The Power of a Critique Group

Until recently I'd been sort of a lone wolf when it comes to sharing my writing during the beginning and middle stages of a draft. Of course, I have four beta readers in my corner that I rely on to read the book once I've completed the draft, but very rarely along the way. I send them my work and they check for content issues, holes in the storyline, misused or misspelled words... stuff like that. And I do have one writer friend that I've trusted for years to help me shape things as I go along in the draft phase, but he's not always available. That's really been the extent of it. That is... until recently. 

 A couple of months ago I was asked to join a new writing critique group that was forming. I'd never been a part of an organized critique group before. I'd considered looking into joining one through a local writer's group in Charlotte, but most of those were either mixed genre or genre specific groups that were not in my wheelhouse. Since I write mostly private investigator / mystery / crime fiction, I shied away from what was available locally, since I wasn't familiar with the writers or their level of expertise in my genre. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have been able to learn and grow as a writer in one of the local critique groups, but if I was going to join, I wanted it to be with writers that understood mystery and crime fiction and the tropes within the genre where I hung my hat. I wanted to learn from veteran writers that write what I write and would make me have to up my game. 

The other three writers in the group I was recently asked to join all had experience writing mysteries and crime fiction. I knew who all the participants were, and I was already familiar with their work. I respected their experience and talent and felt that joining the group would be a good move for me. I also felt good that there were only four of us in the group. It would give us the opportunity to spend more time per person really digging into each other’s work. More time equals more quality, in-depth feedback from each of us, for each of us.

We started meeting in November last year and through their suggestions, I've already learned to be better aware of where I might’ve been cutting corners without realizing it. And that is what's been most important to me—learning to be more mindful of how I put my story together. A better word or words to make a sentence read more fluently, what, where and when to add or subtract from a scene to make it more powerful, the concept of less is more when being descriptive--in other words, cut down on the needless fluff so you don't pull the reader out of the story, and much more. 

Being a part of a critique group with writers I consider better at their craft than I am, has been a very enlightening experience to say the least. I look forward to our sessions every month and leave the table feeling refreshed, excited, and ready to apply whatever suggestions came out of our time together to my story almost immediately. I’ve never felt better about a WIP than the ones I’ve been working on with the group. 

The experience I've had so far has been very positive. A writer's critique group should be just that--a critique group. I feel very fortunate to be part of a group with writers that are interested in helping each other grow and improve. No one joins one of these groups expecting it to become a writer's criticism group. That just defeats the entire purpose of why the group was formed in the first place. The POWER of a critique group is found in each participant's ability to offer positive feedback designed to help the writer whose work is being read and critiqued. If done right, everyone can discover and learn new ways to improve their writing even when simply listening to the feedback given by others to their peers in the group. 

I feel the power every time our group meets. The only thing I would change is that I wish I'd joined a critique group earlier in my writing journey. But better late than never. If you're a writer who is currently enjoying the fruits of a positive critique group experience, I hope you realize how lucky you are. If you're a writer that has yet to feel the power a critique group can bring to your writing, I highly recommend that you seek one out that suits your writing needs and give it a try. But don't compromise--hold out until you find the right mix of writing talent that you believe will provide the best outcome for you… then jump in and get ready to feel the power.

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I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

Meanwhile, you can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎