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ONLINE CRITIQUE GROUPS Ana Morgan

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In my smalI northern Minnesota town. the local writers group focuses on poetry and memoires. Members look down on romance, so I was overjoyed when I found an online romance critique group.

Critiquing has helped me to become better at plot arcs and character development. Also grammar, pacing, setting descriptions, and sentence structure. Understanding POV and head hopping. (Nora Roberts is allowed to head hop. Us mere mortals should not.)

I’ve been in my critique group for fourteen years, its moderator for twelve. Membership in the group has evolved over time. However, the rules have remained pretty much the same. We take on short stories, novelettes, novels, synopses, agent -publisher cover letters, back cover blurbs, and tag lines.

Members sub one chapter at a time. Critiques (aka line and developmental edits) are returned generally within a week. We ask that every member critiques every sub, whether they are currently subbing or not, but we know that life intervenes. We are also a support group, ready to celebrate the victories, write the early reviews, commiserate a rejection or hurtful review, reach out to someone who’s fallen silent.

Being a new member requires some adjustment. You have to get over the fear of hurting someone’s feelings. The fear that you are not skilled enough to offer worthy feedback.

Anytime our group gets a new member, the welcome posts always emphasize one thing: everyone catches different things. This is absolutely true, and the aggregate of the feedback just about equals a professional edit.

Some do-not advise:

Do not be a member who expects glowing approval for every word. You don’t have to agree with every comment or suggestion, but do not attack other members or post lengthy rebuttals defending your brilliance. Editors, agents, and contest judges will not pander to your ego. Work on toughening your skin.

Do not sub and forget to critique.

Do not repeatedly post reasons why you can’t participate but will asap.

Do not pester members to become your one-on-one crit partner.

Do not delight in cutting down another’s work. Comments should be phrased without malice and with explanations.

The encouragement and feedback I have received in From the Heart Romance Writers’ critique group helped me place in contests, which led to being small-press published, and then to confident self-publishing. I’ve made forever friends. And I get to read some great stories for free.

 


BIO

 

When she was still very small, Ana Morgan had two goals. She wanted to fall deeply in love—and she wanted to know something about everything. Since then, she has waitressed, driven a school bus, run craft service on indie film sets, wandered through European castles, studied the stars, wired a house, milked cows, canned vegetables, created thirty-six Secret Garden soup and dip mixes, and married a Marine.

 

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