Recently I joined a new critique group after years without one. I had loved past groups but quit each one because of time or energy or some other reason that made sense at the time.
After I quit my last group I stopped writing for a while, probably for the same reasons. That while stretched into years. Those years ended May of last year. And with my return to writing I found myself missing connections with other writers. I didn’t know how much until I had it back.
My new group is fun and smart and engaged. We all write very different styles of fiction in a variety of types, but that’s what keeps it inspiring. And best of all, thanks to the deadlines, I have finally made progress on editing a novel I absolutely love that has been sitting in a drawer since November 30, 2002.
Many of the writers I know are an introverted lot and often prefer to write and edit and submit alone, but there is nothing quite like belonging to a community of like-minded people working toward the same goal — helping each member hone their work to an irresistible, shining gem that an agent can’t help but pick up and show off.
If you’re new to writing groups, here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Choose people you trust and whose writing and taste in reading you respect.
2. Agree on rules and process up front but don’t be afraid to change them if they don’t work.
3. Meet regularly enough that you don’t lose the continuity of the work you are reviewing but seldom enough that attendance doesn’t become a strain.
4. Groups should be large enough that you don’t wind up having to complete a new novel every 6 months to have something to review, but small enough that you can actually get through feedback within a reasonable amount of time (i recommend about 90 minutes).
5. Remember, your co-members are there to help you by pointing out places and ways to strengthen your work, but it up to you to decide what to do with their feedback. Your story has to remain true to your vision, just be sure to review your preconceptions before you reject any feedback. That line you love really may be the cornerstone of the whole story, but it could also be the precious but troublesome thing you cling to that keeps your story from reaching its highest potential.
