Comments on: Can Critique Groups Do More Harm than Good?

By: I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Editor! Or Do I? « change it up editing

I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Editor! Or Do I? « change it up editing — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:18:16 +0000

[...] Step 3: Ask everyone you know to critique your work for you. Yes? Maybe. Your readers will catch some things, but not everything. I wrote about the value of critique groups in a previous blog post, but there are also pitfalls to relying on them for real editing. Author and social media expert Kristen Lamb has this perspective: “Critique groups are WONDERFUL. I don’t know what I’d do without mine. But, we are wise to be aware of the trouble spots so that we can get the most out of this fantastic resource.” She points out the traditional critique groups lack perspective, are notorious for “books by committee,” and offer a false sense of security, among other things. Read more of her thoughts here. [...]

By: Zingo

Zingo — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:46:10 +0000

If you have a good group (=serious people who are living up to the commitment, trying to help one another, and willing to learn), you can solve most of these problems. For ex: if you want advice on structure, bring in a list of your plot points and GMCs. Tell the story of your novel and ask members to look for weak spots.

I’ve been in several groups and I’ve done individual critique exchanges with many people over the past decade. I’ve also done a lot of collaborative written projects in my day job. Every problem I’ve seen in critique groups came from one of four places:

(1) The group contained someone who was unable to tolerate other members’ successes.

(2) Group members were unable to meet their commitments and also unable to address that in a responsible way (ie ask for a leave of absence when their lives are falling apart and they can’t get their critiques in on time). A subtype of this: people who will join a critique group but are just too busy with their work and family lives to meet the commitment.

(3) People who find even gentle feedback too threatening. These people will either get angry or hurt; both responses are problematic.

(4) Of the roughly 50 or so people I’ve critiqued with over the past decade, I did encounter one individual who just couldn’t critique. She didn’t understand genre and couldn’t produce useful suggestions, and she didn’t realize how off-point her comments were. (Interestingly, she is also the only person I’ve ever met who chose to clip her toenails during group!)

My advice: start your own group, announce that you are in charge of the membership, and vet each applicant carefully. It is really hard to kick people out once they’re in the group. (I’m still dealing with the toenail clipper!)

Good luck. There are tons of good writers & responsible critiquers out there. May we all find each other.

By: Vampire Syndrome

Vampire Syndrome — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 01:59:41 +0000

“Can critique groups do more harm than good?”

If the rest of your group worships at the altar of endless re-writes & traditional publishing, and you become a pariah the moment you finish your novel and self-publish it…

By: general commentary

general commentary — Sun, 27 May 2012 06:50:42 +0000

general commentary…

[...]Can Critique Groups Do More Harm than Good? « Kristen Lamb's Blog[...]…

By: Get thee to a writing group | Pen In Hand

Get thee to a writing group | Pen In Hand — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:13:08 +0000

[...] have been some great posts about critique groups in recent weeks. Kristen Lamb points out the good and bad of participation and offers an alternative kind of feedback that she calls the “concept critique”. Juli [...]

By: Heather Zuber-Harshman

Heather Zuber-Harshman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:28:40 +0000

My online critique group just had its first in-person meeting today. It was amazing. Very honest, open, and productive. I can’t say that about every group I’ve ever been in. It really depends on the mix of people and where you are in your life of writing.

By: A New Approach to a Traditional Group–The Concept Critique « Kristen Lamb's Blog

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:11:35 +0000

[...] post the second part of the discussion. ::head desk:: Anyway, in Part One, I posited the question: Can a critique group do more harm than good? In my opinion? YES. Traditional critique groups can have severe limitations, and, if a writer [...]

By: Anne Honzel

Anne Honzel — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:02:48 +0000

Hello again. Reminder, I’m late to the party! The critique group, to me, is a great conundrum. If you’ve got all your chakras balanced, and the perspective of the Dalai Lama, you’ll probably land a good one. That is a skillful landing. Haven’t nailed it yet! A bad group is just the devil. And a good one? How to find it?

By: Author Kristen Lamb

Author Kristen Lamb — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:40:04 +0000

LOL…nope. I just forgot to post it. Thanks for the reminder. Look for it Monday….squirrel!

By: Jordan McCollum

Jordan McCollum — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:13:04 +0000

I totally agree on the problem of perspective in chapter-by-chapter critique groups. I’m just starting my first-ever in-person critique group, and I was really looking forward to the new approach to the traditional group, but I don’t think I see it in your posts from that week. Am I missing something?

Thanks!