Several years ago when I was attending critique a lively discussion was prompted by one of the members asking the group if we thought of ourselves as writers or authors. I was surprised by the fervor some exhibited in response to that question. The person who’d brought it up was the group’s constant devil’s advocate,…
Tag: critique groups
Cause for Whine or Food for Thought? … by Chris Mandeville
I’ve been perfecting my recipe for Coq au Vin for years. I use the happiest, most humanely raised poultry, a decent French Burgundy, organic farm-fresh veggies, and my own secret blend of herbs. The other night I prepared this special dish for my critique group—we always eat dinner before discussing our writing—and because my critique…
How To Handle a Bad Critique – Aaron Michael Ritchey Style
BY Aaron Michael Ritchey So I’ve been in critique groups for nine years now. That’s a whole lot of words being read by other people. You want the math? Oh yes, I know you do. So ten pages a week, times fifty-two ‘cause there are fifty-two weeks in a year, so that’s 520 pages a…
Your Book…Or Your Critique Group’s?
By Patricia Stoltey Yes, I’m piggy-backing on Mary Gillgannon’s excellent Friday post called “Your Book…Or Your Editor’s?” She raised some important points about picking your battles and keeping an open mind about suggested editorial changes. Going into a book contract without a little flexibility along with confidence in your story and characters is a risky…
The Curse of the First Pancake … by Shannon Baker
There’s a piece of writing wisdom that says to hone your craft, you must first write one million words. Back in my early years, I’d read somewhere that it takes, on average, twelve years from beginning writer to published author. If you’re writing every day, those might amount to roughly the same. If that’s the…