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Writers' Resources - Part II
Beginning writers often ask me about the benefits of writers critique groups, college courses etc.
When I started out I signed up at a local community college that had a Creative Writing course. It met once a week and was conducted by a published writer. She would teach for an hour and I learned a lot--how to set up a manuscript, various things like how to set up a scene, information about various viewpoints and how to use them, ways to bring characters to life on the page, how to research, and so on. She would also read and make suggestions on our manuscripts. As I had no idea where to begin, this was invaluable to me and I was very excited every week when the class night arrived.
We had about twenty people in the class, and after the teacher was through with the lesson of the week, she or someone she delegated, would read two or three manuscripts, and we would all critique.
This worked quite well most of the time, though occasionally feelings would get hurt. I learned to ignore comments from certain members of the class, and to listen carefully to others. I also learned that if several people made comments about one part of the manuscript, I should pay close attention and probably rewrite it.
When the course was over, we formed into a Writers Workshop and carried on for several years, without the instruction, but still reading each other's mss and commenting.
The main thing to avoid in a writers critique group is having people just praise everything. This is very nice but doesn't do you a bit of good. And then there's always someone who will criticize content (for example, a story with a lesbian or gay character, or a romance with a sex scene in it.) It's best to have some ground rules worked out at the start. The idea is to help each other write better. That's all. To tell each other if the story or article works or doesn't work, if the characters seem real, if the setting is clear, if the beginning drags, the middle sags, or the ending seems unbelievable. That sort of thing. And of course, the person whose manuscript is being critiqued should avoid being defensive. The criticism is not personal, or certainly shouldn't be.
A critique group, with the right mix of people, can be enormously helpful and supportive. If there isn't one in your area, you might think about starting one.