Hey there, hi there, ho there, WriteByNighters.
"A couple of weeks ago, [redacted] from [redacted] emailed to ask us if a critique group was right for her.
"'I’m in the
early stages of writing my first thriller,' she wrote, 'and I don’t really have anyone I trust to read my first few chapters. But there’s a writing group listed on Meetup that I am thinking of trying, and wondering if you can tell me some critique group flaws and if you think critique groups are a good idea or bad?'
"I hate to say this, but the answer is . . . shoulder shrug. Critique groups are like snowflakes; every one is different, and don’t drive your car through a pile of them unless it’s an emergency.
"Whether or not a specific critique group is right for you depends entirely on three things: the group’s format, the quality of its humans, and what you’re hoping to get out of it.
"Since it’s more fun to poo-poo than to woo-hoo, today we’ll discuss three common critique group flaws.
"If you have the
time, it’s not a bad idea to join a few groups and attend a session or two of each. And then winnow ’em down. As soon as you spot more than one of the following critique group flaws, bounce."
