Writing Life – Susan Uhlig

Craft, Inspiration, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, Writing Life

About Writing, Quotes from YA Authors

Posted on September 4, 2026August 31, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

The following are from authors I’ve met, heard speak, followed on social media, and/or read their books.

Challenge Yourself

“Don’t be afraid to engage with the difficult parts of yourself.” – Meg Rosoff

“Generating new material feels like running a marathon. I just want to get to the end, and every step feels painful. Each chapter feels like a mountain I don’t want to climb.” – Dhonielle Clayton

“All you have to do is be brave today, for the next hour, the next day.” – Laurie Halse Anderson

“Okay, so here’s how I write something new: I make a list of things I like to read/watch, plot-wise or character-wise, then try to cram them together for a story.” – Kurt Dinan

Be Persistent

“Before I had an agent and was published, I used to think there was this hidden code that I just couldn’t crack that would enable me to be a writer. Spoiler alert: it’s a business, just be professional and keep trying.” – Beth Revis

“I feel like this novel has been rattling around my head forever.” – Gordon Korman

“Being published is not a necessary validation or a path everyone wants to take with their work. Writing—and finishing—a novel is a great thing in itself, whether or not the book is published, or becomes widely-read or not.” – Garth Nix

“Writing is an extremely rewarding and humbling process, and I’ve learned to go with it, that even if it feels absolutely impossible, I will find a way to tell the next story.” – Marie Lu

Craft Tips

“Characters get themselves out of an alien situation by the truths within them.” – April Henry

“If you think you made a wrong turn but you’re not sure where, think back to the last place you were certain about the story and judge every decision from there.” – Jodi Meadows

“I tend not to attempt to describe pain. I don’t feel I can comprehend or re-create the personal suffering of others, so I simply try to tell what happened, or what I imagine happened. I also think it helps to let the reader fill in a lot of the blanks.” – Elizabeth Wein

“I think the best fictional tales come from a grain of truth.” – Shea Ernshaw

How Others Work

“I find things in the real world and hammer them into my stories.” – Maggie Stiefvater

“Writing isn’t just about sitting at the desk and typing into the laptop. For me, most of the plotting, and dilemma solving, happens walking on the trail. It’s my secret weapon against writer’s block.” – Stacey Lee

“Sometimes visiting a place is just what’s needed to add authenticity and depth to your text.” – Suzanne Morgan Williams

“I still keep thinking someone will penetrate my guilty secret – that I have been masquerading as a writer all these years while all I was really doing was enjoying myself, pursuing my passion.” – Geraldine McCaughrean

illustration of woman on a computer screen with conversation dots

Business Side of Writing, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, Tools, Writing Life

Critiquing Via Zoom Refresher

Posted on June 18, 2026June 18, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Our long-established critique group has been critiquing via Zoom since the beginning of the pandemic, and created some guidelines along the way. (We meet weekly on Fridays except for holidays or occasional days when too many people need to miss. Since there are eight of us, only three can share each week, so we have a schedule of who is presenting and who is moderating on Google Drive.) Occasionally, we need reminders of our process* and I thought a summary might be helpful for other critique groups as well.

“Supporting each other in creating art takes so much trust.” – Kendra Levin, editor
(Guidelines help us trust each other.)

Before Friday:

Manuscripts are due on Wednesday at the latest. (We email them out.)
Respond to the manuscript sender with a simple “got it” type message when you receive it. Try not to reply all.
Look at the schedule if you can’t remember who is presenting. If you don’t find a manuscript, contact the person whose manuscript is missing.
If one of us can’t send the manuscript, offer up the spot early in the week in our message thread. (Our critique partners are really good at this!)

Zoom morning:

While someone is critiquing, stay silent, especially the one being critiqued. No explanations, no excusing, no arguing.
After everyone has critiqued a piece, the critiquee may ask questions or make comments.
Additional comments or questions are welcome from everyone—other comments often inspire new thoughts. Remember to raise your hand and wait for the moderator to call on you.
Side stories of what this reminded you of should be shared after all critique work is done.

Moderator duties include:

How the meeting is run—I love how some in our group are good at asking how everyone is doing first.
Deciding which manuscript goes first, and the order of critiquers.
Keep us on task.
Remind us that it is not our time to talk when appropriate. One member said in our recent discussion, “I think the hardest part of being the ‘boss’ for me is to cut people off if they are jumping in and not waiting to talk by raising their hand.”
Before concluding meeting, discuss schedule for following week.

Critiquer duties:

Honor others’ turns to talk.
Share specific positives about a piece.
Only make a suggestion once—don’t dwell on the topic—it is not our duty to convince the writer.
Try to only share what you have that hasn’t been said—no need to offer the caveat that you’re doing this. (We know.)
Consider making reaction comments on your copy of the manuscript during critique, such as I agree/disagree with so and so about this/that specific issues.
Let the writer see the minor grammar and mechanical corrections on their copy—no need to share verbally. (We use track changes and Word’s commenting option on manuscripts and send them back once our Zoom meeting is over.)

None of us are perfect, so we still make mistakes, and fortunately are forgiving of each other. But it definitely helps when we remind ourselves of the process.

I couldn’t do without my critique partners. They make my work so much better with their suggestions. Kai Strand said, “I love how a story, or a character expands with the help of critique partners.” That is so true!

*I first wrote about this method here.

The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, Tools, Writing Life

Awkward Critiques

Posted on March 12, 2025March 12, 2025 by Susan Uhlig

Critiquing and being critiqued can be a stressful activity under the best of circumstances. But sometimes difficult or downright awkward situations arise. The following addresses three of those times.

What do you do when you receive a hard or unfair critique?

First:

Don’t be easily offended. Work at staying calm. (If you need to take a break and go cry right now, do so privately.) Step back and give yourself time to recover.
Then take an honest look at the comments. Now that you can be more objective, consider whether these comments have validity. If they still seem unfair, focus on comments from other critiquers.
Analyze the critiquer. Were they negative with everyone? If so, they may need to be exposed to or reminded of critique guidelines that discuss how important it is to give positive feedback. If you have a group leader, ask them to remind everyone of the guidelines. Or share an article with everyone on good critiquing habits.
Get to know this person better. Perhaps other events in their life were influencing a normal positive attitude. Or it may just be a misunderstanding—what feels hurtful to you may be intended as humor.

Possible Responses:

Say nothing, besides “thank you.”
Speak privately to the person and express your need to hear something positive on your writing. Use I statements. e.g. “It’s easier for me to accept criticism if I also hear what IS working in my writing. It would really help me if you could tell me something you liked.”
State clearly what you need. “I’m not looking for a line-by-line edit, I just want to know if the overall story arc is working.”

Tips:

Try to separate yourself from the piece.
Remember that most people aren’t intentionally malicious. Often it is thoughtlessness that hurts others.
Move on.

This may be hard to remember, but consider: “Critique, feedback, reaction to one’s work or the way they have presented it, regardless of intention, is a gift.” – Mark Brand

What do you do when a member of a critique group brings a manuscript you cannot critique? This is probably rare if you’re in an established group.

Make sure you understand why you cannot critique the piece.

For example, you find the content personally offensive—making it difficult for you to even comment on writing style, punctuation, etc. Or the manuscript is diametrically opposed to your beliefs and you can’t be objective. Then be prepared to speak honestly, but kindly.

Possible Responses:

Withdraw from critiquing this piece. “I’m sorry, I need to pass on critiquing this manuscript.” Be ready to give an answer, if they ask, about why you do not want to critique it. e.g. “The language in this manuscript bothers me.” Or, “I’m uncomfortable with the subject matter.” If they don’t ask, say nothing.
If the material is racist—not a historical representing the times—does your group have guidelines about the type of material offered for critique? If so, and the piece is outside the guidelines, politely remind the writer of the goals of the group. If your group does not have guidelines, discuss the possibility of creating them with the group.
If the rest of your group is comfortable with this type of manuscript, perhaps it’s time to find new critique partners.

Tips:

Remember to make “I” statements not “you” statements. For example, “I prefer not to read a manuscript with profanity.” NOT “You use too many curse words.”
Comment on the piece not the author: e.g. “This main character feels racist. Was that your intent?”
Ask questions: “Is this issue acceptable in middle grade manuscripts?”

What do you do when someone doesn’t want to critique your manuscript?

First:

Don’t be easily offended.

Possible Responses:

Accept it. Thank the critiquer and see what others have to say about your manuscript.
Ask if the problem is with the style or the content of your manuscript? Some people don’t understand poetry and don’t feel they can offer any worthwhile comments. Others don’t like fantasy.
If the critiquer responds “content,” you may want to ask for specifics so you understand the problem. Be as polite as possible even if you disagree.
If the critique says style, see what others have to say about your manuscript.

Tips:

Remember this is not personal. We all have our own tastes in what we like to read.
If people in your group are frequently unwilling to critique your material, either this is not the right group for you or perhaps your manuscripts are not appropriate for the critique group. (For example, I wouldn’t take an adult novel manuscript to a children’s literature only critique group.)

I’d like to leave you with this one thought from Marcy McKay: “Criticism can hurt and may always sting at first. Every criticism is not bad, but it may not be helpful, either.

You have to measure the comments against your instincts. Only you know the true vision for your work. The secret is to not let criticism destroy your self-confidence so much that you give up on your dream altogether.”

Further Resources:

“8 Tips for Getting a Great Manuscript Critique” by Rebecca J. Allen

“8 Tips for Reviewing a Manuscript Critique” by Janice Hardy

“How to Deal with Criticism” by Susan Breen

“How to Utilize Feedback to Improve Your Manuscript” by Nathan Bransford

Craft, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, Tools, Writing Life, You Are Not Alone

Seven Elements for a Good Critique

Posted on February 20, 2025February 20, 2025 by Susan Uhlig

Writing is a solitary act for most of us. And usually we are too close to what we’ve written to see what is working and what isn’t. This is where a critique can be powerful. My favorite critiques are from other writers. (This is all separate from an editorial letter from an agent or editor, which would be after critiques.)

I’ve been in a number of critique groups as I moved around the country. Critiques of my work have caught typos, pointed out awkward or confusing sentences, asked for more depth, inspired me, taught me, and corrected me. My critique partners have suggested where to tighten, brainstormed when I’m struggling with a particular issue, shared marketing news, cheered successes, discussed possible comp titles, and become faithful friends.

So, what elements make a good critique?

First, encouragement. It can be as simple as “I like this character” or “that was such a lovely phrase.” Or even, “I know you’ll figure this problem out.” I love this quote from Judith Martin aka Miss Manners: “When virtues are pointed out first, flaws seem less insurmountable.”

Second, kindness. A lot depends on how something is said. For example, “I’m not getting this” versus “This doesn’t make sense.” Margaret Chase Smith said, “Every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration. Constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought.”

Third, honesty. I’d much rather hear something isn’t working than be told polite lies that will become evident when others see my manuscript. “We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticize us perform a remarkable act of friendship, for to undertake to wound or offend a man for his own good is to have a healthy love for him.” -Michel de Montaigne

Fourth, knowledge. Most of us don’t know everything about grammar and spelling or punctuation, but critiquers need to have some basics to catch others’ mistakes. My group also shares resources on various writing issues with each other.

Fifth, readers. Those who read in the category and genre you write will have a better understanding of what is working in the current market. “The quality of your reading (and the depth of your engagement with what you read) improves the quality of your thinking and subsequently, your writing.” -Lark Morrigan (And I’d add, your critiquing.)

Sixth, questions. Sometimes I learn more from questions than anything else. “Why is your character doing this?” “Where or when is this happening?” “What is your character’s motivation?” It makes me realize I haven’t made those things clear. Or, maybe I never thought their motivation—oops! One of my critiquers often asks, “What’s the heart of the story?” Such a good question. Audrey Chin says, “Critiquing has taught me that the best stories are still the ones that move hearts.”

Seventh, time. One of my critique partners always says she reads a manuscript first as a reader, then secondly as a writer. It takes time and attention to detail to notice a wrong word was used, or to think why a section isn’t working. My partners give me the why which helps me understand how to make changes. And, of course, there’s the time we spend together in person or via Zoom discussing manuscripts.

In conclusion, I’d like to share this thought from Duane Alan Hahn: “You are a glorious, shining sword and criticism is the whetstone. Do not run from the whetstone or you will become dull and useless. Stay sharp.”