The total member count of any critique group will increase and decrease frequently. It’s just the nature of any situation heavy on judgement. And as some members progress to senior writers and publish their books, they may become too busy to attend regularly. If you’re a critique group leader, it’s your job to keep track of those members who come and go, and a huge part of your job is …
If you’re seeking membership in a critique group, it’s most likely because you hope to improve your ability to tell a story. If you’re a new writer, you’re also looking for guidance on the basics of grammar and craft. And if you’re a published author, you might be looking for reasons your books aren’t selling. Whatever your circumstances, it’s important to first know what you hope to gain from a …
Okay, I admit the title for this post is a little dramatic. So far we’ve been touting the importance of running your work through a critique group. Now I make them sound like a house of horrors. Know that this post isn’t meant to scare you away from critique groups. Mainly, it’s important to understand the choices you’ll face and the issues you’ll encounter as a member, which will ensure …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …