Tag: critique groups

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

Critiquing Via Zoom Refresher

Posted on 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:

  1. Manuscripts are due on Wednesday at the latest. (We email them out.)
  2. Respond to the manuscript sender with a simple “got it” type message when you receive it. Try not to reply all.
  3. 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.
  4. 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:

  1. While someone is critiquing, stay silent, especially the one being critiqued. No explanations, no excusing, no arguing. 
  2. After everyone has critiqued a piece, the critiquee may ask questions or make comments.
  3. 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.
  4. Side stories of what this reminded you of should be shared after all critique work is done.

Moderator duties include:

  1. How the meeting is run—I love how some in our group are good at asking how everyone is doing first.
  2. Deciding which manuscript goes first, and the order of critiquers. 
  3. Keep us on task. 
  4. 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.” 
  5. Before concluding meeting, discuss schedule for following week.

Critiquer duties:

  1. Honor others’ turns to talk.
  2. Share specific positives about a piece.
  3. Only make a suggestion once—don’t dwell on the topic—it is not our duty to convince the writer.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

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

Seven Elements for a Good Critique

Posted on 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.”

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

Critiquing Via Zoom

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

The Covid pandemic forced us to look at other ways of communicating. Now we commonly use Zoom for webinars, meetings, family get-togethers, and, yes, critique groups. (Kinda wish I’d owned Zoom stock before Covid…)

My critique group started Zooming in March of 2020. And we are still meeting that way–partially as several of us are not within close driving distance.

Here’s what we learned along the way:

First, sending manuscripts ahead of time saves time. In face-to-face meetings we brought manuscripts to the meeting and read aloud. Critiquers physically wrote on the paper. Now each manuscript is sent via email two-three days ahead of our Zoom meeting. Each person reads the manuscripts at their leisure and uses a combination of commenting, and track changes on their copy. We often type in global comments at the beginning as well. E.g. “Loved this chapter. Could add more sensory details.” The file is saved with a new name identifying who critiqued it, e.g. Beauty Chap 8 – Sue.

Second, not everyone can share a manuscript every week. There are seven of us in our group and we want to have time to discuss each manuscript in depth. We’ve found three to be a good number for everyone to have time to comment. That means we schedule who “presents” each week so everyone usually gets to share several times a month. We meet from 9 am to 12 pm.* Sometimes we end early. Often, we take a bit of time to talk about our lives or share ups and downs in the publishing world.

Third, someone moderates each meeting. We rotate who moderates and that person keeps everyone on track. E.g. “We’ll start with C’s manuscript, and we’ll go in this order of commenting: S, G, J, B, K, and myself.” The moderator also reminds the one being critiqued not to explain or tell what’s going to happen next. The writing needs to stand alone. Having a moderator has reduced frustrations.

Fourth, verbal comments at our Zoom meeting, may prompt other thoughts. We add these to our own electronic copy of the manuscript. E.g. “E had a great suggestion on…” or “This didn’t bother me.” or “What if you did…here?”

Fifth, don’t verbally repeat what someone else has already said, nor go over every typo. The writer gets all the manuscripts with comments returned and can see punctuation suggestions and where critiquers agreed about an issue.

Sixth, after everyone has commented, there’s a short time for questions or additional comments. This is where the writer can ask for clarification. Or a critiquer can add a last minute thought.

The finished manuscript copies are emailed back to the writer.

I like that we don’t spend time stuck in traffic going to and from meetings. But I love how much regular time I get to spend with my critique group, even if it isn’t in person.

*Several of us have paid Zoom accounts so can host meetings of any length.

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Posted in The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, Writing Life, You Are Not Alone

Feeling Isolated from Other Writers?

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

With stay-at-home/shelter-in-place orders and the wisdom of social distancing, many of us are feeling isolated. I’m finding myself on Facebook more than usual just for socializing. What I’m personally not missing is my weekly critique group.

About four weeks ago we decided to try virtual meetings because I had moved away. Our first meeting, the others met up at a house and we Skyped with them all sitting around one computer. I was the only remote person. The next week we decided to try Zoom with each in one at home. It worked great and we’ve been using it ever since and have even added two others to our group. It’s great seeing everyone’s faces at once. We just have to be careful not to talk over each other.  (I’m paying for Zoom since free is limited to 40 minutes at a time. It’s well-worth the $16 something a month. Zoom lets me set up a recurring meeting which means the meeting starts automatically. Another member also signed up as a backup host.)

We are submitting our manuscripts on Monday and we “meet” on Thursday. After we share our comments on a manuscript, members return the notated copy to the author. Some of us do so via email as we’re using Word’s commenting. Others prefer making handwritten notes on a printed copy and mailing. It’s working well. And no one is having to drive anywhere.

Most of us had participated in Zoom meetings (or webinars) which made us aware of the program/app. But there are other similar options. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

Whereby: the free option allows up to four people to meet at one time. For $9.99/month (probably plus tax), you can have up to 12 participants.

GoToMeeting: You can test it free for 14 days. Plans start at $12/month.

StartMeeting: Also has a free trial—theirs is 30 days. Plans start at $9.95/month.

Google has a G Suite Hangouts Meet: I found it difficult to find pricing and stopped looking.

The point is, you don’t have to survive this virus without other writers. If you aren’t in a critique group, maybe now is the time to find one. SCBWI members should check their local regions and the Blueboard. If you’re on Facebook, you can find critique partners or do swaps through Kidlit 411 Manuscript
Swap (For illustrators there’s Kidlit 411 Illustrator Critique Swap) or Sub It Club Critique Partner Matchup.

Happy meetings!

Posted in The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, You Are Not Alone

Critique Groups: Go for It!

Posted on by Susan Uhlig
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The best thing I ever did for my writing was to get involved with a critique group. It happened because I attended my first ever writer’s conference, one put on by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Seattle. There, when the opportunity was offered, I signed up to be in a critique group. Not long afterwards, I got a call telling me where and when to go, and even an offer to carpool.

To this day, I remember how scared I was to read my piece out loud. I just knew those other writers–some published, some not–were going to tell me to give up and go home. But they didn’t. Yes, my picture book, or was it a short story?–I didn’t even know the difference then–needed work. The group members were kind to me and pointed out what I was doing right as well as what I was doing wrong. And, they invited me back. That was in the spring of 1990.

In 1992 my first short story came out in Jack and Jill magazine. No, it wasn’t that first piece I took to the critique group–it has never sold–but it definitely was one they critiqued. Since then I’ve sold over 130 magazine pieces and two books. The middle grade novel was inspired by my critique group. So many of the others were writing novels for children, I became interested in the process. I learned from what they did right. I learned from their critiques of my manuscript.

Groups change. People quit or move to a different group or to another town or state. My needs as a writer change. However, I think I’ll always need the feedback of a critique group.

SO HOW DO YOU FIND ONE?

Local Writing Groups
Of course, SCBWI is a good source for children’s writers. That organization has grown internationally since my first association with them. Go to www.scbwi.org and see what events might be near you by clicking on your state and following the links. If you join the organization, you can do manuscript exchanges with other members through the mail or online.

Look at other writer organizations in your area. They may not have many members focused on children’s writing per se, but you can still learn a lot from “adult” writers.

Writing Classes
Sign up for a writing class at a community college or university. Even if they don’t offer in-class critiques, you may connect with several other students to form your own group, or the teacher may have recommendations.

Online Writing Groups
There are online writer’s groups that offer critique exchanges as well. Some are two-way list serves – designed as a place to chat, but you can ask for feedback on a manuscript. Here’s one group that focuses on critiquing: Writing.com. And go here for 41 Places to Find a Critique Partner to Improve Your Writing.

CRITIQUE RESOURCES

Articles on the Net
Join a Critique Group to Get Your Writing Moving
Starting Your Own Critique Group

Do you need a critique group? My answer is “yes.” You won’t regret it when you find the right group. (more on that later)