Challenges of a Critique Group by Tammy Euliano

When I first decided to start writing, I joined my local Writers’ Alliance and was placed in an existing critique group. This was pre-Covid and we met in person at the library. The group was…eclectic, including a 70+ year old former University professor writing a memoir, a woman of similar vintage writing cozy short stories (or at least she apparently had in the past, she wasn’t currently writing), a retired English teacher who had a thing for punctuation and Oxford commas, a 40s year old man writing a sci-fi superhero robot fantasy, and a 20 year old kid writing something within a videogame. The latter insisted on naming people with unpronounceable words that included numbers and other keyboard characters – they would make great passwords, but not much else. None of us was published. Very much the blind leading the blind. Blinder still because of the mish-mash of genres and the fact that I came in in the middle of their manuscripts and no one had anything resembling a synopsis…or knew the word synopsis (including me).

Soon after I joined, the two oldest members dropped out (I’m calling that a coincidence). Then the English teacher and video-game-dude started taking umbrage with each other’s critiques (guess which of them called it umbrage). A couple meetings later, threats were exchanged. I missed the next meeting and soon after received an email asking whether I was comfortable with our youngest member remaining in the group after he went over the table to physically attack the comma policeman. Needless to say, I dropped out of that critique group.

I tried a few on-line groups that lasted anywhere from weeks to months. We didn’t meet, or even Zoom back then, just emailed critiques back and forth. Not bad, but nothing really clicked for me. I tried another group but they were mostly literary and wrote stories where I kept suggesting that something needed to happen. They kicked me out. I tried Savvy Authors' critique partner speed-dating, and swapping chapters and whole manuscripts with people I met at meetings, but nothing lasted more than a few swaps.

Then two things happened: ITW (International Thriller Writers) decided to start a critique group system and I volunteered to be one of the founding members and facilitators, and Mystery Writers of America had room in a new critique group. I decided to do both.

My MWA group is all Florida-based mystery writers led by very successful cozy author, Cheryl Hollon, and includes the author of the Sin City Investigations series, JD Allen, as well as two unpublished but not inexperienced authors who are writing mysteries. We submit 2500 words, critique each other’s submission with Track Changes in Word, then meet by zoom every other week to review the critiques. Four of us met in person once and are planning another weekend retreat next month.

Meanwhile, our ITW critique groups got off the ground after a very formal system was developed and approved (our leader is an attorney). The monthly group I facilitate is composed of all published thriller authors in various sub-genres from around the country (and Canada).

At last I’ve found the critique groups that are helping me become a better writer and that hopefully will stick together. The input I’m receiving is so insightful and is improving my manuscripts as I write. I’m also learning from reading these other authors’ words critically. So what’s different this time? I’m more experienced of course, so I know what I need from my partners; and my manuscripts start off a bit cleaner; and I lucked into great people. But I also find value in the fact we’re writing in and knowledgeable about the same genre.

No question there are benefits to reading widely. And writers of other genres have valuable input. Even readers or very early career writers, can provide useful insight. But for me, at the early stage of a new novel, having authors who know the genre and can advise about pacing and tropes and expectations, and put their comments in actionable terms is immensely powerful and helpful.

How about you? Any great critique group stories/warnings/successes?