How to Choose a Writing Critique Partner

I have been blessed with several wonderful critique partners, all of whom bring certain skills to the table and push me to improve in different ways. I can say with confidence that I would not be where I am today without their assistance.

While I completely and utterly lucked out with my critique partners, lately I’ve noticed a few others haven’t always been so lucky. Choosing a critique partner can be very tricky. There are so many things to take into account–genre, skill level, depth of critiques, time available, personality, etc.

So… how do you go about figuring out who is right for you?

Personally, I would start by finding people who are interested in the same genre, or at least enjoying reading quite a bit in your genre. That goes both ways. For example, it’s difficult to do a good job of critiquing and enjoying sci-fi if you never read it. And that sci-fi writer may have trouble with critiquing and enjoying your teen romance. Critiquing is difficult enough without trying to fake enthusiasm for something that just really doesn’t turn your crank as a reader. (And I don’t recommend family or friends because chances are they aren’t going to give it to you straight, nor are they going to look for all the things another aspiring writer will look for.)

Skill level can be a tricky one. Ideally, you want the skill level to be somewhere close to on par. But you also want someone who is going to challenge you and help you improve. The lovely thing about this is that all writers have a few things that they are best at, and generally, we all have different skill sets–even if we are sitting at approximately the same skill level.

Why do I think being at the same skill level is somewhat important? Well, someone who is just starting out may need more in-depth critiques and time than say, someone who has written many manuscripts and is always learning from workshops, etc., and generally, has spent more time honing their craft. Plus, when there is a difference in ability, the critiques can become unbalanced. It can be hard for a newbie to find things in a more ‘experienced’ writer’s work or even have the confidence to point it out. On the flip side, the newbie may feel a bit slammed when the more experienced writer finds something to be fixed in every sentence.

Depth of critiques ties in with skill level in some ways. If you are putting the final polish on your manuscript, chances are you are looking for someone who has a keen eye and will pounce on every little error and bring up every little nitpick. However, if this is the first time sharing your work, having every little nitpick brought to your attention can be completely devastating.

Time available is another biggie. What if you want to blast through a whole manuscript in 30 days whereas the other person is thinking it would be good to swap a chapter a month? Will you be able to find a balance? (Critiques can take a long time. More than twice as long as simply reading a piece. Especially if you take the time to ensure your comments aren’t super-harsh sounding.)

Personality can be huge. If you are shy about sharing your work and often refer to your story as your baby, hooking up with a writer who is very blunt and to the point can be difficult when it comes to self-esteem maintenance. You may be looking for someone who offers as much praise as criticism or someone who couches their criticism in compliments and only points out the big issues.

If I could offer just one piece of advice on choosing a critique partner, it would be to know what you want/need before you go looking. And once you have a few folks that you want to approach, offer to share one chapter first as a trial–I recommend sharing after you have discussed expectations. After the critique, sit back and let it sit for a day or two (sometimes it takes a day or two for the stinging to go away and for you to realize that this person has just made the biggest discovery EVER in how to improve your story/writing). If, after a few days, you don’t like the way their critiques have made you feel, then move on. (Be sure to thank them though!) Same goes for if you can’t possibly choke your way through more of their work. We don’t love every book in the bookstore, so it is natural not to love every just-written book out there.

While the idea of sharing your work with someone with the intent of gaining criticism can be nerve wracking, it has some very sweet, unexpected bonuses as well. In my case, my critique partners are not just a source of ongoing support from folks who truly understand, but they are also someone to bounce ideas off of. And finally, they have also become some of my greatest friends and greatest cheerleaders. And who can’t use a little friendship and support in this isolated endeavour called writing?

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A few places to start your search for a writing critique partner:

AgentQueryConnect Wanted Ads

Blogs–find an aspiring writer or group of aspiring writers and approach them

Conferences/Workshops

Writers groups

Authonomy

WEbook discussion boards

NaNoWriMo discussion boards

Really, anywhere aspiring writers hang out and share their work, or even just hang out is a great place to get to know potential partners a little better and approach them about a swap.

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Do you have a critique partner? Where did you meet them? Any advice, tips, or warnings about choosing a critique partner?

Dang it! I’m Addicted…

What am I addicted to? First drafts. Seriously, I love banging out the first draft of a story. Anything can happen! And often does which tickles me pink to no end. Not to snub my nose at subsequent drafts as they have their own sweetness at the bottom of the pie with  how they shape a story into something stronger, firmer, and tighter. There is something gratifying about making something as good as you possibly can. And then… there is something utterly satisfying and invigorating in playing in complete chaos, winging it, and being a crazy, creative, and imaginative spirit whisking through the words to pull a story from nothing. That’s what I’m talking about.

So, yes, while I have several projects on the burner at the moment–all in the editing stage or fleshing out stage–I have started a new project. It’s a chapter book and a completely different genre and audience than my usual fiction. But you know, I do have a kid’s nonfiction book out on submission to editors, so maybe this is logical? Plus, I am a big kid.

You might be wondering why I am writing a chapter book. Truthfully (as opposed to blowing sunshine…), I’ve got some things coming up in the next few weeks and don’t have what I need to delve into that deep mental space I require to flesh out or edit the projects that are ‘opened.’ Therefore, a little chapter book has made its way from ‘fun idea’ sitting around in the writing waiting room at the back of my brain to the writing chamber. And man, is it fun!

Of course, there is no guarantee that this book will go anywhere or that I will send it out to agents and publishers, but it is keeping my nib wet and sometimes that’s all that matters.

What do you do to keep your writing brain primed when you can’t dive into in-depth projects?

How To Write a Nonfiction Summary

While this is aimed at those nonfiction writers out there, this can also help out fiction writers.

Before going out on submission (that means before my agent began sending my nonfiction book proposal out to publishing house editors) he asked me to write up a summary of my project. Just something short that he could share with potential foreword authors and the like.

Sounded simple. And then the panic set in. What the heck was a nonfiction summary? What should I put in it? How long should it be? Ack. Choke. Panic.

Here’s what the nonfiction book project summary was to me (and passed literary agent approval):

Basically, this is a short document (500-1000 words) describing the proposed project. (I say “proposed” because in nonfiction you do NOT write the whole book before finding an agent or publisher. Unless it is a memoir–that is treated as fiction in terms of querying and submission.) It is a synopsis, but also so much more. While it is important to give a brief overview of what the reader will get–what the book will be about, including topics and how in-depth their contents will be, the book’s tone, etc., it is also important to include other ‘business’ aspects that is also covered in the proposal. That includes, who the book is aimed at (audience). How they will use it. Why they will find it helpful/amusing/what-have-you. Even in this summary you have to prove that there is a place for your book in the market and why it is important and timely.

I also included a brief bit about myself, who I was, and why I was suited to write this book. Basically, it is like condensing the highlights of the proposal into 2 pages instead of 50.

While it was difficult to condense the whole essence and importance of my project into 889 words (including title, etc.), it was well worth the four long days it took me.

And not just because it managed to woo a foreword author.

Writing the summary really helped me hone my thoughts on the project as well as focus on what was truly the selling point, what was unique about my project, and what it’s core truly was. I had already written the query and proposal, but in hindsight, I can see that this summary might have helped hone those too. (Had I written it before tackling the other two documents instead of the other way around.) In fact, after writing the summary, I went back and honed my proposal, making it much more specific and direct. Without that short summary, my proposal wouldn’t have been as tight or focused.

For the nonfiction writers, if you find you are having difficulties in writing your query or proposal, try writing up a summary first. It might help you gain that focus you need. Because let’s face it, dreaming up a whole book and then making a case for it before you’ve even written it can be overwhelming and intimidating!
Here’s a checklist of things you may want to include in your nonfiction summary:

• title and author
• a one sentence description of the book’s core or focus
• a possible, brief intro into the topic
• touch on the relevance of the topic in today’s world
• how there is a market for your proposed book
• how your proposed book differs from what is out there
• what your book will contain in terms of topics (you don’t need to mention every little one, just overarching ones that give the foundation of the book)
• how those topics will be organized (just roughly-you don’t need to get down into chapter specifics–save that for the proposal)
• you might want to mention format if it is one that will have pictures, diagrams, etc.
• who your readers will be
• what readers will gain from reading your book
• and a sweet little wrap up/summary/conclusion

For you fiction writers, writing something like this BEFORE you tackle your query may help you focus on what the unique aspect of your novel is and what that great hook is about it. It might also help you focus in on what the core of your story is and what those key plot points are that you will need to show in your query and even in your synopsis. Challenge yourself and make it shorter than the nonfiction summary as there is a lot in the nonfiction summary that you will not need. A fiction summary needs to focus on the core of the story, its theme, and that sort of thing and less on the market. Although, it can be good practice to think of your audience as it will effect how you write your query or synopsis.

It’s a Scary World Out There (on the Internet that is)

Community Message:

I may have already shared this link, but it is worth sharing again if I have. Lately those darn Internet ‘Bad Guys’ have been getting very clever and catching even smart surfers. For example, safety scans popping up that aren’t actually safety scans (they are viruses or trojans), phishing, and all kinds of nasty stuff. As this article, Internet Security: Common Browser-Based Attacks to Avoid at Any Cost by MixTheNet mentions, the worst news is that these attacks are aimed at those with short attention spans. In other words, all of us once we get that clicking finger going. A box pops up saying a virus has been found and do you want to clean your computer? Of course without a second thought we click “okay” while thinking “hell yes!” And we don’t look any deeper. Oops. Except we now have the blue screen of death! Oh no! And yes, some of these attacks look seriously legit. So be careful young grasshoppers and question everything. You have a reason to be suspect of any pop up, anywhere, anytime. And particularly on Facebook–that seems to be a Bad Guy favourite.

Image from How Stuff Works article on worst computer viruses.

Author Headshot

No, no. Not shot in the head! Those glamorous photos of your favourite authors. Yeah, those. That’s what I’m talking about.

Meg Cabot

There comes a time in a writer’s life (sadly, not in mine quite yet) where they need a professional photo of themselves for the book jacket of their soon-to-be-published book as well as for general publicity.

Did you know that if you have a good author photo you are much, much more likely to have newspapers or magazines pick up your article or write a blurb about you and your book? Wow, eh? So, go hire a good photographer (even a photography student at your local college might have the right stuff and save you a few coins) and skip trying to take pictures of yourself. Don’t go to Wal-mart photo studio and sit on the little teddy bear chair… find someone who can make you look glam, baby! (The rule of thumb is that you should look  better in your author photo than you do in real life.)

James Patterson

Anyway, there are lots of tips on how to get a good photo, but one blog post that I keep recommending to people is literary agent Kristen Nelson’s post on the headshot. She’s got some great tips in there such as what colours to wear, etc. Things you might not otherwise think about or consider when planning that headshot.

Another great idea is to go to the local library and look at all the author photos in the back of the books. See what you like, what you don’t like. What might work for you, what is so absolutely out, etc. For example, some pictures make the author look like a pompous a$$. Decide what it is about the shot that makes them look that way. And then either emulate it or avoid it. (Your choice.) As well, talk to the librarians. They see a ton of these headshots and might even have their own mental list about what they find appealing and what they don’t. (My local librarians are a real hoot in this regard and I’ve learned a lot on what makes an author look cool and appealing vs. what makes them all roll their eyes and give the book (and author) their personal disrespect.

Nora Roberts

Lots to think about!