CRITIQUE GROUPS: Boon or Bane?

From time to time I wonder if I should join a critique group. In theory, they make a lot of sense. After all, writing can be a lonely enterprise and, at a minimum, groups offer the opportunity for human interaction. I can also imagine that effective groups provide participants with insight, feedback, and encouragement. At this point I have more questions than answers.

* Do the groups actually deliver the benefits the participants had hoped for?

* If I wanted to join a critique group, how would I go about finding one?

* If I don't find a group that works for me, how do I start a new one?

* How do you find compatible members?

* Should members be writing in the same genre?

* How does a group handle writers in different genres?

* Should members have the same writing goals?

* How do you decide where to meet? Homes? Bookstores? Schools? Churches?

* How often should the group meet? Weekly? Bi-weekly? Monthly? Whenever?

* What time of the day is best for the meetings? Morning? Afternoon? Evening?

* How large should the group be to be most effective? How many is too few? Too many?

* Should refreshments be served at the meetings? Who brings them? Pays for them?

* How much material should each member submit for critique? How much is too much?

* Should material be submitted to members before the meeting? If so, how and when should it be distributed?

* Should members be allowed to read their material aloud and expect members to critique it immediately?

* Does someone need to lead the meeting? If so, who?

* Does a structured meeting work best? Is a written agenda needed?

* Are unstructured meetings more effective for writing groups?

* What other business is appropriate for the group to discuss?

* How are new members added to the group?

* How are difficult, disruptive, or ineffective members worked out of a group?

* How is writing critiqued?

* What constitutes an effective critique?

* How does one objectively assess other members' work without hurting their feelings?

* How do you avoid getting your own feelings hurt?

* What other problems are critique groups likely to encounter? How should those problems be addressed?

* How do you offer criticism without discouraging the writer?

* Should feedback be limited to positive reinforcement?

* Should the group establish goals or guidelines?

I can understand why some writers participate in critique groups. On the other hand, being in the wrong critique group could easily lead to frustration, discouragement, and waste of time. For some writers, maybe myself included, a valid alternative to critique groups is to forge ahead on your own.

Learn more about this author, Mike Klaassen.
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