Every
writer needs at least one critique partner. It could be an individual or a
group, and I have both. Either way, we need someone to keep us on track
Sometimes
it’s big things, such as beginning a book with an epidemic that doesn’t produce
the desired outcome. My online critique partner, Celeste Charlene, is a retired
nurse, so I asked her for advice on what illness to use. She told me there were
none that worked the way I wanted, at least not at that time in that place. Although
she didn’t yet know what the story was about, she suggested some other
possibilities to achieve the same outcome, including a fire, and that’s what I
used.
The
little things are almost as important, and they add up much faster. Often, it’s
just a case of confusing my reader. I know who I’m talking about or what I mean
to say, and sometimes I assume my readers will read my mind as well as the
words on the paper. So when Celeste or members of the Highland Writers Group
misinterpret what I said, or which character I’m referring to, I know it needs
clarifying.
These
independent sets of eyes make my stories so much better.
It
works both ways, of course. I can’t expect to take without giving. I provide the
same types of feedback to Celeste as she gives me. And it works the same way in
my critique group.
Not
everyone is a good critique partner, however. You don’t want Aunt Nancy patting
you on the back and telling you what a wonderful writer you are. Instead, you
want a Celeste Charlene who understands your writing style and notices and
points out the flaws in the story. Celeste and I “met” online as part of a
three-person critique group, but we didn’t fit well with the other person, who
soon left to find a more compatible group. But Celeste and I have been partners
for ten or fifteen years.
Although
we must understand each other’s writing style, that isn’t the same as critiquing
it. Since every writer is—and should be—different, style is a personal matter.
We do discuss it, however, asking each other questions to make sure we
understand the ramifications of our choices.
If you
aspire to be a writer, find a good critique partner or group to tell you what
you’re doing wrong.
I’m
glad I did.
__________
The photo at the top of
this post shows Celeste Charlene and me in 2012.
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