Becoming a better writer is about overcoming my good enough attitude. It's a valuable outlook in many areas of my life. If a car dealer doesn't have the color I want, I settle for what's on hand. If I run out of an ingredient for a recipe, I think ‘eh, no one will miss it.’ Low maintenance. Flexible. Little stress. That's me. But I’ve abandoned good enough in my writing in order to produce my very best work, and critique is a vital tool.
I started with a local critique group. With seven members meeting weekly, I submit infrequently. Plus, with a submission word count of <3,000 words, my 60,000 word novel would have taken 140 weeks to get through—almost three years! The pandemic opened my eyes to Critique Circle as a better online option. I joined with a partial manuscript in hand and a healthy dose of skepticism around whether I’d find consistent critters to read my work from start to finish.
I’ll share what worked for me hoping you, too, can find success. I started by reading and critting broadly until I found 10-12 writers who I admired for their work AND for their critiques of my own submissions. The latter is personal. Ask yourself whether you want line edits? A broader look at your work, such as evaluating character arc or plot progression? Specify your needs in the submission notes.
Use the tit for tat feature every week. Hey, you get what you give. Value other critters by giving back. I looked for writers submitting weekly or bi-weekly; I could follow their stories and not lose my train of thought with too much time in between submissions. Another advantage of active participation was gaining credits, allowing me to submit with regularity. It’s an investment, but one that allowed me to build a critiquing community within Critique Circle.
Once you’ve found several critique partners, be honest, helpful, and encouraging. With my critiques, I start with what’s working. What’s the author doing right? Next, I discuss how to improve the piece. That doesn’t mean declaring what’s wrong with it, rather suggesting how it could be better. This is the tricky part. I want to give constructive criticism. The writer needs guidance on where to go next.
Which brings me to my last bit of advice on making Critique Circle work for you. If you’re on the site, you’re already open to critique, willing to listen and consider readers’ input on your work. My advice: don’t just be open, get excited about critique. Hearing how to improve a piece gives focus when sitting down to revise. Connect with your critters to thank them, ask questions, and get clarity on their remarks.
In writing my acknowledgements for my debut historical fiction novel, Brighter Than Her Fears (release January 16, 2024, Creative James Media), I shared my gratitude for the Critique Circle critters who helped me write my best work. It was one step in a lengthy process, and absolutely one I needed. Critique Circle helped me to go beyond good enough with my writing and achieve traditional publication.
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