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Critique Group Tips

compiled and written by Claudette Hegel

Benefits of Critique Groups

You get feedback on your writing or illustrating.
You're forced to work on something to avoid having to say you don't have anything ready.
You can leave a group meeting energized and excited about working on or reworking a project.
Other members of the group give you pats on the back for good work, applause when you make a sale, and consolation for rejections.
You get needed social interaction with others who understand "the life."
You can get and give advice on other than manuscripts or illustrations ("My friend thinks that just because I'm home, I can take off for lunch at a moment's notice.").
You can have a lot of just plain fun.

Drawbacks of Critique Groups

You can spend more time attending meetings and going over others' work than working on your own projects.
The wrong group can hurt instead of help. Examples: 1) If you write nonfiction books for teens and everyone else writes fiction for beginning readers, the feedback you get and give may not be as valuable as with others working on similar projects. 2) If any members of a group are insulting, rude, petty, or otherwise disagreeable, going to meetings can be unpleasant, unproductive, and even detrimental to your work.

Critique Group Procedure

A good critique group needs a minimum of four or five members for good feedback. A group of more than 10-12 members makes having adequate time for everyone difficult. If a critique group grows too large, the group can "birth" and split into two groups.
Meeting once or twice a month is best; more often and you spend too much time on critiquing and not enough time working; less often doesn't give you feedback frequently enough.
Where a critique group meets is important. The space must be comfortable, inviting, and quiet enough so that critiquers don't have to shout to be heard, yet not so quiet that voices would disturb others in the area. Alternating meeting in critique group members' homes often works well. The host may also provide the treats or simply provide the meeting space while someone else brings the treats to shorten the host's preparation/clean-up time.
Providing an e-mail or paper copy for work meant to be read rather than heard is better than just reading the work aloud. A hard copy gives members of the group a chance to write comments directly on the manuscript. Studying the written comments after the meeting can help bring the critiques into focus.
Reading the work aloud at the meeting is an option, although not reading aloud leaves more time for discussion. Hearing someone else read your manuscript aloud can be more helpful to you than reading your own manuscript.
A good way to decide the order of the manuscript critiques is by order of members' arrival.
Each person in the group should have a turn to give comments on the work before opening the session for general discussion. The writer should be silent unless asked a direct question.
Limit the time for each critique so that everyone has a chance. Remember that further comments can be written either on the manuscript itself or on a separate page.
Leave some time for exchanging general tips such as new markets and additional time for socialization after the critiques are complete.

Offering Critiques

Be polite both when listening to the reader (if the procedure involves reading aloud) and when making comments.
Respect the creator's work for what it is. Don't suggest major changes to style, characterization, plot, etc. For example, if you don't like stories written in first person, don't suggest the story be changed to third person narrative.
Start with at least one positive comment before the more negative comments and finish with at least one positive comment.
Comment on aspects of the manuscript, not the writer. Instead of "You made that character too perfect," say "That character seemed too perfect" or "I didn't believe that character was real because he was too perfect."
Offer criticism as if it's just your opinion and not necessarily "right" such as "The dialogue on page 27 didn't sound like a 12-year-old to me" instead of "That's not how a 12-year-old talks."
Criticism should be specific and constructive instead of vague and insulting. Saying "The cat is too center-stage when the focus seems like it should be more on the dog" is better than "You did the scene with the cat and dog all wrong."
Don't comment on picky things like grammar ("The teacher's name on page 24 isn't capitalized.") unless it's a frequent occurrence ("A lot of the questions end with a period instead of a question mark.")
If you have questions about something, ask!
Don't claim anyone else's work or even ideas as your own.

Being Critiqued

Don't apologize or try to explain your work; the work is supposed to speak for itself.
Listen politely to the comments and take notes. Answer questions, but try not to become defensive.
Don't take the criticism as a personal attack (unless you're in the wrong group!).
Try not to be offended at others' criticism of your work; most are genuinely trying to help-and if they aren't, they shouldn't be a part of the group.
Appreciate the good comments and realize that the group is trying to help make your work better when they give you not-so-good comments.
Remember that you don't have to follow all the suggestions offered, but don't discard the comments completely right away. Give yourself a chance to let the comments work in your subconscious.
Thank the others for their comments even if you don't think you found them helpful at the time. You may later realize what good advice you received.