One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever received was to get a good critique group. Getting your writing in front of other writers, especially writers from different genres, lets you see how your words and story work for an audience.
A critique group made up of members with different skills and perspectives can make your writing stronger and more effective. The first goal of any critique group should be to encourage and help each member grow and reach their writing goals, whatever those might be.
In my opinion, the ideal group consists of four to six members who are actively writing and want to improve. Fewer than four won’t give you a very wide range of perspectives and voices. More than six will limit the amount of time you have for individual feedback and discussion.
Groups can meet online or in person, or a combination, whatever makes the most sense for your group. If your group is online only, I strongly recommend utilizing Google Meet, Zoom, or some platform that enables you to see each other’s faces and talk freely. Relying solely on written responses, via email or messaging, can lose tone and nuance, be difficult to interpret, and lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding.
It is important to set goals and guidelines in the beginning, letting fellow members know what you are looking for from the group. It’s equally important to have a respectful and positive attitude toward each other. You can critique a piece of writing while remaining respectful and encouraging toward its author.
It’s also a good idea to revisit those goals after a few months, because as you grow as a writer, your goals may change, or you may need something different from your critique partners. Revisiting periodically allows you to make sure the group is working for each member. If it is not, that’s okay. Not everyone has the time available or the mindset to be an effective partner.
Another major benefit for me has been the accountability. Having a deadline to share something with the group has given me the kick in the seat that I need to write that next chapter, or to keep going on a project when it would be easy to put it off. I feel a responsibility to the group to be an active participant instead of a slacker.
Being in a critique group requires a commitment of time and effort. You get what you put into it. If all members are equally committed, you’ll get to know your fellow members better, you’ll learn things from each other, and every member will grow and improve as a writer.
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