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Thursday, March 28, 2019

Critiquing Tips - Receiving Critiques

Recently I posted about my awesome writer's group, the Village Peeps, and about how useful they are for improving my writing.

Every writer's group is different in how they operate, but we have a model that we feel is very successful. It's important to have some ground rules to insure that the critiques are most useful and respectful, from both the critiquers and those being critiqued.

Here are our guidelines for you as the one receiving critiques:
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  • When you hand out the piece, set the critiquers' expectations, such as by telling if it is an early draft or a later revision, if it is a complete piece or if it is an ongoing work, and who the intended audience is. You may even wish for the piece to be read aloud. If the piece is very short (maybe only 1-3 pages), then the group may wish to do it in that session. Otherwise, it may be passed out for feedback in the next meeting.
  • Make sure everyone in the group gets a copy of the manuscript to be critiqued. It is most respectful to hand out the pieces in person, if possible, but email is okay if the critiquer doesn't object to having to print a copy themselves.
  • Be humble and respectful. Everyone has a different point of view, and there are times when the different critiquers will differ a lot. Remember, it is your piece, and only you have the final say on how the piece is written or know where you are going with it.
  • Take a vow of silence, no matter how tempting it may be to try to explain why you agree or disagree with a critique. 
  • Take notes as you receive critiques and listen respectfully to all comments.
  • Be aware of visible reactions to your writing. Does it bring out passionate responses from critiquers?
  • By the end, have a feeling for whether your manuscript is appropriate for its intended audience. What are its strengths or weaknesses? Did you hear specific suggestions for improvement?
  • Once everyone has had a chance to critique, it is now your turn to ask clarifying questions. This is NOT a chance to try to explain why you disagree with critiques.
See my previous post for guidelines for as you as the critiquer.

Cheers and happy reading!

Critiquing Tips - Giving Critiques


Recently I posted about my awesome writer's group, the Village Peeps, and about how useful they are for improving my writing.
Every writer's group is different in how they operate, but we have a model that we feel is very successful. It's important to have some ground rules to insure that the critiques are most useful and respectful, from both the critiquers and those being critiqued.


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Here are our guidelines for you as the critiquer:

  • One person in the group should act as a "facilitator" to determine whose turn it is to give feedback. That person will also be the last one to give feedback to the writer and to make sure critiquers stay within the guidelines.
  • Be humble and respectful. You are just one point of view.
  • If you are the first critiquer, always begin with a positive comment. It sets a positive mood and helps minds open.
  • It's a good idea to reflect what you feel is the main idea of the piece, particularly if you are the first critiquer.
  • Avoid telling how you would handle a writing problem; it's up to the author to do the actual fixing and writing.
  • Keep comments relevant to writing and avoid getting personal in your responses. For instance, avoid questions like, "Did that really happen?" or statements like "I had an aunt who was just like that character." What you probably mean is "That plot twist seemed implausible to me," or "When Matilda gritted her teeth, she came to life for me." Be more concerned with effectiveness -- how it was written.
  • Be as specific as possible. "It's really good" is useless; "It's really lame" is damaging, and neither comment helps the writer revise. For instance, instead of saying "Your description of the cat was good," comment on where and how it was good, such as "When you describe the cat entering the room, I could tell it was a Persian without you saying so."
  • State your comment one time only and be brief. If the writer needs elaboration, they can ask for it when it is their turn to talk.
  • Write down your critiques on the manuscript, not just relying on the writer to take a note.
  • Try not to re-state what others have already commented on. You can "pass" if everyone has already said what you would say.
  • Do not comment on other critiquers' comments or belittle them. They are entitled to their opinions.
  • "Line editing" (such as correcting commas or grammar) can be helpful, but try to focus more on the bigger issues.
  • If you receive the piece to be critiqued for the next meeting, but cannot attend in person, then make sure to return the critiqued piece as soon as reasonably possible.

See my following post for guidelines for you as the one receiving critiques.

Cheers and happy reading!

Why You Need A Writer's Group

The Village Peeps at our holiday meeting
(plus Ann Marie, pictured below, who
took this picture)
Why have a writer's group? Because different points of view will improve your work. Because they are "beta readers", if only piece by piece. Because they share your interest and will share what they know with you, and you with them. Because they are part of your writer community.

My writer's group is the Village Peeps of Corvallis. I joined the group way back in the late 90s soon after it formed. We all (I think) had taken writing classes from a great children's fiction writer, the late Anne Warren Smith. Using her rules for giving and receiving feedback, decided to "take it to the next level" and form our own group.

Members have changed over the years, with a few members moving away (whom we still consider honorary members), and a couple passing away, and then others joining to take their places. There are eight of us at the moment, and not likely to increase (Margie, Marissa, Dean, Beverley, Monica, Donovan, Ann Marie, and myself). It's a good number for our style. We used to meet at the Good Samaritan Village, so we were the "Village People" at first.

Ann Marie (who took the pic
of our group, above) as she
gives a reading from her book.
No matter how polished I think my draft is, they will always find things that need changed. Without exception, every piece I bring in is made better. We are a diverse group, in terms of what we write. Only two of us write fantasy or speculative fiction. Others write more mainstream fiction. Some write autobiographical pieces (including one who just published an autobiographical book). One writes historical fiction. One is more literary. Though some groups are more focused in genre, I find this diversity to help my work due to the different ways of looking at the writing.

I don't make 100% of the changes they recommend, since, as the writer, I have the best idea of where the piece is headed and the audience I am appealing to, but I would say that the vast majority of recommended changes are made.

Thinking of setting up your own group? HERE is a good page about considerations. But I have a few of my own:

  • Consider the best size of the group. I recommend a size of around 5-10 people. 8 is our golden number, for the amount of work we bring in. Too few and you don't get enough critiques. Too many, and you find yourself competing for getting your piece critiqued and you run out of time (I've been in a group like that, which had nearly 20 people in it!).
  • Where do you meet? It could be at someone's home or a public meeting room. I know a group that meets in the back of a local book store. The Village Peeps currently meet in a meeting room at a local church (though our group is not religious in nature). We used to meet in the dining room of a retirement village. Wherever you meet, make sure that it is suitably comfortable, has enough chairs and table space, it's free of distractions, and it's accessible to everyone. Don't forget to have enough parking!
  • Consider the format. Do you want only to read pieces that you take home and then deliver at the next meeting with your critique? Read it aloud in class? For us, we only occasionally do pieces in the session, and only if very short. Most are "take home" pieces followed by oral critique summaries at the next meeting. And we practically never read aloud.
  • How often to meet, and for how long? For us, it's a couple hours in the evening, on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. That fits our level of productivity. Some groups meet only once a month. Others every week.
  • Who facilitates the meeting? It's important to have someone "in charge" during the meeting to determine what order the pieces are critiqued and what order people give feedback. In our group, we rotate who facilitates based on alphabetical name.
  • What rules to follow?  I have written special posts for this (see links, below). But every group is different. It's very important that the group has guidelines and that everyone follows them, to insure proper respect, the best feedback, and timeliness.
    • HERE for the guidelines we use when you are the one giving the critique. 
    • HERE for the guidelines we follow when you are the one receiving the critique. 

If you need more advice, please leave a comment, below, or go to the "Contact Me" form in the sidebar to the right.

Cheers and happy reading!

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Check Out My Interview

I was recently interviewed by a fellow fantasy writer, Marissa Byfield, on my Heartstone series, White Lands Dragon (completed) and its sequel (in-process), Footman of the Ether. She posted my answers on her blog, as part of her "Author Coffee Break" series of posts.  Please check it out HERE.

I recommend you visit and read the whole interview, but here's the first couple of question-and-answers to whet your appetite:

M: What distinguishes your epic high fantasy series — featuring dragons, elves, and gods — apart from others? 
J: I think the point of view makes a big difference, as it shapes how the stories are told. Ever read a book written from the point of view of the dragon? A demon? A strong female mage? Or a sadistic villain? White Lands Dragon is told from two of these, and its sequel, Footman of the Ether, is told from all four. But the point of view characters aren’t what define the Heartstone series, they just color it. I pride myself on not relying on constant action to build the story. The action punctuates the plot and keeps the wheels turning, but those wheels take the reader down a road of discovery, realizing that they are part of a narrative where the characters are caught in the middle of a celestial war, fought by gods over eons, for control of the world of Irikara, and wind up playing a part in it. 
M: I’ve always loved books about dragons — especially those from the dragons’ perspectives, or with shapeshifting dragons (like one of your characters, Darilos Velar). What fascinates you about dragons in particular? 
J: Did you know the emperor of China was the only person allowed to wear images of dragons? He was considered the “son of dragons.” Wherever dragons were part of the native mythology, all over the world, they were seen as symbols of power, luck, or danger, never to be trifled with, called upon for powerful magic, and only defeated after massive battles with gods, heroes, or saints. 
The Kilgore coat of arms.
Thus I have called upon them in this new mythology. And though the dragons of Irikara have great strength and magical ability, destroying entire cities and citadels with potent renegade magic and on a first-name basis with gods, I have also made them accessible to the reader. You get to know them. What are their insecurities? How do they relate with each other and the humans they travel with? With multi-generational memories that can span longer than the lifetimes of entire civilizations, how can they relate to the present? Writing from that point of view is more entertaining to me than anything else I can think of. I should also add that a black dragon is even on the Kilgore coat of arms. So dragons are literally part of my family identity. 
Read the rest HERE.
Marissa Byfield will soon have her first novel published, The Soft Fall. Read more about it HERE and in the first "Author Coffee Break" post, HERE.
Cheers and happy reading!

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