By CaraMarie Christy

The decision to join a critique group can be a complicated one and not everyone is comfortable with presenting their work to others. Those who lack the ability to meet deadlines or plan ahead may struggle to prepare to critique other pieces or to make the time commitment to complete their own work. Nonetheless, critique groups are an excellent source of study and obligation for those who can commit to them. Here are some of the many transformative reasons a writer should join a critique group:

Habitual Sharing- Not all writers are confident in sending their work out to publishers and agents. A critique group can be seen as a smaller form of submission where a writer can get used to seeing their work pass through different hands. In this manner, being critiqued and judged becomes a habit that is no longer as scary and impossible to deal with.

Exposure- A critique group provides networking opportunities for writers. It takes an individual activity, writing, and turns it into a community event which can lead to potential job opportunities or the creation of a small fan base. The more people invested in a writer’s work, the easier it is to produce and market content.

Accountability- It’s much easier to ignore your deadlines when dealing with an editor on the opposite end of an email than it is when you are meeting someone face to face. A good number of writing jobs these days are done through telecommuting, which can lead to failing to realize the immediacy of a writing due date. Critics expect to be able to read the works that have been assigned for that revising period. While failing to meet deadlines in work can get a writer fired, failing to meet deadlines in critique group means having to go into workshop and watching the disappointment on every critic’s face. Critique groups are also great if a writer doesn’t have an editor or an agent, because it creates the sort of urgency that gets your writing done.

Building Confidence- A lot of writers struggle to maintain their “drive” while writing. That’s why writer’s block is such an oft-Googled term. Critique groups offer a place to “tear apart” a writer’s work, while also providing space to push a writer towards their end goal of completing that work. This minute examination of the details of an intimate creation is why it’s important to end critique groups by giving the writer a morale-boosting compliment or two.

Learning- This one is so much of a given that it almost doesn’t need to be said. But the fact is that critique groups are places to pool knowledge with other writers. If a critique group were ever collectively interested in seeing how much knowledge they’ve attained over the years, concept mapping is a good way of breaking down knowledge into chunks and creating a “knowledge” diagram. A writer can also gain a deeper understanding of their own work from using concept mapping. In a separate Cmap article, we show how the popular software aid CmapTools can be used from a writer’s standpoint.

By CaraMarie Christy

CMapTools, a software used for concept mapping, defines itself as a tool used for “learning,” and shows pictures of kids using the program to research dinosaurs and space. In broad terms, however, concept maps are bubbles of text that can branch out to others in all directions, starting from a main concept. These information bubbles can be linked together through various types of lines to create a map. Concept maps are meant to resolve issues by demonstrating relationships.

To create a concept map for writing, a writer has to consider what they want to accomplish through the planning process of their story. Here are three exciting examples of the potential uses of concept maps:

Pyramid Building- A central idea can lead to the creation of a story. Many writers know this as the “what if” practice, in which questioning how the world works leads to story ideas. For example: “What if aliens came to Earth?” Let’s take two hypothetical ways that this kind of story could go with two corresponding concept bubbles branching off of the central question: Either the aliens are friendly or the aliens are attacking. If the aliens are attacking, then we ask: Are they trying to destroy the planet or are they trying to get rid of all the humans on the planet? Each choice can produce new branches leading to multiple story outcomes. In making this kind of concept map, a writer can start off with the first “What if?” question and break down their decision-making process into possible outcomes, then decide which route they would like their story to go.

Spider Web Layout- This works well for writers trying to define characters and settings. It has become common to list character traits before beginning to write a story; but breaking down the general topic of a character into concept bubbles like physical traits, personality traits, and interpersonal traits can lead to a more thorough questioning process of who a character is. Writers can take one of their characters and make them the central bubble of the concept map, with three bubbles branching off it for “personality,” “physical traits,” and “interpersonal traits.” With personal traits, two bubbles can branch off of that, labeled “positive” and “negative.” Connected to the “positive” bubble can be traits like “gentleness” or “strength.” And finally, connected to these bubbles can be moments when these traits are shown, who they are shown to, and how these traits can support the theme of the writer’s piece. The bigger the concept map, the more potential for a character to be fleshed out on the page.

Timeline- This structure is good for plotting where scenes will go in a story. The lines of a concept map, which are made between bubbles, can be labeled with how much time is passing between scenes, so a writer never has to lose track of when in a story they are. There is also space above and below a concept map timeline to chart when important items are going to be introduced in a story. For example, the One Ring in Lord of the Rings is introduced when Bilbo is stumbling through a cave before he meets Gollum. The One Ring then reappears every time Bilbo is required to be brave and serves to give Bilbo courage that he did not have when the book started. A writer can chart their own version of the Ring, or an important reoccurrence of some theme that changes their character throughout a story.

By CaraMarie Christy

Critique group work need not be limited to reading and editing writer submissions. Writers can practice their skills in a variety of ways, from writing exercises to even some games off paper. Here is a list of some well-loved writing and creative exercises that can be done during workshops:

Frame the idea of “scene”- Few novice writers understand where and when a scene, a.k.a. a piece of the written work that forwards the overall plot, begins and ends. This becomes a problem when writers don’t understand what their scene accomplishes in the overall structure of their piece. Writers should ask themselves: what does this scene achieve? The most effective scenes are mini narratives with a beginning, in which an idea is introduced, a middle, where the character faces conflict on the idea, and something learned about the idea that constitutes the end of the scene. Have writers take four colored markers and a copy of their favorite novel. For one of the colors, trace out the scene as a whole, then use the remaining colors to mark where the beginning, middle, and end are located. This game gives the writer an idea of how the pacing in scenes feels.

Write in the Opposite Perspective- Written pieces with many characters can run into the problem of limited understanding of motivation. For example, writing villains is often difficult, because many writers establish villains as evil for the sake of being evil, rather than understanding their ulterior point of view. To keep villains from sounding like soulless masses of darkness, have writers practice writing in the villain’s perspective.

Act it Out- A lot of the principles that apply to acting also apply to writing. Both require understanding motivation and tone of voice. In this famous activity, a writer gets to play director and casts fellow critics as characters in their piece. Critics should be given time to read and understand their part before attempting to act out the scene. There are two problems with this activity: the first being that not every writer is a good actor, and the second that some parts might be misread as dry and dull if the acting is bad. This game also takes a good deal of time, especially if done for every writer in a group. However, the activity does give writers some idea of how their characters look and sound to readers.

Improvisation- A writer has to understand setting, characters, and relationship set-ups in order to create a believable story. Improvisational games are great ways to get into the mindset of building different characters. One game in particular, called “three lines,” is useful for understanding how to set up a story efficiently. Three lines forces players—in three lines of dialogue or less—to establish relationships, characters, and settings. For example: “Miss, I’ll need to see some identification before you take that pterodactyl bone.” From this line we understand setting, the fact that this takes place in a museum with pterodactyl bones, that the characters in play are an officer and possible thief, and that these two are strangers as can be seen in the officer’s use of “miss.” More games that develop characters, like “freeze” and “head in a bucket,” as well as instructions, can be found at improvencyclopedia.org.

The Object Game- The internet is home to thousands of images. Googling the word “apple” gets you apples of any sort: red, green, blue, and even rainbow. In this game, have a facilitator look up a common object, and find the strangest image of that object that they can. The facilitator presents this image, such as a rainbow apple, to the group.. The group then has a set time to race and come up with as many words to describe the strange object as possible. This game is meant to break the habit writers fall into of using the same words in their descriptions. Facilitators should be sure to keep safe search on!

Line by Line- An old classic, the line by line game is one where writers collaborate to build a story, passing a sheet around a circle to see what the next writer in the group will add. This game is ancient, but still a favorite with writers looking to keep their writing fresh. The only downside to this game is that it tends to be over quickly and, depending on who is playing, the outcome can take some silly and unexpected turns.

By CaraMarie Christy

Every writing group should function differently based on its structure and goals, which can be anything from providing a professional setting for established authors workshopping their ideas to helping novice writers improve their craft. No writer attends a crit group to face pandemonium or demoralization, but many crit group experiences are wholly or partially dissatisfying. Although there is no set of universal guidelines that will provide solutions to every problem writers face in a workshop or state how exactly a critique group should be run, there are a few key procedures that will help bring order to chaos :

Appointing Leaders- Managing a critique group requires a writer willing to play “manager.” A group without a designated leader can find trouble in resolving conflict. It is rarely productive to consider everyone in the group as a “leader.” As the old saying goes, “Being leader-full is essentially being leader-less.” A leader of a critique group can also have a number of duties other than presiding over a meeting. These can be anything from figuring out when and where the group is going to meet next, to facilitating votes for deciding group objectives, and to filtering submissions from people looking to join the critique group.

For writers joining a critique group, they can discover that leaders have already been established. But writers that create new critique groups might consider founding members as candidates for leadership. In forming a new critique group, a leader should be selected based on availability and group consensus. A leader that is not available during most meeting times and cannot be present as an authority figure, despite any prowess they might possess in writing, will most likely hinder a group’s productivity.

Deadlines- Critique time should be spent equally on all members. That could mean giving each writer a specific day for receiving feedback or reserving time spots for each writer’s output to be workshopped. Writers should be prepared to either email or hand in hard copies of their work on days that they are assigned. Having a minimum and maximum word count on pieces to be critiqued can increase the group’s ability to keep within time constraints, without the risk of apportioning a writer too little or too much attention.

A Standard Time for Critiquing- Some pieces need more critiquing than others, but face the hazard of favoring or disfavoring members if they spend more time critiquing one writer than they do others. Having a timer on hand can keep members faithful to time constraints agreed upon by the group. A large piece of work could require more time than the critique group might have and a smaller one might barely take up any critique time at all. Below are rough estimates of word counts for a group to consider when deciding how long their meetings should be:
5000+ words = around 25 minutes
10000+ words = around 45 minutes
20000+ words = 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes
50000+ words = around 1 1/2 to 2 hours

It is important to encourage equal use of this time by giving everyone a chance to share their notes. To promote this policy, members can implement a “no person speaks twice in a row” policy or engage those who are shy to participate by asking for their opinion regularly.

Breaks to “Cool Down”- There are times when critics might not agree on what is best for a piece. One person might like the piece in present tense and another in past tense. Studies show that both past and present tense have pros and cons, and that neither can be quantifiably identified as the “better” tense. In this example then, it is not an issue of who is right and who is wrong, but a matter of clashing ideologies.

Debate is healthy for a workshop, as it gives a writer a good sense of different readers’ expectations, but it is only productive if the writer’s final choice is respected. Conflicting advice is up to the writer to deal with; it is not up to the group members to hold lengthy debates until a “winner” is chosen. To avoid deliberations escalating into competition, a group should take short breaks when discussions become too heated, perhaps move on to a different piece for a moment or grab a snack in order to regroup their thoughts.

Percentage of Attendance- One last suggestion to manage a critique group is to hold writers accountable for attending, and participating in, a certain number of meetings. This ensures that writers are actively engaged in the group and that the group does not wither away. Writers can claim to be part of a critique group, and then never show up, for various reasons: they only want the group to look good on a resume; other obligations are preventing them from being able to participate; or they are unable to keep up with the amount of work that the group requires. In these cases, a leader should give the writer who is not fully participating a warning, and ask them to leave the group if attendance continues to be poor. Required attendance is by no means a punishment, but rather an incentive for writers to do what they joined the group to do– write!