In Praise of Critque Groups

A few writers meeting regularly to exchange and critique work can be, under the right conditons, a boon to each other. The right conditions are important.

First, I'd say to keep it small, no more than six thick-skinned serious writers prepared to have their hard work exposed to scrutiny. Membership requires mutual respect, a willingness to listen and the ability to accept honest criticism.

The mechanics can vary from group to group. We like to bring copies of works-in- progress and distribute those after getting input on the material of the week before. What we want most is not editing, but reader response. Did it work for you? Did you trip over anything? Are the characters believable? Does the dialogue sound true?

If you can avoid taking judgments personally, a critique group might help you on the path to publication. It's worth a try.