So Your Critique Group's Awesome. Now What? How Do You Decide Which Notes to Implement?

Just about every writing blog I follow has at some point addressed the importance of critique groups, and I couldn't agree more. They're vital to making your work shine. A good critique group can mean the difference between signing with an agent or not, or even landing a book deal or not. We all need other writers to point out inconsistencies, plot holes, info dumps or just plain bizarre/bad writing. We also need cheerleaders to encourage us and point out the moments they loved. The best beta readers are a combination of the two.

Assuming you already have a core group of committed critique partners whose opinions and advice you respect, it's still difficult to decide which notes to listen to, and which to ignore!

Here's how I go about figuring it out:

1. Is there a consensus about some aspect of the story? (Do 3 out of 3 AI judges agree?) Then take another look at the problem, even if you don't want to, even if it's a pain in the butt to fix. There's a reason they all brought it up spontaneously. It's a problem. Consider this a bonus. It makes things easier.

2. What does your gut tell you? Even if only one person sees a particular problem, that doesn't mean you can automatically disregard it. You can usually tell right away if he or she has hit a nerve. Did you feel defensive or self-concious when it was brought up? Were you secretly hoping nobody would notice it? It's probably worth changing or you wouldn't have had that reaction.

3. What does your gut tell you, part B: Is the reader trying to help you tell your story, or are they trying to help you tell the story they wish you had written? If the former, give it serious consideration. If the latter, don't worry about it and move on. Luckily, it's been a long time since I've run into this dilemma; my beta readers all seem to "get" my style and help me see it through. I'm super grateful for them!

How do you handle critiques? Do you follow the above guidelines or do you think I'm nuts?

Meeting Heidi

I was so happy to meet the fabulous Heidi Aubrey last Friday in Seattle! She and I have been sharing our work online ever since we took the same novel-writing course at MediaBistro in 2005.

Once the class ended, Heidi formed an off-shoot critique group that swapped pages and comments every Sunday. Over the years it's evolved and changed shape, but the two of us have kept it going strong.

Not only is Heidi an excellent writer and copy editor, she's a true artist: taking art classes, attending conferences and seminars and always adding to her knowledge. Her notes are thoughtful and detailed, and she'll stay up all night working something through if need be.

I think it's good to find people who aren't necessarily friends to critique your writing. That way, no one will be afraid to lose the friendship by telling the truth (constructively, of course), and hopefully no feelings will be hurt because it's about writing, not maintaining a friendship.

But after four years of pen pal-ness, encouragement and support, I definitely consider Heidi a friend, and meeting her was terrific. I'm hoping we can hang out again next year. Here's to KeepTyping!!