Hello, writer friends! I haven't posted in quite some time. I've been editing and being pretty low key on the social media front. I figured if I didn't have anything super exciting to blog about, I'd keep my mouth shut :)
But! I have been wanting to share about recently getting official crit partners (CPs) for the first time. It's pretty much common knowledge that you should work with other writers to edit your work. But it's really hard to find a good fit, and for years I avoided anything other than a small trade-off of pages with a trusted fellow writer here and there. However, when fellow writer and blogger Don Hammons posted about starting a group, I figured I'd give it a shot. I had known Don for a while through blogging, and his awesome annual Write Club contests, and it seemed like the right time. And I've loved it!
We have a small group of eight writers, and we each post 10 pages for critique in a DropBox account every couple of weeks. We also have meetings via Facebook chat every couple weeks. It's been really great, and it's invaluable to get those extra pairs of eyes! It really is amazing to see what others discover that you didn't see because you wrote it and it makes sense in your head - but not to everybody else! Or just the little things, like how one of my characters apparently shrugs all the damn time, LOL. Anyways, it's been awesome and I've polished up my latest WIP so I can start querying. I feel SO much more confident about that knowing that my CPs think it's ready, too. We all know there are no guarantees with agents and publishers, but I feel a whole lot better having vetted it through my group.
So, do you have CPs? What have been your experiences with them? And as always, I hope everyone is doing great!
Of course you know I have CPs because you're one of them. WOOT! You're right that it's wonderful getting insight from another set of eyes noticiing something that passed you by no matter how many times you read it :-)
ReplyDeleteWoot indeed! You rock!
DeleteThat's awesome you're involved in DL's group.
ReplyDeleteI've always had a couple critique partners for each book. Three seems a good number. And they are hilarious. Their comments never bother or anger me because I'm too busy laughing.
Congratulations! It sounds like the group is really working for you and that's so awesome.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alexia. Sounds like you are a part of a great critique group.
ReplyDeleteA good group really makes a difference. It took be five years to find the right fit. Keep tracking, Alexia. You're awesome! :)
ReplyDelete*High five* We CP's rock, right? (Even if we are absent for a whole month. *sigh*) There isn't much more valuable that other sets of eyes and people who are invested in you and your success. =)
ReplyDeleteUnleashing the Dreamworld