As you aspire to become a better writer, don’t forget about critique groups. Books and magazines can only get you so far. To grow as a writer, you need the input of others—you need constructive criticism. Critique groups are wonderful places to mingle with other writers, to network with potential employers, and to grow as writers. They offer unbiased, non-judgmental help for your works in progress.
Instructions
1. Decide on a genre. The best critique group is one in which the members all share a commonality—and that commonality is the genre in which you write. If you plan to focus the majority of your writing on children’s books, then your critique group should consist of writers of children’s books—both wannabes and veterans. If, however, you plan to focus the majority of your writing on corporate clients—as in copywriting—then your critique group should consist of those who specialize in copywriting.
2. Locate a meeting place. Pick a place that is easy to get to, has plenty of parking space, and offers a quiet place to work—a place without interruptions. While it is perfectly acceptable to meet a writing colleague at a coffee shop or restaurant, these are not the best places for holding meetings that involve the picking apart of one’s work. Choose to utilize the meeting room of an office building, a bookstore, a library, or your home.
3. Place ads to find members. Critique groups are only as good as the members in the group. If you don’t know many writers in your area, advertise. Place an advertisement in your local paper, on your library’s bulletin board, and at local colleges. Your advertisement should include the name of your critique group, the genre in which you write, the date of your first meeting, and contact information. If you believe that all members should interviewed and accepted into the group, supply information on where to obtain an application for membership.
4. Create a membership application. A membership application helps you weed out the undesirables—the ones who aren’t serious about their craft or don’t have the time to devote to both receiving and giving of feedback. If your meeting place requires a usage fee, inclusion of a membership fee on your application will help pay for that fee.
5. Write group bylaws. Bylaws are rules and regulations designed to make your critique group run more smoothly. Your bylaws help protect your members from leeches who expect critiques of their works, but don’t give critiques in return. They’ll also prevent unnecessary quarreling and hurt feelings. Your bylaws can be as simple or as complex as you’d like, just make sure they clearly spell out what you expect from each member.
6. Write a confidentiality agreement. A confidentiality agreement should be written by each member of the group. It should state that members are not allowed to share anything discussed in the meetings with members outside of the meetings. It should also state that each member acknowledges that the works created by the members of the group belong to the members of the group and cannot be used by other members of the groups. In other words, plagiarism and theft is not allowed.
7. Create critique worksheets. These worksheets should help each member fairly critique the works of others. It could be a simple checklist to make sure certain rules are followed, it could be a point system, or it could be a mixture of things, including blank spots for more detailed observations. The point is to make sure that everyone uses the worksheets so that the same amount of work goes into each critique.
8. Hold your first meeting. During your first meeting, have each member introduce him- or herself. Talk about past writing experiences, published works, writing goals, and where you see the group headed.
