Writing Advice

A Rush Job

Re-visioning

Getting it Right the Twentieth Time

Critique Groups

Traditional Publishing

Advanced Punctuation

CRITIQUE GROUPS

On-line critique groups often come and go, but I belong to one that has been together for over eleven years. In internet terms, that makes us ancient. The five founding members all knew each other slightly from a children’s writing list to which we all belonged.  Now, three out of the original five are still together. We've added three other writers over the years.  I count on these five writers for feedback, motivation and support. 

There are many ways to organize the submission process for an on-line group.  Frankly, some decide not to have any organization at all and it can work really well.  My group decided to go with a more limited and formal approach since we were concerned initially about spending too much time reading someone else’s work and not enough time writing.  We wound up staying with the system, because it seems to strike a balance between our more prolific members and those who start typing madly three days before their turn.  Here are some of our guidelines:

Members take turns submitting each Friday.  A thorough line-by-line critique may be expected for a picture book, short story, article, or chapter.  Several chapters may be submitted for a more general analysis.  (Note: We have several contingency plans for trading spots and working around travel plans, family emergencies and holidays.)

1.   No one can submit a project until she is caught completely caught up with everyone else’s submissions.
2. Discussion of critiques is encouraged and should be forwarded to all members.  This is a great way to exchange ideas on the art of writing.
3. Members are free to post revisions of previous submissions for optional critique outside the scheduled rotation.  Other members need not respond.  (But we usually do.) 
4. If someone receives a revision letter from an editor, they can request help and advice outside the regular rotation.  This will not take the place of a normal submission.  
5. Comments in the text should be in capital letters surrounded by brackets.  <JUST LIKE THIS.>  Some members prefer writing general overviews.  Any honest, generous and helpful approach is fine. 

It can be hard sharing your work with a complete stranger at first. Fortunately, anecdotal evidence suggests that aspiring children’s writers are the most supportive and nurturing in the business of word-smithing. Strangers can turn into colleagues, and colleagues can turn into friends.