Happy National Espresso Day to you!! If you are a tea drinker, your day will come (April 21st, specifically), but no need to wait to celebrate. You are welcome here today as well.
Whether coffee, tea, or something else, gathering together with people of like minds to hash through things over a cuppa is a wonderful way to connect. In the world of writing, such kaffeeklatsches can often be found in the form of critique groups. As for me, I'm a critique-group believer and an unrepentant consumer of triple-shot lattes.
Right now, I belong to two face-to-face critique groups. One meets regularly every Friday at lunch. We share chapters by email beforehand (sometimes the chapters come flying in the night before), and gather for sandwiches, coffee, and critiquing a bit before noon on Fridays. We are fast and efficient. Our meetings usually last about an hour, occasionally stretching to an hour and a half, if there's a lot of material to go through.
The second group meets on an "as needed" basis. Sometimes, months go by before one or the other of us says, "Hey, can we meet?" This second group tends to gather on a Saturday or Sunday for a longer stretch of time—five hours is not uncommon. This group tends to critique larger chunks of writing—100-page submittals are not unheard of. The gatherings also involve lunch, coffee, much noshing of chocolate, and catching up on life in general. These meetings tend to be more free-form than the Friday noon get-togethers: Sometimes we critique page-by-page, sometimes we offer more general overall commentary, and, if a writer asks, we sometimes spend time brainstorming specific issues.
So, what makes a "critiquing kaffeeklatsch" work? Why do some groups continue and others implode in impressive (sometimes damaging) fashion?
For me, for a group to work, the writers involved usually have three qualities: Respect for the other members of the group, a thick skin when it comes to one's own work, and flexibility. But of course, every writer (and every group) is different. For more on critique groups—how to build them and how to keep them going—check out these posts:
If you have insights into "what works" (or doesn't) in critique groups, please add a comment. We'd love to hear from you...
Whether coffee, tea, or something else, gathering together with people of like minds to hash through things over a cuppa is a wonderful way to connect. In the world of writing, such kaffeeklatsches can often be found in the form of critique groups. As for me, I'm a critique-group believer and an unrepentant consumer of triple-shot lattes.
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| Image by StockSnap from Pixabay |
Right now, I belong to two face-to-face critique groups. One meets regularly every Friday at lunch. We share chapters by email beforehand (sometimes the chapters come flying in the night before), and gather for sandwiches, coffee, and critiquing a bit before noon on Fridays. We are fast and efficient. Our meetings usually last about an hour, occasionally stretching to an hour and a half, if there's a lot of material to go through.
The second group meets on an "as needed" basis. Sometimes, months go by before one or the other of us says, "Hey, can we meet?" This second group tends to gather on a Saturday or Sunday for a longer stretch of time—five hours is not uncommon. This group tends to critique larger chunks of writing—100-page submittals are not unheard of. The gatherings also involve lunch, coffee, much noshing of chocolate, and catching up on life in general. These meetings tend to be more free-form than the Friday noon get-togethers: Sometimes we critique page-by-page, sometimes we offer more general overall commentary, and, if a writer asks, we sometimes spend time brainstorming specific issues.
So, what makes a "critiquing kaffeeklatsch" work? Why do some groups continue and others implode in impressive (sometimes damaging) fashion?
For me, for a group to work, the writers involved usually have three qualities: Respect for the other members of the group, a thick skin when it comes to one's own work, and flexibility. But of course, every writer (and every group) is different. For more on critique groups—how to build them and how to keep them going—check out these posts:
- Blood Red Pencil: Building a Critique Group
- Blood Red Pencil: Working Within a Critique Group
- Blood Red Pencil: Self-Editing One Step at a Time: Critique Groups Part II
- SLO NightWriters: Group Guidelines and Critique Criteria Options
- 10 Kinds of Critique Groups that Can Drive You Bonkers
If you have insights into "what works" (or doesn't) in critique groups, please add a comment. We'd love to hear from you...
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| Ann Parker authors the award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks. During the day, she wrangles words for a living as a science editor/writer and marketing communications specialist (which is basically a fancy term for "editor/writer"). Her midnight hours are devoted to scribbling fiction. Visit AnnParker.net for more information. |
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