Level Up Your Writing: High-Quality, Free Resources– Part 2 — CRITIQUE

Part 1 – Create: Build Better Stories with Conventions, Workshops & More

Part 2 – Critique: Sharpen Your Inner Editor with Critique Groups and Slush Reading

Part 3 – Connect: Forge Friendships and Community with Professional Groups, Social Media & More

No matter how much high-quality advice you consume, there’s no substitute for the hard work of sitting down and actually writing the thing. But once you’re in the AIC habit and feeling more confident about your work, the next step for most people is seeking helpful feedback.

Finding the right critique group can be tricky, and the type of feedback you benefit most from may change as your writing evolves. So wherever you are on your writing journey, here are some suggestions that don’t require a lot of money or travel.

Online Critique Groups

Critters Writing Workshop

Critters was the first online crit group I every joined, and I was shocked at how much I learned – not only from direct comments on my short stories and (now trunked) novel, but by the patterns it allowed me to notice in other people’s work, which I eventually applied to my own.

What I like most about this free community is the sheer volume of crits you get. The smallest amount of feedback I’ve ever received on a story was five crits; once I received more than twenty. This makes it easier to spot patterns, to distinguish a problem that’s tripping up most of your audience vs. the odd reader who just isn’t into your style or concept.

Of course, the reason for so many crits is that they require members to review one short story or chapter every week (less if you are willing to commit to criting a whole novel over several weeks/months.) Although more time consuming than some groups, it means you learn faster.

Online Writing Workshop

After belonging to a critique group for a while, I started submitting stories to magazines and getting form rejections. Then came the less soul-crushing personal rejections, which would sometimes offer a line about whatever did or did not work for the editor, along with an encouragement to try again with another story.

Unfortunately, the publishing industry is such that most editors and agents don’t have time to go into extensive detail; you’re lucky to get a sentence suggesting where to improve. As an ex-news reporter used to speaking to my editor multiple times a day, this limited access was (is!) frustrating.

Which is why I was so excited when I discovered the OWW for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Each month the resident editors choose four works to critique in depth. I’ve been lucky enough to be chosen a few times, and the feedback is invaluable. Even when you aren’t chosen, the editor critiques teach you how they think and what they look for. The current editors include two successful novelists and the director of Odyssey, the highly-regarded SFF workshop. The cost is $50 a year.  

Codex

If you’ve ready for a critique group full of professional writers, I recommend Codex. The organization is a lot more than a critique group (more on that in next month’s Part 3 post) but it’s one feature. You can post your work for any member to give feedback on and get a rapid response in seven days or less. Or you can find a smaller group of maybe a handful of writers who swap each other’s work on a regular basis. Some of these groups may specialize in a particular genre or style — say, cozy fantasy or solarpunk. Even if you don’t have anything to share, there are lots of craft conversations going on in the group forums, and you can spend hours reading past posts from authors whose names you may already know and love. To join, you have to show you are at or approaching “pro” level skills. This means if you’ve already sold a story to a pro-rate magazine, completed an MFA or high-end workshop like Clarion, landed an agent, or successfully self-published, you may qualify to join.

Slush Reading 

 If you’ve been working in a critique group for a while and feel like you’ve hit a plateau, consider slush reading. Volunteering to read unsolicited short stories submissions is a great way to better understand the editor mindset, learn how the publishing industry works, meet fellow creators, and give back to magazines you love. I started this a little over a year ago and it’s been so helpful.

The amount of work, length of commitment and experience required vary widely based on the organization, so I would recommend paying attention to calls for first readers early, knowing some will ask for more than you can give, then pouncing on the right opportunity when it appears. To hear about the calls, follow the publishers and magazines you like on social media, subscribe to their newsletters, or visit their Patreon/Kickstarter pages. The lack of pay for this kind of work is its obvious downside, but if you can carve out the time, it can be free education.

 Next month: Level Up Your Writing, Part 3: Connect — Forge Friendships and Community with Professional Orgs, Social Media & More