Critique Groups

So you want to join a critique group

Participating in a critique group is a great way to get your creativity flowing! SCBWI BI can help you connect with critique groups in your area or help you start one up! For more information, send an email to Critiques(AT)britishscbwi.org

SCBWI BI members have launched an online critique group! The e-critique is hosted by Blogger and is by invitation only (you have to be a member). Only invited members can view, comment or post their manuscripts or critiques - so no worries about your unpolished text getting picked up by Google!. You can even learn by lurking - you only need join in when you are ready! Request an invitation from Candy - webmaster(AT)britishscbwi.org

Starting A critique Group

Are you convinced now that you want to start a writer's critique group? Great! First, however, you must sort out a few details before you're ready to meet and share words of wisdom.

Determine the ideal number of members. It's best to have between five and ten, but a lot depends on how you choose to structure the meeting (see next bullet point). Fewer than five means that you will not have a variety of opinions (and you risk having to cancel a meeting if half your members cannot attend), while more than ten means that you won't have the time to look at anyone's work in depth. Ideally, members should all live within reasonable commuting distance of each other; facing a long car or train trip on a cold and rainy day could be a deterrent for faraway members.
Decide on a format. You may choose to allow all members to submit a work each time, or, if you have a large number of participants, rotate who brings work (five members one week, then five different members the next, for example). Some groups encourage members to read their work aloud, while others prefer to dive right in with the comments. Most groups require members to submit their stories ahead of time.
Choose how often to meet. Meeting monthly is probably the best option. Members have enough time to prepare material without feeling undue pressure. Weekly/bi-weekly is a bit ambitious; less frequently than monthly can slow the group's momentum.
Select a venue. Some members like to meet at a neutral location, such as a coffee shop. Others prefer to meet at each other's homes (rotated so that no one has to bear the burden of hosting each time – unless that is agreed upon by all members). Both have merit – a member's home offers more quiet and privacy, but an outside venue can be stimulating and offer a change of scenery to writers who work from home full time.
Appoint someone to chair. It's often beneficial to designate a session leader, someone who can keep the meeting on track, making sure that you don't run over the allotted time for each person's critique and that no one dominates the discussion.

Established Groups

If you already belong to a group or wish to join an existing one, here are a few tips to keep the group running smoothly.

Take the commitment seriously. Don't view the meeting date as flexible, cancelling if something "better" comes along (unless, of course, it's a true emergency). If other members take the time and effort to submit work, you owe it to them to participate. At the very least, email your comments within a few days of the meeting.
Make notes on the submitted copies. This way, the critiqued member can have a written record of your comments without having to write down everything you say, allowing him/her to "be in the moment" of the discussion. Oh, and put your name on the paper – it can be quite confusing to return home with a stack of manuscripts only to discover when you look at them weeks later that you can't recall who said what.
Be tactful and respectful. When commenting on someone else's project, remember that how you deliver your remarks is as important as what you actually say. True, creative types need to develop a thick skin when dealing with editors, but a critique group should provide a kind of safe haven – you can be constructive without being destructive. People who feel attacked (whatever the intent) are not likely to return.
Stay focused on the critique. It's great when members get along and want to spend time chatting, but the true goal of these sessions is to examine the works in progress. If you want to promote your group's bonding spirit, plan a social event – a museum, film, picnic, dinner, etc. – on a quarterly basis.
Share publishing contacts. If you've had success with a particular publishing house, let other members know. Learning firsthand about the industry and getting personal referrals is a valuable part of belonging to a writer's group.

Ways to Liven Things Up

If you find that your group meetings have become a bit stale, why not try these alternative strategies:

Have one session during which you give a series of "assignments" or writing prompts – everyone writes, then reads aloud, their exercises.
Hold a marketing session – each member brings one or two completed projects for which the group brainstorms possible markets.
Choose a different venue. A change of scenery could change the way group members interact and express their viewpoints.
Ask each member to bring two or three ideas and/or works-in-progress to share. Other members can then rate the ideas as worth/not worth pursuing.
Before your critique meeting, act like a child: colour, finger-paint, model with clay, act out your favourite book, sing nursery rhymes!

Have any other ideas? Send them in!

By Eileen Nester Ramchandran

So you want to join a critique group

Starting A critique Group

Established Groups

Ways to Liven Things Up

Useful Links