January Meeting Notes: Eric Witchey

High Functioning Critique Groups

Highly functioning critique groups have changes in leadership and spawn high-functioning careers in writing.

The purpose of a critique group is to analyze (critique) not criticize. Usually the analytic skills in the group are only as good as the best writers in the group.

It’s important not to go to a critique group to get your story fixed. Go to analyze others material. If there is not enough material, choose a chapter from a book and analyze that.

There are two reasons why a critique group will self-destruct: Success and failure.

Success can destroy a critique group because when someone succeeds. With impending deadlines from editors/agents, the successful author can’t focus on other writers’ works because they are too busy. On the other side, jealous from other writers in the group can rise out of this and cause resentment and a refusal to help the successful writer.

Failure can destroy a critique group. If writers don’t feel closer to their goals, they will leave. This can happen when other writers stop bringing work to analyze and turn the critique session into a social hour instead.

The secret to a high functioning group is to celebrate small successes. Keep the professionals at the table by congratulating and rewarding them when they sell and keep the unpublished writers by rewarding them for meeting their goals.

The most effective critique group does the following:

1) Submit material in advance

2) Give the material an initial read, then leave material for a few days.

3) Go back and read again and take notes.

4) Meet at group with a minute or two a piece to talk about the most important points in the material.

Some other things to keep in mind when you’re analyzing:

1) Utilize other writer’s genres. Even if you don’t write romance, you may have a love interest in your story.

2) Know the goal of any piece of writing. Make it an exercise to find the goal of other writer’s piece because it will help with your own writers.

3) Know the emotional goal of how it will affect the reader emotionally.

Critique Group Schematics:

1) According to studies, the ideal group is 6-12 people, but two deeply committed people can be sufficient. When there are more than 15 people, the meetings need to be clear.

2) Someone in the group is in charge, but everyone anticipates running the group. It is normal for the critique group to deteriorate to a comfortable activity. Professional writing is not a place to be comfortable. Everyone has to stretch their skills. Put different people in charge so that everyone respects the process.

3) Set a quota at a reasonable level (a novel a year, three stories a year), but you don’t want to overburden your membership. There needs to be a minimum level of production. Usually, the people that cause trouble don’t make their quotas.

4) Add some diversity: Do not have the same personality types/religious views/etc. Diversity helps add depth to the text by bringing an alternate perspective. It is important to find as many different perspectives as you can.

Once you’ve completed revisions and taken your work to a critique group, put it in the mail. You can learn more of the writing process a lot faster by writing another story rather than rewriting the same story over and over and over again. It’s important to remember that there is a direct relationship between the number of stories produced and the success of the writer.

Eric M. Witchey has sold over 50 short stories and a novel into national and international markets. His stories have appeared in multiple genres under several names. His How-to articles have appeared in The Writer Magazine, Writer's Digest Magazine, and other print and on-line magazines. He has won awards and recognition from a number of organizations, including Writers of the Future, Writer's Digest, New Century Writers, and ralan.com. For more information, please go to http://www.ericwitchey.com/.

An Evening for Writer's Networking

Oregon Writers Colony presents:
An Evening for Writer's Networking
Thursday, April 23
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Coffee House Cafe
135 Liberty St NE
Salem, OR
(Free. OWC membership not required.)

Salem Chapter Critique Group Changing Venues

Salem Chapter Critique Group is moving to a new location. If you are interested in participating, you can now find us in the Green Room @ The Coffee House Café. We are a really great group and always looking for fresh new perspectives.

The Coffee House Café
135 Liberty St NE
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 371-6768

Any questions about the critique group, please contact Heather at HeatherJoyC@aol.com.

Open Mic Nite

For all poets and slam, spoken word type singers...

When: Every Thursday
Time: 7 - 10 pm
Place: @the Blue Pepper
Where: 241 Commercial St NESalem, Oregon 97301
Contact: Phone: (503) 371-4600 Fax: (503) 371-3825
email: bluepepperowner@qwest.net
http://bpepper1002.qwestoffice.net/

A Nite of Poetry

The Coffee House Café presents:

A Nite of Poetry

1st and 3rd Sundays of every month
7 – 9:30pm with your hosts:
Lucas Hill & Hannah Aia
(Suggested $3 donation)
And coming soon…
Poet of the Month

Also featured at the Coffee House Café:

A time to get together with other writers:
Writing prompts, workshops and feedback on your work
2nd and 4th Sundays of every month7 – 9:30pm

For more information contact:
Hannah Aia
hannahblythe6@hotmail.com