Another great blogpost from Kristen Lamb – it is so important to get the balance right between seeking and acting on constructive, helpful feedback (to improve writing) and avoiding the pain and pitfalls of unhelpful feedback which ends up derailing a writing project. Good luck find the balance!
After six years in critique her novel was “perfect.”
Critique groups can be wonderful. They can offer accountability, professionalism, and take our writing to an entirely new level. But, like most, things, critique groups also have a dark side. They can become a crutch that prevents genuine growth. Depending on the problems, critique groups can create bad writing habits and even deform a WIP so badly it will lose any chance at resonating with readers, thus being successful.
The key to avoiding problems is to be educated. Not all critique groups are worth our time. Some critique groups might have limitations that can be mitigated with a simple adjustment in our approach.
Traditional Critique Groups
Many of you have attended a traditional critique group. This is the “read a handful of printed pages or read so many pages aloud” groups. Traditional critique groups have some strengths. First and foremost, they…
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Emily Arden, author 