-flowing mind-mapping program for brainstorming. I've tried it a couple times, but find I prefer a giant pad of paper and a good gel pen.

I'm kind of a ducky-bunny writer. I get most of my books done by bribing myself with popcorn or hunks of half-melted brie topped with apricot jam. But not everyone responds to that. Some writers require threats of hell-fire and damnation to keep their butt in the chair and their fingers flying across the keys.

You want Write or Die, the first draft tool that "puts the Prod in Productivity." You get to set the parameters about how long you need to keep writing and how long your pauses are allowed to be. You also choose the consequences that rain down upon you if you screw up:  a gentle reminder, an annoying noise, the words you are typed vanish – FOREVER, or a dragon shows up and eats your car. (I made up that last one.)

Even though I prefer brie and jam to battling dragons I must admit I am thinking of trying this with a few picture book ideas that have been kicking around my noggin.

 

 

Two more tools that work with positive reinforcement instead of dragons are Chains (built around the Jerry Seinfeld approach to life mastery, "don't break the chain"), and Lift, whose irresistable tag line is, "Build better habits. Change your life." I strongly suggest you check them both out. Writing can be lonely and uncertain. I find the tiny rewards these apps offer make the going easier.

In the past fifteen years, I've written seven novels, a series about a vet clinic for young readers, and a half dozen picture books, not to mention way too many posts on various social media sites and this blog.

Hello, Carpal Tunnel!

 

My lastest tool is Dragon Dictate, dictation software that allows me to speak into a headset and have the words magically appear on the screen, without causing the muscles in my forearms to shriek in pain and despair. I haven't been using it long, but I'm beginning to love it. You'll need the latest upgrades to your operating system and Word for it to work, and the instructions could use a little tweaking, but once I figured all that out, it was super-cool.

Are there other tools that you'd like me to feature here?

Non-fiction prompt – write about a time when you were injured or ill. Focuse on the adaptations you had to make to accomodate whatever the problem was; walking on crutches, writing with your other hand, only seeing out of one eye, etc. After digging out highly specific details, explore how the experience changed you.

Fiction prompt – write about a character who is slowly losing his/her ability to move her fingers, then arms, then legs in the middle of a world that thinks s/he is faking it. Great opportunities for dialog here!

Fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes spent writing today could change your entire life.

Scribble… scribble… scribble

Tool Time!

I'm not talking about craft tools, like secrets of great settings, or how to get through a revision without an emotional breakdown. (Do you want me to write about those, too?)

 

I'm talking about using tools that will help us acheive and maintain focus while we write, plus tools that can be helpful for things like unwieldly plots.

Note – I recommend these tools either because I use (and love) them, or because I know other authors who do. As with all things writing-related, your mileage may vary. Do some research before you plunk money down to make sure that the tool has a place in your toolbox.

A notebook, like the Mark Twain wrote in above. (See more writer notebooks at Flavorwire.) I use old-school composition books. No, I don't fill them with pages of my novel. But I always have one with me to capture those stray thoughts, bits of dialog, and descriptions that happen while I go about my life away from the computer. I think there is something magical that happens when you move your hand across the page with a pen or pencil instead of typing. These composition books fall apart in the shower, though, so that's why it's handy to have something like this.

 

Internet-free-writing space. I'm cheap, so I just turn it off on my computer. But if that's too hard, there are programs and apps you can use, like Freedom and Anti-Social (to temporarily get rid of the ability to check social media sites). Rescue Time will help you examine how you are actually using your computer time.

 

 

Distraction free writing space. I'll write another post about the need to have a regular writing space, but for now, I'm talking about the distractions on my computer and within arm's reach of it. On a good day I have the attention span of gnat, so I've tried every trick out there. What works best for me is this nifty feature in Word for Mac 2011 (I'm told that Word for Windows has a similar feature), that is called the Focus View. One click and every on my computer screen disappears, except for the document I'm working on. Genius!!

I also use the Comments feature in Word heavily. Whenever I think of something that I need to research on the Internet, or check at a different place in the manuscript, I simply add a comment in the right-hand margin and keep writing because I don't want to break my focus and flow. When the day's writing session is over, I scroll through the comments and do whatever research is required, then add in the required information, or make notes about how to add the new material during my next writing session.

Another thing that helps my focus is to guard the space around my computer. The only stuff I can see from where I'm sitting are books or notes about my WIP. And usually a mug of coffee or tea. When I get stuck for a moment and my eyes drift off the screen, I can only see things that encourage me to keep thinking of my story. Because my attention span is so short, I know that if I see anything else, I'm going to get distracted.

CAN WE PAUSE RIGHT HERE FOR A SECOND??????

Stupid, freaking WordPress has been acting like a jackass this afternoon. (This is a Faulty, Unreliable Tool!) So far I've spent three hours on this blog because the auto-save isn't working and a couple of times (but not always) when I have pressed Save Draft, the stuff I wrote has vanished. This blog should be about twice as long as it is, but I still haven't taken my fifteen minutes yet (actually it's gonna be longer because I need to write five pages today) so this is what you get. Consider the topic of Writing Tools to be continued. Do you have any tools you'd like to share so I can blog about them? How about a chainsaw?

Today's non-fiction prompt: Write about the tools you wrote with in elementary school. Give details of your classroom, the people in it, and what kind of kid you were. Mix in action with the descriptions.

Today's fiction prompt: Two characters are trying to perform a simple task, like hammer a nail into the wall, or pick-up a soft banana that has fallen behind a stove that cannot be moved. Describe how they try (and fail) several different ways to do the job.

Fifteen minutes. More if you want, but just fifteen minutes spent writing today could change your entire life.

Scribble… scribble… scribble…