My wonderful junior fiction critique group.


Critique …

I know what you might be thinking – it whispers negative. You know, like many other similar words. Critical. Criticise. Critic. Criticism.

BUT, when it comes to writing critique groups, I don't think it should be seen in a negative light.

I must admit when I began my writing journey I was immediately introduced to a writing critique group, so this is all I have ever known. I shudder to imagine my writing life without the support from critique groups. Joining this group had such a significant influence on my writing that I feel compelled to share the reasons why and encourage you to join a group too.

Here are my top tips for getting the most out of a writing critique group.

Accept all feedback
Sure, there might be some comments or opinions that you don’t like and could be taken in a negative light. But the more positively you can receive this feedback, the better off you’ll be. I always approach critique sessions with a positive attitude, knowing the feedback I receive is intended to help not harm.

Take it or Leave it
Remember you don’t have to change every single aspect of your story which was commented on. In fact, you may even receive conflicting advice. Don’t stress! It is still your story to revise as you feel appropriate. I often find that feedback among the group is usually similar. That’s when it resonates strongly with me as the missing link I was searching for to make that manuscript sing.

Find a supportive group
As wonderful as my experience has been, I realise not all writers have had a similarly positive experience of critique groups. If you find yourself in a negative, critical, and unsupportive group, LEAVE IT! There are many great groups out there waiting for you. You can find groups that meet in person or online.

I am a member of Brisbane Write Links and we meet monthly at the State Library at Southbank. After networking and a session of professional development, we break into our critique groups of picture books, junior fiction and YA.














A meeting at the State Library at Southbank.

I am also a part of an online critique group, meeting fortnightly. We use an online platform called ‘co-meeting’ which is absolutely amazing! It is an effective way to meet in real time and chat about each spread or chapter.

In both groups we either send emails or chat in a private Facebook group to share our successes, struggles, industry information, competitions, etc. Being a part of a supportive critique group is so rewarding personally and professionally.

Give feedback in a positive manner
It’s easy giving good feedback in a positive manner when you love the manuscript. But how does one share negative comments? This can still be achieved in a helpful and supportive way.

As much as possible, remember to ‘sandwich’ your comments: positive, negative, positive. This may be difficult if you feel that the manuscript needs a lot of revision. However, find something positive to comment on at least at the beginning of your critique and at the end.
Negative feedback can be given with the use of ‘I Statements’.
For example:
 I felt that the puppy’s actions contradicted his emotions.
I feel the story could benefit from a faster pace. I found my mind began to wander at [this] point.

Don’t criticise the work and tell the writer what must change. It is still their work. Your ideas can be worded in phrases such as:
I wonder if this part might flow better by….
Perhaps you could consider changing…
I feel that this sentence could be improved by using a stronger verb...

Keep writing
In spite of the feedback you receive, don’t give up! Keep writing. Keep learning. Keep improving.

Meet deadlines
Critique groups offer accountability to ensure you keep writing. There are deadlines. Each month you need to have the next part of your manuscript completed to be critiqued. They help to keep you on track and assist you in forming habits to achieve your goals. In doing so, they also prepare you well professionally for an industry where deadlines are set and must be met.

Valuable Learning Process
Participating in a writing critique group has taught me so many invaluable things about the craft of writing, my own writing's strengths and weaknesses, the industry, the market and the complex world of publishing. 

Have fun
Yes, writing critique groups are about writing … But they are also about meeting with likeminded people. I have made many new and wonderful friends through my writing critique groups. You can never have too many friends! Don’t see a critique group as a means to an end, see it as something special in and of itself. Join a critique group not only for what you can get out of it, but for what you can contribute to it. 

I am incredibly grateful for finding such an amazing and supportive group in Brisbane Write Links and, more recently, in my 12 x 12 online critique group. I cannot recommend joining a critique group enough! You, and your writing, will never be the same again.

Wow. What a journey. Thirty days which felt like thirty years and thirty minutes at the same time! I’m speechless, truly. My mind has been watching, planning, plotting, and endlessly talking for thirty days straight!

So, with my head still spinning (it’s a good spin, honestly, full of excitement, delirium, inspiration, and some trepidation), here’s the top ten lessons I’ve learned from participating in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) for the first time.

1.    Be on the lookout for the next idea – constantly!

Having the goal of generating thirty picture book ideas in thirty days is a huge challenge, one that forces you to constantly be on the look out for the next idea. If you’re not paying attention you’ll miss that idea as it whizzes by! And an effective incentive is the possibility of winning some of those amazing prizes; that was a big motivator keeping me on the idea lookout! (Personally, I’m hoping for either a manuscript critique or the book ‘Wherever You Go’, which I first heard about from publisher Connie Hsu at the SCBWI Sydney conference and put it straight on my wish list).

2.    Be open to ALL ideas

If you’re anything like me, you are your hardest critic. Every idea that enters your mind gets pummeled through the ‘Is it good enough?’ ‘Is it different?’ ‘Is it workable?’ sieve. I eventually learned to write down everything. So what if twenty nine ideas are utterly terrible? Perhaps I needed to write down those twenty nine bad ideas to find the one incredible idea. Looking on the bright side, recognising the fact that those twenty nine ideas aren’t so good is necessary for my growth and improvement as a writer. Writing those twenty nine stinking stories helped me hone my writing skills, discover new ways of writing, and look at things from a different perspective. No writing is ever wasted. And, likewise, no idea generating is ever wasted either.

3.    Think like a child

As much as I still identify with the child within, I’m realising more and more how often I think and talk ‘adult’. I listened carefully to the crazy stuff my daughters came out with. I found myself completely intrigued by the way they think, the honest and uninhibited way they speak, their language, their questions, the things that are most important or frustrating to them. Even though I’ve (obviously) been a child myself, it was over twenty five years ago! We all need a fresh reminder to open up to the inner child and dream, imagine, wonder, question, think… like a child.

4.    See the world through child eyes

To think like a child, it helps to see the world through a child’s eyes. Allow yourself to feel scared at the crack of thunder, safe having a cuddle, content licking an icecream, tiny under the vast sky, invincible in a superhero cape. Get down on a child’s level. That tree looks twice as BIG, that dark bedroom looks twice as menacing, that waterslide looks twice as long and ten times as much fun! Stop yourself often and ask, ‘How would a child see this place?’

5.    Look and Listen! Take in everything from the kids in your life.

Pay attention! Inspiration is everywhere, especially if you have kids around! Watch them. Listen to them. What makes them giddy with excitement? What makes them tremble in fear? What are the quirky sayings you hear thrown your way (or another way but you caught it because you were paying attention)? And if you don’t have kids, borrow some! Nieces, nephews, grandchildren, a friend’s children… contact with kids is crucial!

6.    Allow yourself ‘Thinking Time’

To truly let ideas take root and sprout into wonderful stories, you have to give yourself the thinking space needed! Whether that be while you go for a walk, lie in bed at night, or sit on the deck with a glass of wine, it’s a must! Make the time for it and be rid of any guilts you have for not ‘working’, because you most definitely are!

7.    Record it immediately

Write down each idea that flits your way – straight away! Always carry a notepad and pen and keep one on your bedside table… seriously, what’s with ideas striking in the middle of the night?

Siri has become my new best friend during PiBoIdMo. I’ve been seen numerous times telling Siri to ‘Add to Notes’, while I’m driving, doing dishes, hanging washing, you name it. It’s such an easy way to record an idea when you’re in the middle of something!

8.    Write when you can

We all hear the popular advice for writers: Write everyday! As important as this is to improve your writing skills, life also gets ridiculously busy, kids get sick, newborns keep you up all night, the house needs cleaning and the clothes need washing. I’ve learned to forgive myself for those days that I don’t even think about writing and to dismiss the guilt.

I’m not saying that having a writing plan is not important, because it is! Sometimes life gets so busy that if we don’t make the time to write, it won’t happen. I’ve heard some writers advise finding twenty minutes a day to write. Personally, I find I work best when I can have a solid amount of time to write. So rather than twenty minutes every day, I arrange writing time where my husband takes the kids for a special  ‘dad date’ frequently and I have a whole morning (or more!) to myself and my imagination. And I also grab those hours that pop up here and there during the week! 

9.    Think positively!

The more you say something, the more you believe it. If your inner talk is saying things like ‘You can’t do this’, ‘You’re not a writer’, ‘You’ll never get published’, it won’t take long before you believe it and give up. Persistence and positivity is the key!

10. Let your characters take on a life of their own!

Don’t think you have to be in ‘control’ of your characters constantly. Let them take on a life of their own, think their own thoughts, get up to their own shenanigans! I know this sounds strange, but draw or print a picture of what you think your character looks like. Watch them. What might they think and do? Consider their personality. Ask them what their strengths and weaknesses are. What do they desperately want? Not only will this set you up for fantastic characterisation, it will also assist in creating a character-driven story.

11. Bonus

The biggest thing I’ve learned is to jump out of my comfort zone. It might only start with a tiny step and then another, but eventually I'll end up a jump away from where I started! Instruction, inspiration and improvement is inevitable when you push yourself out of the norm and get involved in the many programs available to writers.

 
A BIG thank you to Tara Lazar for organising PiBoIdMo. 
I’ll definitely be back next year!

A little over a month ago, I attended my first SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) conference.

After months of anticipation (and a few nerves too), I packed my bag and headed off to Sydney.

Wow! What an experience!

With sessions presented by published authors, illustrators, publishers, and more, I admit to feeling completely out of my depth. A fish out of water! But, oh, how I loved it.

I learnt so much about the complex intricacies of the industry, the difficult and involved process of having a manuscript accepted for publication, the long road to actual publication, and the intense task of marketing afterwards.

Between the informative sessions, I had the opportunity to meet and mingle with others in the industry. For one who’s somewhat shy in a social setting, I found the networking aspect of the conference quite intimidating. It ended up being a rewarding experience, as a number of acquaintances and friends were made in the process.

To my amusement, I found myself rather starstruck a number of times. The first time was when I realized I was sitting directly behind Bruce Whatley, Illustrator Extraordinnaire! Another time was meeting the hugely successful and talented Kathryn Otoshi from the United States. And finally, meeting the lovely publisher Maryann Ballantyne from Black Dog Books and receiving a manuscript critique. She gave me insightful and helpful pointers on my manuscripts and suggestions for future writing. 

Did any of these experiences deflate my enthusiasm? Quite the opposite!

So, is it such a bad thing to feel like a fish out of water? No, some fish can fly, I reasoned. Just as Flying Fish use their fins as wings to fly, I'll use what I have (passion, potential and perseverance) to not only enter the writing world, but to get comfy in it!

A good time with new friends.

Kathryn Otoshi with her inspiring book 'One'.

Pamela Rushby launching her new book 'The Ratcatcher's Daughter'.

Peter Taylor, a member from my writing critique group 
'Write Links', launching his new picture book at the conference, 'Once a Creepy Crocodile'.

Front row seats for a session in conversation with publishers and editors.

Queensland delegates and Brisbane Write Links members at the SCBWI 2014 conference.