Critique Groups: Process

Posted: November 12, 2012 by jazzdog in Creativity, Critique Group, Novel, Writing
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What is an effective critique process?

The best critique process is the one your specific group agrees to do together.  There is no “right” way to critique, only choices.

Number of group members: While two could work, a group of 5-6 allows for sufficient energy and variety of feedback in the group, as well as keeping the momentum moving forward when one or two members have to miss a session due to life.

Length: A scene (3-5 pages), a chapter (5-20 pages), first fifty pages, the entire manuscript.  In my experience, most groups tend to critique a short selection, usually a scene within a chapter.  Using a shorter selection allows everyone in the group to get some feedback in a reasonable amount of time.

Critique: If you prick us, we will bleed. (Sorry, Shakespeare)  So as a rule of thumb, I always strive to give a colleague some feedback about something they did that worked well, then what can be improved.  The group should have a conversation about what constitutes appropriate feedback.  Some will want to limit critique to one or two items that could be improved.  At the other end of the spectrum, a group may want it all.  Difficulties arise when a group member crosses an agreed upon line.  If the group agrees to limit feedback to two things to be improved and to not focus on punctuation, you do not want to be the member who offers a laundry list of issues and a constant stream of punctuation corrections.

Respect and compassion: Yeah, we’re all professionals here.  However, that doesn’t give us the right to self-righteously smack a writer down, no matter our personal opinion about his or her writing.  We’re here to get each other across the line and part of that is to treat each other with respect.  In addition, drawing on some compassion can be a powerful thing for a group.  Even in my hard core just tell me the cold hard truth dammit group, if I sense my peer is a bit sensitive or beaten up today, I’m going to cut her some slack and offer some support.  Yes, we agreed to be gladiators in the arena of writing excellence, but if my peer is lying in the dirt with a spear through the chest, I’m going to offer a hand and a word of encouragement.  We all get to live to fight another day.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make…  Paul McCartney from The End (McCartney/Lennon)

The ultimate goal of an effective critique group is to support you and your peers in the development of your writing careers.  Across the life of your career you may at times need more support and at other times need a swift kick in the rear.  Only you know what you need, when you need it.  So be intentional about your participation in a critique group.  Be clear about what you want, be willing to ask for it, be open to finding it and be courageous in moving on when the group no longer meets your needs.  Be a respectful, compassionate and honest critique group partner.

What process have you found most effective in your critique groups?  Post a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Story: What Binds Us Together

Posted: November 7, 2012 by jazzdog in Life, Novel, Story, Writing
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I’m writing this blog just before the national election and it will be posted the day after. So as you read my words, some of us are pretty depressed, the world spinning toward its destruction, some of us are still dancing in the streets, the world having avoided destruction, and a think a good portion of us simply happy the election is over.  Wherever you find yourself, I’m sure you’ve heard about how divided we are as a nation. We’re blue and red, left and right, liberal and conservative — I could go on and on.

What does bind us together? A number of things come to mind, but today I’d like to lift up Story.

As a child, Story connected me with my mom and dad at night before bedtime.  My dad died a number of years ago, but I still recall his goofy story every time we’d pass a falling rock sign on the road.  I’ll share the short version, given he liked to tell this story over many miles to distract two board kids.

An Indian boy (it was the 60’s so native american wasn’t in his lexicon) goes deep into the woods in a test of manhood.  He is called Falling Rock (dad would alter the story about the origin of his name, I think depending on how long he wanted to make the story and what he had for breakfast). All of his friends returned home, becoming braves, but Falling Rock did not return. (An imaginative list of places they looked for him would follow.)  Even today, the tribe searches for their lost son. And look. There’s one of their signs asking for our help.  “Watch for Falling Rock.”

Yes, I know. A groaner. But many years later, I remember being in the backseat of a car listening to a story I had heard many times, groaning at the end and sharing a moment with my dad.

We bind ourselves together with story throughout our lives.  Recalling scenes from TV shows and movies, sharing books with each other, listening to a grandmother or and uncle share some bit of family lore.  And so, in a time when “divisive” seems to be ascribed to many things, I want to lift up Story and the people who make Story possible. The storytellers, screenwriters, novelists and other authors who bring us into their unique world (yes, even Falling Rock’s world) and the readers, viewers and listeners who take their precious time to join us in our Story and share the Story with others.

The thing binding us together is ancient, maybe primordial. We gather around a campfire for warmth and protection. Then a Storyteller begins to weave a fantasy which for a moment, takes us out of our everyday existence, transporting us to places we may never see with people we may never know.  And when the Storyteller says those final words ‘The End’, we discover not only have we been entertained, but we have also found a community.

Critique Group: Where Are You?

Posted: November 5, 2012 by jazzdog in Creativity, Critique Group, Novel, Writing
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Where do I find a critique group?

Now that we’ve thought about what we want in a group and whether we’re looking for an online group on one meeting in person, the next question is where to look for your next critique group.

I participate in two groups.  The online group is a genre group of five writers on AuthorSalon.com.  We are engaged in a rigorous critique process which requires literally hours of time devoted to critiquing each other’s work in detail.  Definitely not for everyone.  You may also find online groups associated with specific writing conferences and writing associations.  In addition, look to genre specific online communities for critique group opportunities.

Face-to-Face groups can be established using online tools, such as meetup.com; posting an announcement in known writer hang outs — bookstores, cafes, libraries; making a request through your local writer’s association and networking.  My other critique group, a face-to-face group, is made up of peers I met while attending a certificate program in fiction at the University of Washington.

Where have you found your critique groups? Post a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

 

Next post I’ll look at the critique process.

 

 

Critique Groups: In-Person or Online?

Posted: October 28, 2012 by jazzdog in Critique Group, Writing
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Should My Critique Group Be Face to Face or Online?

Over the last several posts, I’ve discussed finding the right critique group.  But is this group virtual or in person? Let’s take a look.

I currently belong to a face-to-face group and an online group and from my experience, I can share a few advantages and disadvantages to each.

Face-to-Face

Advantages

  • You’re working and networking with local writers.
  • Trust is more easily established
  • Communication — verbal, physical and written– can capture the subtleties in critique feedback.
  • Feedback is immediate
  • Meetings offer not only feedback, but an opportunity to talk about other challenges with your writing process
  • You get to work across genres, unless you live in a community large enough to create genre specific groups

Disadvantages

  • Honest feedback may be more difficult to give and receive in person.
  • Groups can sometimes lose focus, digressing into other matters.
  • Personality conflicts more easily arise face to face.
  • You may not get the genre specific feedback you need from writers outside of your genre.
  • You are restricted by the scheduling of the group meetings.

 

Online  

Advantages

  • A vast pool of writers, genres, skill levels to choose from.
  • Honest feedback is often more readily given and received.
  • Most online groups function asynchronously, so scheduling is not an issue.
  • More time often allowed to consider a critique before offering feedback.
  • Offer the possibility of participating in a genre specific group.

Disadvantages

  • Participants may drop out or be unresponsive without the in-person peer pressure to engage.
  • More challenging to build trust with a group of people you have never met in person.
  • The feedback process may take days or weeks.

What is your experience with face to face and online groups? Have a preference? Why?  Post a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Next post I’ll look at how to find your next critique group.

 

Critique Groups: Choosing the Right Partner

Posted: October 21, 2012 by jazzdog in Critique Group, Writing
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Choosing the Right Critique Group

So far we’ve talked about the importance of knowing what we want from a critique group and clarity about what a group wants from us.  So how do you know what group is right or wrong for you?

How do I know if I’m in the right critique group for me?

  • If you’re getting what you said you wanted from a group.
  • If you feel challenged and see growth in your craft.
  • If you’re moving toward your goals.

Notice, “if it feels right” didn’t make the list.  Why?  Feeling good and getting what I need are two very different things.  Sometimes I can be with a group that feels great — but it’s not a good critique group for me.  I’m getting lots of positive feedback and we all love each other, but I haven’t felt stretched or challenged in some time.  Which leads me to the next question:

How do I know if I’m in the wrong critique group?

  • I don’t feel stretched or challenged.
  • I’m not moving forward with my goals.
  • I’m not getting what I said I wanted out of a critique group.
  • The group is dysfunctional — Note: if it feels like your family squabbling at Thanksgiving, it’s probably dysfunctional.

Once again, “if doesn’t feel right” didn’t make the list.  Why?  To learn and grow, we have to put ourselves in uncomfortable places.  If I really want to be better, I need to be challenged, to be stretched in new ways.  And that kind of challenge isn’t always comfortable.  Of course, there’s a point where the discomfort outweighs the benefit.  If I’m so discombobulated I can’t think straight and my writing is actually suffering, then maybe I’ve gotten in over my head and need to take the critique process down a couple of levels.

How do you know if a critique group is right or wrong for you?  Post a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Next post I’ll look at face to face vs. online critique groups.

 

Critique Groups: What Do You Want From Me?

Posted: October 14, 2012 by jazzdog in Critique Group, Writing
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What does a Critique Group want from me? 

In my last post I discussed clarity about what you want in a critique group. Today let’s look at the other side of the story — what does a critique group want from you.

  • Honesty — yes, it’s subjective, but honest feedback stripped of any agendas (see next bullet).
  • No agendas — some folks take critique very personally and I’ve witnessed tit for tat exchanges.  You say I use “to be” verbs too much, so I’m going to rip you for your lack of commas.  If you find yourself using your feedback on a colleague like a blade in a knife fight — stop.  Just don’t go there.  It betrays the trust of your group and it’s not professional.
  • Respect — giving someone critical feedback on their writing has nothing to do with who they are as a person.  So nothing is stupid, dumb, pathetic, sad, etc.  The assumption being that your colleague’s intent is to put their best work in front of you.  One way to give respectful feedback is to say something like, “I felt pulled out by…”(passive tense, a word, lack of description, etc).
  • A giving spirit — caring about the critique group members and their artistry by committing to each other’s success.  There’s something very powerful about a group of writers saying we’re here to get us all across the line, whether that be querying short stories, getting manuscripts to competitions, or getting published.

When joining a standing group or starting a whole new group, a conversation around expectations will avoid a lot of heartache.  Some groups love getting in the weeds of grammar  (coagulate, noun or verb?). Others want to stay focused on structure and story arc. If you’ve got proofreader DNA and just can’t help yourself, be clear up front if a group appreciates that kind of feedback.  One way to be sure there’s a fit with a group is simply to attend.  How does the group feel to you? What kind of feedback do they tend to give each other? How do they give the feedback?  A group can say they value respect, but do they respect each other in practice?

If you’re experience, what do the most effective critique groups want from their members?  Post a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Next post I’ll look at choosing the right critique group for you.

 

Critique Groups: You Get What You Ask For

Posted: October 7, 2012 by jazzdog in Critique Group, Writing
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What do I want from a Critique Group?

One of the most helpful or hurtful things for a writer is a critique group.  Helpful when the group enables you to learn, to grow, to stretch.  Hurtful when the group either pulls you down into the muck or stalls you out.   I’ve had a taste of both and am happy to report I now have two critique groups I consider foundations for my ongoing development as a writer.  So what do look for in a critique group?  When do you know it’s working for you?  When do you know it’s time to gracefully bail out?  Over the next several posts, I’m going to reflect on what I’ve learned about critique groups to date and hopefully stir up some discussion on the topic so we can all learn from each other.

 

Before we get to those questions, let’s look at the most fundamental question you want to ask yourself about any critique group.  What do I want from a critique group? The answer to that question varies based on experience, personality, confidence, and a host of other factors unique to each of us.  If I’m new to the writing business, feeling less than confident (we’ve all been there) I might want to have a more supportive group which emphasizes positive feedback about what I’m doing well with only limited feedback about what I could improve.  At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re a published author who wants to stay a published author, you want the truth, with an emphasis on what needs to be fixed.  Of course most groups fall somewhere in the middle.

One of my groups, let’s call this a Hard Core Critique Group, has a commitment to respectfully give high gradient, honest feedback.  We are all committed to upping our game, we know we can write (okay, some days more than others) and we all want to spend our time on what we can do to improve versus getting positive strokes.  This path is not for everyone and I have to say, on occasion, I have to step away, take a few deep breaths and remember why I’m sticking my neck out so far.  In the past I’ve been in groups near the other end of the spectrum which, at the time, worked for me.  I needed to hear some critique, but I also needed to get some positive reinforcement.  Why?  Because, like most writers I know, I held a dark secret I feared would one day be revealed for all to see — I’m a fraud!  I can’t write!

Take a moment right now to consider what you want in a critique group.  Here are a few possibilities to prime the pump:

  • Support
  • An emphasis on positive feedback
  • Caring community of fellow writers
  • An emphasis on honest, critical feedback
  • Feedback about story arc and plotting
  • Feedback about scenes, descriptions, grammar

 

Note the last two items.  If I’m looking for big picture feedback around story arc and plotting, I need a group interested in critiquing synopses, story summaries and extended chunks of manuscript (50+ pages)  If I’m more interested in honing my craft one scene at a time (and most critique groups focus on scenes in my experience), then I want a group committed to critiquing 4-5 pages of manuscript at a time.

What do you want from your critique group? Post a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Next post I’ll look at what a Critique Group wants from its members.

Author Chat: Debra Easterling

Posted: October 1, 2012 by Richard Hacker in Author Interview, Creativity, Interview, Novel, Writing
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I Want to Thank Debra Easterling for joining us today.  Debra has a thriller coming out in October from Champagne Books called TWENTY MILES NORTH OF LVOV. And she’s currently working on a chic lit mystery, which I’m hoping we’ll find out about in our interview.

Debra, before we get to TWENTY MILES NORTH OF LVOV and your current project, let’s talk a little about you as a writer and a person.  I’m always curious about what jazzes creative artists.  Where do you find the inspiration for your writing?

I tend to find inspiration in the littlest things.  A song, a picture, a line in a book.  In Twenty Miles North of Lvov, I had been doing some Judaic research for another book I was writing at the time.  I stumbled across information about a concentration camp far worse than Auschwitz.   This was the Belzec camp where over 600,000 people died.  Not one survived.  The article I read, simply stated that this camp was “twenty miles north of Lvov,” in Poland.   That particular sentence inspired my book.  I had this title before I even wrote the story.

What do you find to be the most challenging thing about being a writer?  And how do you cope with that challenge?   

Time, or lack thereof.  I work a full time job an hour from home and I have a large family, both of which I can’t live without.  I have learned how to be an early riser.   I write daily from 4:30 to 7:00 a.m.   The more I write, the more energy I have for the day ahead.   I spend my lunch hours reading about writing and late evenings keeping in touch with the outside world and sending out query letters.

Writing is not all blood, sweat and tears.  What do like the most about being a writer?   

Coming up with story ideas.   I have a notebook where I jot down my story lines.   I’m up to 56 plus, so I’ve got plenty of stories within me yet to be created.

It’s always interesting to know what authors read.  What are you reading these days?  Any favorites?    

Since time is a scarcity, I don’t enjoy books I have to study and analyze.  I enjoy books I can  relax and dip into like a bubble bath.  I love stories that are mysteries with just a touch of paranormal, so I love Barbara Michael’s books, Karen White, and Sharyn Mccrumb.  That’s not to say I don’t like other genres.  I’m rather eclectic in my tastes in both my writing and reading.  However, I grew up in the women empowerment days, so the lead female character must be strong.  I can’t stand books where the women are too afraid to speak, make up their minds, or stand their ground.

If you could go anywhere, do anything, where would you go and what would you do?    

Good question.  The possibilities are endless.   I think I’d like to travel to Europe and Scandinavia see how many plots I can create.   I’d love to take a cruise with my family.  Perhaps I could do both.

Barring incriminating yourself for felonious behavior, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?   

I’m a pretty laid back kind of a gal.  The craziest thing I ever do is go barefoot at work once the boss leaves.  But when I was 15, I came up with an elaborate lie about finding an abandoned baby, just to get out of trouble for being late.  Hey, they bought it!

Tell us about your current project.

I just finished a mystery/romance/paranormal story called “Thorns on Lovely Roses.”   Its about twin sisters raised separately after the murder of their parents.   They both have supernatural talents, but neither knew it because these gifts only appear when the sisters are together.   Once they find each other, they unlock the mystery of the family mansion, and the memories of their part in the murders.  I’m searching madly for representation or publication on this one.

Right now,  I’m writing a fictional story which takes place during a true hurricane that passed through Central Florida in 1928 killing over 5,000 people, mostly black migrant workers, and demolishing several towns when the Okeechobee damn collapsed.   It’s a mystery/suspense kind of a thing.   It has taken me four years of research to write this.   Almost as long as the research for “Twenty Miles North of Lvov.”

Your thriller, TWENTY MILES NORTH OF LVOV comes out in OCTOBER.   The blurb I saw sounded interesting.  Tell us about it.   

In 1967, Moshe Brodsky, a renown Nazi hunter, is drawn from retirement when evidence mounts that “The Demon” of the Belzec camp may be killing again, this time in America.   Moshe comes to the Florida Everglades to try and find the evil man so he could link the eye-witness stories he has gathered with the evidence that the demon lives in the glades.   Moshe sets up his headquarters in the boarding house of Ilsa Michaelski, a Christian Polish immigrant.   Moshe does his best to stay focused on his task, however, he finds himself attracted to the shy Ilsa.   She is old fashioned and demure, unlike the bold women of the 1960s, and this quality brings out the man in him.  He fights his desire, for he as a Jew, must not compromise his beliefs, but his reserve dies a little each time he sees her.

Ilsa, however, hides a secret that her own half-brother had been a German guard.   Her brother is currently hitchhiking across the U.S. on his way back to Ilsa’s boarding house.  She can’t warn him and she isn’t sure whether she should try.   She must decide whether to remain faithful to her brother and deny her feelings toward Moshe, or give in to her love and allow her brother to come face-to-face with a man who could destroy him.

Meanwhile, the real object of Moshe’s search, the Demon of Lvov, has decided he is tired of being hunted, and goes in search of Moshe, and anyone close to Nazi hunter is fair game.

This story has nice helpings of humor and tenderness, however there are several recounts of the horrors of the  concentration camps, which may be a bit intense for some.  It’s set in the 1960s, so the attitudes of the time are sewn in as well.  It combines two of my favorite historic time periods.

Thanks for sharing yourself with us today. I hope everyone will be on the lookout for Twenty Miles North of Lvov in October.  May you have great success. Before we finish, is there anything you’d like to add?

I came into writing late in life.  My home is rapidly becoming an empty nest, so I decided to put all my daydreams down on paper to keep me sane as I say goodbye to each of my kids. Sometimes it works.  I’ve published several short stories, one of which won 7th place at the 78th Writers Digest Annual Short Story Competition.  It’s been good therapy.

My website is DebraEasterling.com.   I’ve printed some of my short stories to share and I love feedback.  I can’t wait to add a link to “Twenty Miles North of Lvov.”

Thank you, Richard.   This has been fun.

Seattle Book Release Party

Posted: September 29, 2012 by jazzdog in Book Release, TOXIC RELATIONSHIP
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I had a book release party for TOXIC RELATIONSHIP in Seattle last week.  About forty friends and readers gathered for a Texas feast of Green Chili Pork tacos, Pinto Beans, Guacamole, Roast Veggies and plenty of Shiner and Corona beer.  I did a few readings during the evening.  I’ve read aloud to myself and to my critique partners.  But there’s nothing like reading to a crowd who laughs (at the right moments too!) and applauds at the end.  Thanks to everyone who came out for a great night.

I’ll do another of these for friends and fans in Austin after Christmas.  It will be a bit easier to come up with Shiner in Austin!

 

Week Three: Toxic Relationship Blog Tour

Posted: September 29, 2012 by jazzdog in Blog Tour, promotional giveaway, TOXIC RELATIONSHIP
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It’s week three of the tour.  Drop by for  interviews, excerpts from Toxic Relationship, book reviews and  a promotional giveaway for readers of the blogs — a $10 gift certificate for Amazon.  Yeah, cool.  So come along for the ride.  The stops this week are:

October 1 –  Bless Their Hearts Mom – Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
October 2 –  Up All Night Reviews – Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
October 3 –  The Story of a Girl – Review/Giveaway
October 4 –  Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews – Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt
October 5 –  Turning the Pages – Excerpt/PROMO

 

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