#critique groups

[wendytokunaga]

Critique Groups: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

I’m certain that virtually every published novelist has benefited from getting feedback from a critique group. And I’m sure every published novelist has had the experience of pulling out her hair and running down the street screaming after at least one critique group meeting. That’s the nature of the beast when it comes to critique groups: you probably can’t live with them, but you also can’t live without them.

No matter how experienced of a writer you are, it’s rough to hear what’s wrong with your novel, no matter how constructive the feedback. But the best way I’ve found to take constructive criticism is to think of it as a gift, something that will help me look at the big picture of my novel and will inspire me. The ideal is when this results in an epiphany of how to fix things so that the novel will be the best it can be. And a good critique group can help you do this.

However, finding a good critique group can be tricky. Every writer probably has her wish list for a dream critique group. Here’s mine:

~ An in-person group that meets at a time and place convenient for all members.

~ Members who are equal to me in writing skill or even better so I can learn from them.

~ All members working on novels (though memoirs can work too).

~ Every member willing to read 20-25 pages at a time (and even more in some cases).

~ Verbal feedback given during the meeting, and also written feedback to take home.

~ Emphasis on the “big picture” as opposed to line editing.

~ The bulk of the meeting spent on critiquing as opposed to socializing or group therapy.

~ Members who are committed to the group and also willing to discuss general writing and craft issues.

[kdsmiththewriter]

What I really mean when I submit my work to my critique group!

[katherine-traylor]

For the second time in the last few years, I'm working with a critique partner who's very strict and picky about other people's work, but who gets defensive and sullen if anyone criticizes theirs. (We're nice, too: this person's critiques of others are way stronger than the ones they receive themself.) I feel like it must be a lack of self-awareness that causes this: they don't understand how they're coming across, and they're also not able to see the flaws in their own work. It's tiring to deal with.

[coffeeinkblog]

Word x Word Historical #CritiqueGroup Invite

We’re looking to add to our group of critique partners. This is for writers of historical fiction, and its subgenres–fantasy, romance, mystery, suspense, supernatural, gothic. All eras and cultures welcome. (The industry definition of historical is 50 years ago.) LGBTQ+ welcome. Short stories, novellas, novel beta swaps, chapter by chapter, and brainstorming. Hopefully we’ll find enough writers…

[after-witch]

Sometimes I think about the rare times I would write OCs back in the 2001-2010 fandom days and the whole "Mary Sue callout" thing was so big so you had to make your OC just like... so boring and ordinary and the canon characters must find them unimportant and never ever let them be a love interest, and even then, people would probably still criticize you making an OC at all.

now I'm like YES my reader OC would catch the eye of this important character who would obsess over her and kill for her because he thinks she's the most sublime being in the world and he'll steal her away to keep her forever <3333

[chaos0pikachu]

me looking at the discourse~~ in the 4mins tag right now:

[juniepops]

can i be honest. it's fucked that terfs got to claim the term gender critical. like their asses are NOT critiquing the hegemonic ways that the male and female genders are forced into rigid societal roles and no other genders are permitted to exist, they agree with all that shit. they think it's biologically innate. they're just mad when someone tries to break out of it

[yasmeensh]

I have decided to stop meddling with this piece. It has to be done at some point, and here it is! I'm happy with how it turned out 😁 My last chimpanzee painting was two years ago, so it's time I make another one! Painted in acrylics and touched up with CSP. Shared some process shots too, just below :)

it was very messy.... and the lighting made a HUGE difference in the end!

[wendytokunaga]

Critique Groups: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

I’m certain that virtually every published novelist has benefited from getting feedback from a critique group. And I’m sure every published novelist has had the experience of pulling out her hair and running down the street screaming after at least one critique group meeting. That’s the nature of the beast when it comes to critique groups: you probably can’t live with them, but you also can’t live without them.

No matter how experienced of a writer you are, it’s rough to hear what’s wrong with your novel, no matter how constructive the feedback. But the best way I’ve found to take constructive criticism is to think of it as a gift, something that will help me look at the big picture of my novel and will inspire me. The ideal is when this results in an epiphany of how to fix things so that the novel will be the best it can be. And a good critique group can help you do this.

However, finding a good critique group can be tricky. Every writer probably has her wish list for a dream critique group. Here’s mine:

~ An in-person group that meets at a time and place convenient for all members.

~ Members who are equal to me in writing skill or even better so I can learn from them.

~ All members working on novels (though memoirs can work too).

~ Every member willing to read 20-25 pages at a time (and even more in some cases).

~ Verbal feedback given during the meeting, and also written feedback to take home.

~ Emphasis on the “big picture” as opposed to line editing.

~ The bulk of the meeting spent on critiquing as opposed to socializing or group therapy.

~ Members who are committed to the group and also willing to discuss general writing and craft issues.

[kdsmiththewriter]

It can be humbling, but that's when the good writing begins.

[femmeleatherface]

the thing about the daroga in the book that i don't think any adaptation (that i've seen, anyway) has really gotten right is that leroux sets us up from the introduction that he is really amazing and totally trustwothy

so while for most of the book the characters are all suspicious of him and say he has the evil eye and whatnot, the reader benefits from dramatic irony and knows any gut xenophobic instincts they may be experiencing are wrong, because the author himself already clued us in before the story started that this mysterious man is actually good and important

(which in term sets up the overarching message of the novel later hammered in with erik about not judging by appearances, accepting outsiders, valuing the contributions of people who would otherwise be ostracized by society lest they become the very monsters we make them out to be, etc. etc. etc...)

the adaptations... don't have that initial clue-in, so for the most part they end up feeding gut xenophobic instincts. the daroga wanders around and the characters and audience both wonder who he is and what he's up to. we are given no alternative viewpoint on him except the white characters' suspicious and often racist reactions

it's at its worst when the adaptations intentionally make him more stereotypical or "exotify" him by giving him eyeliner, a menacing character design, a forced silly/sinister accent, etc. the 1991 musical is probably the least egregious in this regard, but that's really only because he's set up in his first scene as comic relief and presented as a little too incompetent to be a threat

and sure, in the end of all these adaptations we learn the truth and get the same point across--he is a perfectly trustworthy guy and, like erik, we should not be afraid of him just because he is different--but i REALLY think we miss something and detriment his character by not getting clued in on at least some of his deal from the start

honestly, if we were ever to get that perfect adaptation where he is included and portrayed as actually important, i think the only way you could really avoid this would be to:

present the story as a frame narrative, the way the book did

deviate from the book a bit and give him slightly more to do at the start, have us actually see him doing helpful things outside of all the white characters' sphere of knowledge so we have another perspective to draw upon. it doesn't need to reveal everything about him yet (we still want suspense, after all), but should still make it clear that he is not a bad guy, just misunderstood by the people around him

[pleasantspark]

The word Racism means nothing in today's society including Hazbin Hotel's Fandom.

1. Sera and Emily are Seraphim Angels. Which by Christian and Other related Religions are Spirits which doesn't have ANY FORM of race attatched.

2. Let's play schematics here, even if we remove religion from the equation. It doesn't change the absolute fuckery that is coloring POCs granite grey and calling it representation. Viv showed she can do POC correctly before.

3. Sir Pentious has no variations in his color palette he's just another copy and pasted pastey white guy. Nothing wrong with that racially but it's gotten to the point that there's only specifically two races and two tones on the spectrum she chooses.

4. Saints/Sinners aren't spirits. They should ATLEAST have some form of their heritage unlike angels who are spirits. St. Peter is a real man with melenin that was tarnished as with Adam.

Finally, this one is needed for all the people in the back: You can't call someone racist as a joke in a climate where this fandom will take it seriously and doxx you. Viv has literally whitewashed figures that aren't white as with Blackwashing Alastor. There's steady proof of most of the allegations and I don't care at this rate but if you're going to call someone racist atleast look INTO Viv and co first before harassing people here or grow up. Whichever one comes first. Half of you aren't even old enough to watch the show anyways. This is my final stance on this shit because it's a problem no one cares enough to point out in this fandom because people think that calling someone a racist without figuring out the Creators depictions are racist too (speaking out as the people AFFECTED) is ridiculous.

People can have their interpretations and fix the designs. If you continue to do this you're proving that the Fandom is Toxic and provides nothing BUT no criticism. I'm sick of this mess and people not being mature (WHICH IS SUPPOSEDLY THIS SHOWS WHOLE THEME?!)

If you're not being mature about any of this then don't comment.

And don't comment on topics you know nothing about because most of the arguments I see is shit the stans say over and over to justify the blatant racism.

I'm only getting mad because it's annoying as a POC and ruins actual racism. I've been a victim of RACISM before not some stupid "Hurr durr someone slightly tanned a character that's pale white!"

Note before people actually take this shit out of context: One of my family friends was a victim of Police Brutality, she was shot by the cops thinking she was holding a gun. This was a stigimatism, and it was because she was colored. (She is trans fem), this type of bullshit is WHY racism is serious, but just like with terms like Zoophile, Pedophile and Groomer, it's only used as a weapon to cancel someone without evidence and used to push a person to near brink of death. Because without evidence you can claim someone is something, it was seen with that streamer, and with DollCreep. These words are serious and by using them as a way to get people to NOT listen to them in order to paint them as some sort of degen loses it's entire meaning and ruins the credibility of actual victims. If you can't handle serious topics in a show while us grown ups educate and try to tell you WHY it's bad and why you SHOULDN'T perpetrate this at all, then you shouldn't be in this fandom.

[grecoromanyaoi]

idk how it is in other countries but I think one of the most. idk how to phrase this. politically present? problems mandatory drafting causes is that since most ppl were likely to have been soldiers in the past, present or future and so do all of their loved ones is that many refuse to even take the first step which is recognizing that being a soldier, serving and being part of an army is, in itself, an act, and that it’s not a neutral act in any way shape or form

[chaos0pikachu]

man some of y'all have never learned the home training of "keep your hate/critique out the main tags and on your own blog or in critical tags" and then wonder why ppl be vagueblogging or reblogging with disagreements like you didn't show up to the crochet lovers group telling everybody how crocheting was actually Not Fun At All and really hard and doesn't make sense to enjoy, or Problematic, actually instead of keeping it in the group chat with the haterella besties