As writers, our desire to tell stories keeps us going, full steam ahead. But every time we’re tap tapping away at the keyboard, the number one question in our minds is, will anyone like my book? By 2017, over 1 million books had been self-published. If the story you’re writing doesn’t stand out, it will sit on that online bookstore shelf, unnoticed and lost in the mix. So if you’re …
Group vs. Public Sharing Critique groups generally consist of writers with like interests. Positive friendships and bonds form between members. We help each other learn through information sharing. There are three basic levels of privacy for a critique group: Personal info — family, finances, politics and religion. These are best kept at home and not discussed or recorded online. Group info — group projects, member full names, addresses, phone numbers, …
Read moreSharing Writer Resources with your Online Critique Group
Whether a critique group meets in-person or online, each session needs a moderator. The moderator sets the order of critiques, starts the video session, directs the meeting flow, and keeps the peace from start to finish. Schedule and Group Size Three hours is the ideal timeframe to conduct a session. If a meeting lasts longer than three hours, attendees’ attention will diminish. This window also works well across the four …
What Happens Prior to Session Several days prior to the online meeting All stories are loaded in a dated folder Critique assignments loaded to same folder Link to Hangout copied to assignment document Members have finished critiques Just before start time all members Open Chrome Browser Open Google Drive SHARED FOLDERS Find the folder for the day’s session Open the following so they are in tabs at the top of …
For an online critique group that submits critique pages ahead of time, members need adequate time to complete their critiques before the critique session. Our group assigns pages to other writers to critique by 2:00 PM on Sunday for a online video session Tuesday evening from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Our group leader emails an assignment notification to those attending. She also posts a link to the Google Spreadsheet …
Read moreFinding Critique Assignments and Completing Critiques Online
Leaders of an online critique group are responsible for setting up new members and preparing everyone for weekly critique sessions. Having one or two people as the go-to is helpful in keeping each meeting running in an organized manner. My previous post discussed How To Set Up File Sharing For An Online Critique Group, so your file structure is in place and ready for writers to upload the pages they …
Read moreSharing Critique Pages And Preparing For Online Critique Sessions
One of the most important parts of online critique is setting up and maintaining the group’s file sharing service. For the purpose of this post, we will not proclaim to be experts in file sharing, nor will we bore you with all the technical details. We will explain what we use and how we use our shared drive. If you are interested in learning more about the services available, one …
Read moreHow To Set Up File Sharing For An Online Critique Group
Minimum equipment needed: Online critiquing is done over the Internet. Consequently, an Internet connection is required. The least expensive connection is a DSL (digital subscriber line) that is part of the wired telephone network (“land-line”). Video conferences with multiple people require a higher speed than commonly purchased. Try to obtain a minimum of 2Mb/s UPLOAD speed because slower speeds will cause jerky images and jumbled sounds. For best results connect …
Due to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, in-person critique groups are canceling their face-to-face meetings. Our online critique group is here to help yours go online. We hope our knowledge will encourage other groups to continue to meet. Once you go video, you might not go back! Our Online Experience The Speculative Fiction Critique Group has been in existence for four years years, although most of us have been participating in …
Writers are a tight-knit group in general, and why wouldn’t we be? Professional writing is one of the most challenging careers around. The desire to quit is constantly nagging at us because so few authors reach a notable level of success, while most of us struggle to publish and market our books. If your in-person critique group has been canceled, now is not the time, even in the middle of …
Read moreIt’s Never A Good Time To Skip Out On Your Critique Group