Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough comments about critique groups. I have read on Writer’s Island how you encourage participants to leave the critique for other forums, that the Island is place to enjoy each other’s work. I think that’s a wise way to go about an online writing group, and I agree with your comments here too.

I think it’s much better to respond to what we find strong in the piece, to what we like. RWP mentions a similar approach in the Code of Conduct section.

My experiences in these areas have been mixed, leaving me lukewarm.

Unless you and the person(s) critiquing you, are on a wholly parallel and complimentary wavelength, such as an author in a long-time relationship with an editor — critique can be a double-edged sword. I believe it is dangerous, potentially destructive, to the burgeoning writer — often making them insecure regarding their true personal voice, which has the potential of stunting valid creativity.

I monitor several well-populated online writing critique groups, and sadly, so often people offering ‘critique’, have not invested themselves whatsoever, in learning and understanding the unique voice and style of the authors they critique. Too often what they offer up is not constructive critique that will move the writer ahead on their personal and singularly original path — instead it is pontification on “how to write like the person doing the critiquing”, or some dour academic edict.

I believe strongly that this type of ‘directive’ advice can be most harmful, and unfortunately, can make mute and impotent a writer’s genuine voice. Can you imagine someone in one of these online groups, critiquing the likes of e.e. cummings, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and the like — if these particular writers were unknown, and therefore unfamiliar to the critique group.

Having your work critiqued, by someone who has taken the time to grasp your voice and style, who knows and understands you, can be remarkably helpful. Most published, established authors would attest to the fact that the relationship with their editor(s) can be invaluable. But beware of online critique groups, more often than not they are just opinion pools — and you know what they say about opinions… and that’s my opinion on that.

It’s definitely been a life-saver for me, time-wise… and I like being able to sit with other writers’ pieces for a little while, and have the comments and feedbacks written out, too. I feel like my experience of these pieces is more thoughtful and considered than I had time to be in my previous in-person, real-time groups.

I love your story about dancing naked! It’s a perfect example of how the writer and the narrator more often than not are two separate entities.

Your online writing group sounds great for you. I’d be interested in hearing how you found the group you now work with, and how often you “meet.” Thanks for commenting!

I’ve had different feelings about writing groups, depending on where I’ve been at in my life and what sort of group I’ve been in. My overall experience has been positive, and I love my current group. The online writing group–and community, like this one–is an interesting sidebar to this topic. I love that I’m able to fit it in over the course of a week–it would be difficult for me to make time for a conventional in-person group right now, but it’s easy to find time for an online group. One of the best gifts a writing group gives, in my experience, is that they really are amazing tools to get you to write. With a “deadline” looming, I’m much more inclined to make time to come up with something, and my writing is better when I know, in a very concrete way, that it’s going to be read by other, specific people. It’s also a wonderful thing to feel like you have some like-minded souls around you–someone else out there who will understand your obsessions, compulsions, your love of alliteration, the pleasure of a sustained image, etc.

Katherine - I know how you feel, I felt like that too when I lived in Malawi. I found lots of friends and really enjoyed working in the school I was in but I couldn’t share my interest in writing with anyone really.

I’ll definitely check the book out in … late November, when I’ll be back in the US. Books are a commodity here, and unless you’re into British novels (snore), you won’t find much at the used bookstores.

My biggest problem is that the people around me just aren’t interested in writing, or reading for that matter. They write to pass their exams, they write to do their jobs, but stories in the local languages are generally spoken or sung, and don’t often get told at all in English. The idea that English can be a means of artistic expression, rather than just a garden hoe, is quite foreign. There are some stories and poetry published in the newspapers, but they’re almost all the same story with the same moral: witchcraft is bad and you need to be a good Christian, or something BAD will happen to YOU. It becomes dull pretty quickly.

It just gets lonely, you know? I’m glad I’m here, I’m so thrilled to be experiencing the world more directly than through the evening news, but FORK if I wouldn’t give five hundred kwacha to chat about alliteration with somebody for an hour.

Oh well. The grass is always greener on the other side of the Atlantic, at least until the rainy season starts again … then it’s definitely greener over here. That’s why I heart the internet.

I’ve done the training, but now that it’s behind me, I haven’t started the work to begin a group. Why is that? Fear? Don’t know.

If you really want to start a group, Pat Schneider details the process in her book, Writing Alone and with Others. The training isn’t necessary of you want to have a group, only if you want to be an AWA affiliate. Maybe you should try it! Even if you only meet a few times, the experience of writing together would be worth it.

And I’m jealous of your travels. I bet you have many interesting adventures to write about. I have to keep my wanderlust in check for now.