Critique Partners

It looks like I missed several poetry days. I hadn’t posted on my blog because I was revising my women’s fiction novel, Fogged Up Fairy Tale, and working on a book of short stories, Snapshot Stories. I’m getting down to the nitty gritty of my novel, so I also took the time to look for another critique partner. It’s harder than revising. 

Critiques are one of the creative services I offer. I know how hard it is to find a good critique partner, and how extremely important it is to have one during revisions. A writer should pay for a critique if they are unable to find a partner. A critique is critical in assisting the writer with finding flaws and letting them know when something is working. They help mold the book.

My critiques are thorough when it comes to character, plot, writing, style, dialogue, details, show vs. tell, and inconsistencies. When I work on someone’s book or short story, I want their works to be a success. They get the most from me or I wouldn’t waste my time. Some might say my critiques are brutally honest, but I don’t think I’m to the extreme. Honesty is important when analyzing works, so I tell it like it is using examples to back up my comments. My critiques also embrace praise when I see something is working or find a great line or phrase. I believe it’s important to let the writer know what they’re doing right as well as where I think they could use some help. In the end, the writer is going to choose what they deem beneficial to their works.

Finding a good critique partner is a grueling process. Everyone’s writing is different, and they are at different stages in their writing career. Also, if you find flaws and faults in a writer’s work, they might retaliate by marking up your work without cause. This has happened to me in the past. It takes time looking for and testing out critique partners.

I have a great critique partner and I thought another point of view would be great at this stage in my revisions. After posting on social media that I was looking for a critique partner, two women contacted me the same week, so we set up some guidelines. The first woman found me on Tumblr, and wanted to know if I was interested in swapping stories. Unfortunately, it turned out English wasn’t her first language, and it would have been more of an edit than a critique. I contacted her and explained why I couldn’t continue with the swap. She was very nice, and accepted my decline without argument or insults.

The second woman was flexible with deadlines, but I stressed the importance in keeping with a bi-weekly schedule. It turned out that we were at different stages in our writing careers, so the swaps wouldn’t be beneficial. Again, I sent an email explaining why I couldn’t continue with the critique. Thank goodness she was another nice woman who agreed that we weren’t a good fit.

I’m back to one. But hey, I’m not complaining, I’d rather have one great critique partner than five bad ones.

What are your experiences with critique partners?

Analysis and Honesty,

Bea

Brooding Boredom!

I’ve always had this problem--boredom. Throughout my life, I’d get bored with things very easily. It’s probably one of the main reasons I couldn’t keep a long-term relationship. But like most, we’re supposed to mature and lose and gain things along the way. Unfortunately, I haven’t lost boredom.

Change has always suppressed the boredom for the time being. It makes my life interesting. My hair is a great example. Everyone and anyone who knows me has seen my hair change months at a time from long to short, blonde to eggplant, I constantly change out of boredom. Changing my looks spices things up for me. I’m sure change was the main component when making the decision to move from the U.S. to Germany.

Now I’ve come into a major problem with boredom. I’m on all social networks and I blog, yet I can’t seem to stay focused in promoting and keeping an online presence. I can Tweet about something, but I get bored reading the countless tweets with links. My attention just isn’t there. I go to Goodreads and participate in discussion groups, but then I stop for weeks at a time.

The consistency and dedication that so many writers have I seem to be missing. I’m so caught up with my life and writing my current WIP that I don’t have the drive to Tweet, post on my Facebook page, blog, join in discussions on LinkedIn and Goodreads on a daily basis. I’ve forced myself and find that I’m not even ‘listening’ to what’s being said out there.

So what do I do? How do I shake the boredom, keep an online presence, promote and live life? How do some of you amazing people do it? I’ve followed and watched some delve into their blogs like daily journals. They respond to every comment as if they’ve been friends forever. They’re Tweeting and making friends, posting on Facebook pages and connecting with others. But me, the boredom seems to cast a veil over my face, hiding me from the things I should be doing as a writer.

All I hear is, you gotta have a website. You gotta have a blog. You gotta get involved. As much as I want to get involved, find critique partners, connect at a deeper level with writers, I’m struggling to find them…or I don’t know how to go about finding them and then boredom sets in and I turn to life to get things going again.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else? Am I the only one unfocused and bored? Should I buy a smart phone or an iPhone? Should I start eating black licorice on a daily basis?

Boredom and Change,

Bea

It's Time!

Since I've been working on another manuscript, I decided it was time to find a critique group or partner and/or beta readers. I didn’t have one before, but it wasn't for lack of trying. A blog friend, Jeri Walker-Bickett recently talked about her online critique partners, and I figured it was time to collaborate with many or a few to get my manuscript in order.

I posted a thread on Goodreads to get some information on reliable online critique groups along with joining Scribophile. The site looks interesting. I haven’t done anything yet to know if it will work, but I thought I’d try it out. 

Do you have a critique group or partner or regular beta readers? Are they close friends or people you've never met? 

Cheers to a great writing week!

Critiques and Writing,

Bea