Monday, May 16, 2011

Mirror, mirror

Critiquing. With my nose against the mirror, it is impossible to see the whole picture.

Beta readers and crit groups stand back, eye the situation and tell me when my hair is a mess.
The rules are simple.

Know your stuff.
Research before offering opinion.
Be civil. In My Humble Opinion is a favorite of mine.

Recently, after submitting to a crit group, one particularly savage response left me ill:


'I thought this was a lot of words that said very little'

 Hm. “Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?” - the Sundance Kid.

 
I wanted to shred my MS and call it a day. But I got over it and used her opinion to re-vamp my first page. I girded my loins (whatever that means) and buckled down because everyone, from the famous author to the shaky new writer must have critters savage check their babies.

 
To that end, my Team Members, Marcy, Charity, and I came together to form a new critique group.

 
Beginning next week, followers of Unicorn Bell can submit excerpts for critiquing, exchange information, book reviews, and all-things-writing.

 
Grand Opening is scheduled next Monday, May 23rd.

 
Come by Unicorn Bell, become a follower, and do a meet n’ greet.

"The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he's dead." - Betty Davis

 

 

 

7 comments:

  1. The person that made that comment better hope his work is never critiqued!

    ReplyDelete
  2. he/she must be perfect and use every word with meaning...that critique said nothing. glad you didnt let one baffoon's remarks put you off writing!
    i will have to check out your group

    ReplyDelete
  3. We are looking for suggestions. What do you want in a Critique Group?

    It's a place to commune with like-minded writers, help each other, and possibly find a Beta that clicks with your style.

    Even if you belong to another Crit Group,come on over and take a peek. Get another POV, test drive a scene in your MS. It can't hurt!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, I'll definitely check this out. I could use all the practice and giving I can when it comes to critiquing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like the quote that you placed at the end of this post. Where critiques are concerned, don't let the harsh or inappropriate ones get to you. You probably have more writing done that the person who gave you such a critique.

    In my opinion, I think that critiques are best when they offer a suggestion or new perspective that the author of the work can use to improve it or expand on it. Anything else, is just not worth anyone's time because it doesn't help, you know.

    Keep on writing and doing your thing!

    The Madlab Post

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just joined the Unicorn Bell!
    Was thinking about asking you to be a beta reader for me - and what a great way to swap chapters and see how it goes?
    Sorry to hear about the nasty CP comment - in my humble opinion, there's always a place for honesty...however, there's never one for cruelty.
    Onwards and upwards, Huntress!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Awesome, girl! I'm glad you're getting the crit site up and running. I'll hop over and have a look around. :) Oh, and you're so right. A little tact can go a really long way in critting.

    ReplyDelete

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