Yes. I'm jumping on the bandwagon for this particular topic. I really can't say it better than Diana Peterfreund did this morning, so I'm not going to try. (Heck, even Miss Snark had a few words about CPs in her blog yesterday.)
Nope. This post is about taking care about who you ask to read and critique your work. Diana hit the nail on the head at the end of her post, when she admonished those people who think critiquing is all about putting the screws to other writers or about 'helping the competition'. Feh.
When I first started this business of writing, I wandered the internet looking for knowledgeable people to provide assistance and encouragement--people for whom I could provide the same service. I was naive. I figured if a group of people got together and called themselves writers, they were and they would know what they were talking about. And I got what I deserved for being so damn gullible. I don't even remember the site anymore. (I'm repressing it.) But let's just say it looked innocuous and helpful. And maybe some of the members there were. I, however, didn't find them. What I found were people who were happy to flay any other writer stupid enough to fall into their midst.
I found one writer who gleefully told me she was going to use my words--verbatim--in a story of her own. I found a group of Stygian witches who ripped into my work as if it were human flesh to cannibalize. It was a bloodbath. Needless to say, I left shortly thereafter with a nasty note to the site owner reminding them what they could do with their writing site.
That was two years ago. I haven't tried to find a critique partner since then. Instead I do what Snark says NOT to do. I have a small group of friends who read my work. They aren't writers. They're just intelligent people who like to read. They're people I trust to tell me the truth - and if my work needs work, they tell me so. I cherish every one of them. But they aren't writers. They can tell me what works or doesn't from a reader's standpoint, but they can't tell me those things from the standpoint of someone who's also trying to get published, or who has been published and is passing along the wisdom they've gleaned from experience.
So, I'm finally getting to the point where I'm thinking about considering trying to find another writer (or writers) to crit my stuff. It's a big step for me. You know what they say: "Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me." I don't relish the thought of being burned again.
So, I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat to see what Diana has to say in her next post on CPs... Stay tuned.
The Long Trek Back
3 weeks ago
4 comments:
Sorchmarks aside, I can see where it would be a good thing to have another writer help with critiquing.
Software development (something which I can speak to) has an analogous process.
You get a better product if you have both technical experts and "end users" test your software. Why? The two groups look at the work from different perspectives and are looking for different things.
"Technical experts" are going to be able to dig into the guts of your work and tell you what kinds of problems exist "under the skin".
"End users" are going to be able to tell you about the look and feel of the work.
You can find people who know how to do both, but it's difficult. Not the least because it's tricky changing hats from thinking technically to thinking as an end user (ask me how I know :) )
No matter who else I find to read my stuff, you'll still be my first and best beta reader. =o)
And because you said... How do you know? ;o)
Hee hee, because I was a software tester for 14 years. I worked for a small software company and we didn't really have access to a large beta test community.
So, we always had to try to approach testing from both the technical point of view, and from the users point of view.
It can be very difficult when you know the software so thoroughly. There's always the danger of not being able to see it with "fresh eyes".
I found you by way of Spy Scribbler's blog and I'm really glad I did!
I'm in the same situation as you. I have small group of people whose opinion I trust, and who will give honest feedback. But they're not writers. They can tell me what they liked and didn't like, but I have to interpret that into the writing on my own.
I'm equally hesitant with regard to critique partners. I think it could be great, if you find someone with whom you click and can grow. The idea really appeals to me. It's finding the right person, I guess.
I'm heading over to see what Diana wrote on the subject.
Great post!
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