No Writer is an Island; Or, The Importance of Earnest Crit Buddies

For this blog chain post, Sarah asked:

Do you work with critique partners? How did you find your crit pals, and what influence have they had on your work?


I can't say enough about how important crit partners are to my writing. Neither could Michelle, whose post is here. Margie will post tomorrow.

I found my first crit partner in the same places I used to look for beta readers before I started "meeting" so many writers through blogging. Mostly websites like QueryTracker and Absolute Write. Finding readers there was easy. Finding readers I could trust took some time, but those sites also helped me to hone my query-writing skills, and learn the gentle art of constructive criticism. It wasn't until I'd been blogging a while that I discovered other people had trusted readers, sometimes small groups of them, that they called critique groups. You can probably guess that this was a huge epiphany. ;) 

Beta readers are invaluable, especially if they write in the genre you do. But even more important to my creative progress than trusted readers (and i've had quite a few over the years for evangeline. you know who you are and I'm terribly sorry i made you suffer through those horrid early versions. i promise the final version will actually be good, lol) are my amazing critique partners, Abby, Plamena and Jade.

We check in with each other pretty much every week, (mostly thanks to abby, who is the organized one) and offer our services. More than that, we offer an ear--a virtual one, anyway--to vent to, or to cheer each other on. It's nice to know that there are people who care about what's going on with my writing, when others in my life have begun to forget about the faith they once had in my writing career. (you know, non-writer folk, who don't realize what a slow beast publishing is. yes, those people. :P)

So while there's no way I could write without beta readers, there's no way I could function the way I do, and keep myself focused, goal oriented, without my crit group. They know my deadlines, and while they don't call me on them, just knowing that they know helps me stay motivated. And I can be absolutely certain that any comments they give me on my manuscript, or synopsis or queries, are meant honestly, and with my best interest at heart.

Actually, I'm looking for a new beta reader right now for this latest revision of Evangeline (any takers?), and while I'll always need to find new betas (even unabashedly soliciting them through a parenthetical in a blog post), while I'll always need new readers to evaluate my work from a fresh perspective, I'll never outgrow my crit buddies. And I'll never stop valuing their opinion of my writing.

Not only do crit buddies watch your writing change, evolve, they are a direct part of the process. I wouldn't be the writer I am today without them.

Thanks, y'all!

Where do you find your crit buddies?

What to Expect When You're Expecting... A Crit: Pt 3

So, how's the house buying going? you ask.

Ugh, horrible, I reply. The place looks perfect on the surface, but underneath the house, the foundation is all cobbled together and crazy. The inspector said it was fixable, but it would take some work.

Oddly enough, that's kind of the way my manuscript feels to me right now. Like it looks great after a quick glance: good premise, good characters, but there's something missing that's not immediately identifiable. Nothing on the surface, but something deeper. I've made myself crazy trying to figure out what to do next, where to go. When I'm feeling this way, that's how I know it's time to send my work to a beta.

So now that your work is out getting critiqued, what should you expect when you get the crit back?

Well, first, no matter how open to criticism you may think you are, expect to feel a little stung when readers don't tell you "It's the next Twilight!" or "J.K. Rowling is going to be so jealous!" If this does happen, odds are you need to start looking for a new crit partner.

Expect it to take a few days for the criticism to sink in. To make sense in a way that doesn't make you cringe. For you to remember why you sent your work to them in the first place. To make it better! Also, remember any good crit buddy is working very hard to help you. Remember that they have your best interest at heart.

Maybe I'm some sort of masochist, but I like getting feedback on my work. I get so into my own little world sometimes that it's good to let someone else in, see what they're seeing. 

So what about the house? you ask. Well, we decided not to go for it. Too many surprises covered up by a pretty façade. Unlike Evangeline, this house wasn't worth going the distance for. But it's been a great learning experience and we're ready to keep looking for the house that's right for us.

What about you all? Do you enjoy getting your work critiqued? I'd love to hear about it.

What to Expect When You're Expecting... A Crit: Pt 2

Mmmmmm. Compliment Sandwich...

Last week we talked about how to find crit partners you can trust. I meant to have another post up Wednesday, but guess what?

My husband and I just put in an offer on a house, and it was accepted! It's going to mean some initial belt-tightening, and some busy days between now and closing, but we're very excited! (Pictures to come, whether you want them or not ;D ) It will be so nice to finally have a place of our own, and even nicer to have an office of my own, with a door that shuts, and my desk and everything. Yes! I can't wait until we're all settled in.

Sorry I've been too busy to post in a timely manner, but I promised you another crit-related post, and a crit-related post you shall have!

So what should you expect from a critique partner? First, the two (or three or four, if you want a crit group) of you should lay down some ground rules. Like, how much of a manuscript do you need to have read? What time-frame works for both of you? One of you might need your entire ms read in a few weeks if, say, you're resubmitting revisions to an agent. Time frame is one of the first variables a good crit partner will consider.

Second, a crit partner is not a mind reader. If there are specific areas of concern you'd like them to address, write a little questionnaire for them to work from. In my humble opinion, however, it's usually best to wait until your critter has read your ms to give them said questionnaire, just so their first read of your work is untainted by your concerns. You may discover that one of your concerns doesn't even faze your critter. Or quite the opposite, they may see problems you never anticipated having to change.

Finally, you should expect your critter to be able to explain why a part of your ms is or isn't working for them in a way that's both critical and constructive. Hence, constructive criticism: you've heard of that, right? ;)

When partners are new to one another, some like to go with a technique commonly called the "compliment sandwich", in which the critter begins their critique by praising the parts they enjoyed first. Next they move on to their concerns—explaining why things do or don't work for them, of course. This will typically be the bulk of the crit, but not to worry, as the critter will finish the "sandwich" by ending the crit with more hopeful words.

So yes, courtesy and honest concern for you and your writing are two things you should rightly expect from a critter. Which is one of the reasons I don't promote the use of critique circles, where critters "earn" crits by critting the work of others. These sites don't foster camaraderie and friendship the way open forums do, and you won't always be able to read old critiques if you start to question the motives of one of your critters—who may very well be tossing off a bunch of half-assed crits just to earn themselves new ones. Shame on you. Shame on all of you. :(

I've run into plenty of critters like this in the past, but once I learned about sites like Absolute Write Water Cooler, and the QueryTracker Forum, I ran the other way and never looked back.

I hope I've been able to shed some light on what to expect from a critter. Once you have worked with the same crit partner for a while, you'll start to get tougher on each other, which is a wonderful (and highly necessary) thing. Once you have a crit partner you can trust, you don't question their feedback so much.

You listen, because you know your relationship is built on respect and trust.

To end, I want to give a shout-out to my crit group, Plamena, Jade, and Abby! You rule, ladies!

What to Expect When You're Expecting... A Crit: Pt 1

So I may not be an expert or nuthin', but I have received my fair share of criticism. I finally finished my rewrite of Evangeline (which changed things so much I had to rewrite my blurb and synopsis! :P ) and have sent it out to betas to read.


How did I find said readers? you may ask, as you are wont to do. You really are quite inquisitive, you know. Well, one reader has been with me for a long time, and has read Evangeline in nearly all of its recent incarnations.

We "met" at the most-awesome QueryTracker Forum, which I find to be an excellent place not to only to post your work, but to foster relationships with other writers. (Of course, QueryTracker itself is the perfect tool to keep track of your queries and tidbits about agents, but that's another post. Can't query without getting feedback first. That's rule #1 of querying. Rule #2 is you don't talk about QueryTracker... Wait, that's not right...).

At a forum like QueryTracker's, you can "test-drive" crit partners or betas with a sample of your work before you commit. But, you may be saying—always interrupting, you are—how do I make the leap from getting a single crit from someone to becoming crit partners? The simple answer is: ASK. The worst thing they can say is no. (And I know, from experience, that anyone who has to say no is usually VERY apologetic about it, so it will be a nice no, if you get one)

Too afraid to just shoot off a pm willy-nilly? Take some time to find out a little more about your potential crit partner. Follow their blog. See what they write about revisions. See what they say about crit buddies. Even though they may already have a devoted crit group, that doesn't mean they won't need a fresh eye for a project that their crit buddies have read so many times it makes their head spin. My crit buddy has been reading Evangeline in various forms for well over a year, which means she'll have a different reaction to the manuscript—especially the changes I made—than someone new.

Which brings me to how I found a second reader for the current version of Evangeline, one who had never read any of the novel before. Ever. Since I'm not on QueryTracker enough these days to find a reader I can trust, I turned to the blogosphere, and my "friends" there. Is there anyone whose blog you follow who writes reviews? A blogger who is not only someone that you respect, but someone you are comfortable enough with/have had enough conversations with to ask for help? Just for the record, if someone has just posted like eight straight posts about how busy they are they barely have time to blog, maybe they shouldn't be at the top of your list. ;)

In conclusion, if you have a blog, interact with your peers, and have what you can confidently call "writing buddies" (whether you've actually met them IRL or not), you should have a good-sized pool of critters to draw on for help. No writer is an island, and no writer's spouse/sibling/parent/boyfriend/bff can give enough of the right sort of constructive criticism needed to properly revise a novel. I need at least two people for a decent crit, one of them having never seen the work before. I've been working on Evangeline since November 2008, so it sometimes feels like I'm starting to run out of fresh eyes, lol!

Any other questions about finding crit partners?

Tune in next week for a post on critters, and what you should expect (and not expect) from them.

Thanks, y'all!

You Want Me to Kill WHAT?

Kill your darlings. Make it quick and merciful.

I recently joined a crit group, which has done wonders for my self esteem. Ah, the joys of receiving criticism. ;) No, really. Sometimes my ego needs to be knocked down a peg. And sometimes I need to be reminded to kill my darlings. Sometimes I need to be told which ones are darlings in the first place, those odd turns of phrase that I think contribute to the style of my writing, but are just weighing it down.

Do you need help to see which are your darlings? Or does your inner editor find them for you?

I've also found that the more feedback I get on my writing, the easier it is to read it from another person's point of view. To see what they're seeing, to experience what they're experiencing as they read. It's helped me to realize where I haven't succeeded in properly explaining my vision to the reader. And where I might want to change my vision to make things easier for the reader to understand.

Then there's the "Why didn't I think of that?" moment that sometimes comes after a particularly thoughtful crit. The analytical eye of someone you trust just might spot a better way to tell the story you've been slaving over, a story that's become far too familiar for its own good.

The truth is, that's why we need betas and critique partners. We are none of us infallible, spewing out perfect prose by the ream. Very few published authors got to that point on their own. It took editors, agents, and probably betas to help them get to where they are today. Hmmm, maybe we should start a "Beta Appreciation Week." ;)

Received any feedback lately that you've had mixed feelings over? I have to admit I have mixed feelings over every critique I get at first, even if it's sandwiched between compliments. (Mmm, compliment sandwich. *drools*) But with a little time, and a little fresh perspective, that sandwich usually goes down smooth.

Okay, I'm talking in food metaphors again, (Good Lord, I would so kill for an Abita right now) and that means it must be time for lunch.

See ya next time, y'all!

It Takes a Village...

...to crit a manuscript.

Okay, maybe not a whole village. But Roni over at Fiction Groupie has posted the first of what will hopefully be a series of excerpts for what she's calling "The Beta Club".

It's here! Today is the debut of the new critique feature here on Fiction Groupie. Every Tuesday and Thursday for the next few weeks, I will be posting a critique of a 750 word excerpt submitted to me by one of you generous (and brave) writers out there. To those of you who have already volunteered, thank you so much in advance. I hope everyone will find this to be a fun and helpful exercise to go through together.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

Of course it does! And the best part is, working out your critique muscles only makes you a better writer. And we could all use a little help in that department, am I right? ;) Support your colleagues and give them the feedback they've been craving.

So get on over to Roni's and check out Submission 1- The Dying Sun

Hope to see you there!