Q: What does
this mean for those who are still interested in joining a critique group but
couldn't make those meetings?
A: We need more
groups!
Q: How do more
groups form?
A: We need
people willing to lead!
Q: What does
leading a critique group involve?
A: More than
anything, a willingness to facilitate, which involves making sure things stay
on track at meetings and keeping the people in the group updated on group
procedure. A critique group leader must be an FWA member. The first
responsibilities are to arrange a meeting time, place, and duration. Other
decisions must be made as well, such as how critiques will be done
(electronically or printouts) and how much writing will be critiqued at a time
(word count limits, page count limits, etc.).
Q: If I've
never led a critique group before, how can I possibly be qualified?
A: If you're an
FWA members who is willing to volunteer in this capacity, you are qualified.
Q: I feel
inadequate to lead a critique group, but I want to be in one. What do I do?
A: There are
other critique groups in the St. Pete area (Pinellas Writers, St. Pete Writers
Club) so be sure to check those out. But also, think about volunteering to
start a new group because maybe there are many people wanting a critique group
who are too afraid to lead, but if you're willing to lead, they'll step up and
join your group!
Q: I might be
willing to lead a new critique group. Is it scary?
A: Not at all!
Most writers who want to be in a critique group are serious about improving
their writing skills just like you. The hardest part is just figuring out all
those initial details (meeting time/place/etc) and once that's established,
it's all about the writing and the critiquing.
Q: That's the
part that scares me: the critiquing. What if people get upset about critiques
that are sent, and I'm stuck in the middle as the leader?
A: I have a lot
of experience leading a critique group, including problem-solving, so I'd be
happy to share my insights with you. The first rule I recommend for every critique
group is to make sure the group participants make positive comments, not just
critical ones. Positive comments go a long way to making a person feel like the
critique is not a personal attack. That said, it's not the purpose of a
critique group to make people feel good about their writing. The purpose is to
help writers improve their craft with feedback from fellow writers. Comments
should always be constructive, not harsh or demeaning. When these rules for the
group are stated up front, it's usually enough to prevent the scenario
mentioned in the question.
Q: I have more
questions. Who can I ask?
A: Contact me
(Bria) by emailing fwastpete@gmail.com
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