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"A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit."
Richard Bach
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JUST A FEW MORE POINTS ABOUT CRITIQUING:
FOR THE AUTHORS:
Try not to defend your work unless there is something special about it which requires an explanation. Ask for clarification of particular remarks, if necessary. Listen, even if you don't like what you're hearing. Mostly, remember that an opinion is just that - an opinion. Ultimately, it is your work and whether or not to take someone else's suggestion or advice is solely up to you.
FOR THE CRITICS:
Aim for tactful honesty. Begin and end your comments with positive feedback. Provide the author with written comments in the margin and a summary on the last page. Focus on the "big picture" as well as the details. Compare the work to other books, stories and articles you have read. Make statements, rather than asking questions. Be specific - give examples wherever possible. Share your insights with the group as a whole. Keep side conversations to a bare minimum.
ONE LAST NOTE:
This is a CREATIVE writing group. We will not read or critique personal journal pages, your kid's school paper, your legal response to your rotten wife's latest petition for an increase in spousal support, or your epistle to your long-dead father explaining to him how he destroyed your life. This does not preclude, however, personal memoir, essay or other forms of nonfiction and it does not preclude an account of any personal experience as long as the material is intended for publication. Of course, you are always free to meet privately with any member or members of the group for help and advice on any writing project regardless of its nature. That said, keep in mind that this is a friendly group, well aware that rules sometimes need to be bent.
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