Critiques should not be scary. I want to start by dispelling that myth. Putting your work out there and being told it is not good enough could be a frightening or discouraging task, unless you already know that your writing needs work, and then the feedback has a very constructive purpose. Or it should. And there are good and bad ways to do critiques. While there may be people who give "a broad range of critique styles" they should always come from this place of respect and constructive input. It is the job of organisers of critique groups to understand what the atmosphere of trust and respect should look like, and that no matter how widely varied critique feedback is, they should all fall within that expected range.
How many people have been to a critique session, or had any critique, even from an editor, which started with the attitude that it was the job of the critiquer to tear down the writer? I.e. just to be an asshole, perhaps even just be a saboteur. How many critiques have just appeared to have the perspective "if you can't write well, don't write. Just stop writing?" Those are the critique styles which should be kept out by well organised critique sessions.
Realistic expectations in writing groups: not everyone will be at the same level of writing; some members might not have any experience providing critique and may not understand the purpose. Those people are not to be faulted, but starting with an attitude of humility to learn how to provide constructive critiques should be valued just as much as the humility to learn how to improve writing.
What SHOULD the environment of a well organized critique session look like? Here are some thoughts from a conversation with a friend where we were comparing notes from our good and bad experiences, to focus on what organizers should aim for:
In her group, they had questions as a guideline what readers could be seeking to answer...
1. What are these pages about
2. When do these pages start (inciting incident of this particular movement)
3. Who is the MC (describe them)
4. What does MC want
5. What’s in MC’s way
6. What has to happen for this movement to end
7. What’s really working
8. What’re you curious about / what confused you / where did we lose you
How do you deliver this feedback in a group where you are addressing the writer? Starting with overall personal impressions is always helpful. Was it beautifully written? Did the author demonstrate amazing creativity? Was it a genre you have less familiarity with? It is even ok to start with a negative along the lines of not feeling connected, if that was the general overall impression. As long as it focuses on the question "has the writer achieved their goal of getting something across to the reader?"
Keep this in mind, as my friend said:
"Feedback is fun! Feedback can give you better ideas. Make other connections you weren’t making, validate a storyline you were hinting at, tell you if you need to ease up or hit it harder. It shows you tangents you may not even have known were there. People who give good feedback are keepers, definitely. It takes a lot of trial and error, I think.
All feedback is curiosity. It’s experience. (Like my experience reading your piece). It’s speculation. It’s telling you where i got confused and which part was confusing- which part sparked curiosity like “who wait why’d they do that?” To show you where my brain is as I’m experiencing your work."
Writers write to get better. You keep writing until you write better. The prescription is never "You don't write well, so stop writing." That is not good for nurturing anything, especially art.
The attitude of a productive and well organised critique group should involve a sense of trust that the writer knows their character, their story and their voice. They make decisions - I make decisions - to throw the reader off, and should be approached with curiosity based on the trust in the writer submitting their work for review. If they made a decision deliberately and you missed the connection, it may be you. It may be something they did not get across successful on the page. Understanding that distinction is the goal of the group.
Resources for those who want to organise critique groups?
She suggested that Jacob Krueger Studio NYC offers online courses, though the 2021 schedule hasn't been available on their website.
Hoping for all of us to find good support for our writing and feeling less nervous about being critiqued, and that we all find groups organised those who understand and lead the group with the right attitude for 2021.
Addendum: I have been tipped off to this website, which has extensive explanations about how to critique with the right attitude.
http://critters.org/c/diplomacy.ht
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