I view my writing as a job I use that term loosely. Though I derive some income directly from my writing, like most authors, I also have a day job to help pay the bills. Few authors earn enough money through their writing alone to fully support themselves and their families. The vast majority have […]
Tag: critiques
I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve received very little rejection from the articles I’ve written. In fact, aside from contests, I haven’t won and a few editors who never responded, I can’t recall a single time I’ve heard “No!” But that’s just for articles. For books, my results are different. Half the time, I hear […]
I’m a big advocate of writing critique groups. My group has moved me forward as a writer and improved the quality of my work. And everyone who attends regularly has improved, too. We encourage one another, celebrate our victories, and never have to struggle alone. Plus, they’re a great group to hang out with. However, […]
Two weeks ago I asked the question, do you have a writing community? Although a writing community can be a haphazard hodgepodge of writing connections, an intentional solution will likely offer the best type of community. But what might a structured writing community look like and do? The answer covers a gambit of options. Here […]
When I speak at writers’ conferences, I sometimes offer a free critique to the people who attend my sessions. It’s an offer I don’t make casually and one I take most seriously. Unlike a critique group, where a piece is read once and members share their initial thoughts, I spend an hour or more considering […]
Categories
My Writing Goals for 2013
Last year, I posted my writing goals for 2012. They were: How did I do? My dissertation was finished and approved and my website was completely overhauled. I did complete the draft of one book (though not the one I intended) and started book two. Though I have had some informal interaction with agents, I […]
Categories
Five Types of Critiques
I’m part of multiple critique groups (yeah, they’re that important) and receive all manner of feedback, from good to bad, helpful to hurtful. They fall into five general categories: 1) Unhelpful: Let’s start with this one and get it out of the way. Some critique partners don’t provide useful information. The reasons are numerous, but […]
Categories
How to Improve as a Writer
I recently read a piece I wrote a short five months ago—an article I worked hard to perfect—and was shocked. It wasn’t that my writing was bad; it was that I’ve improved in the intervening time. For most of my life writing has been something I did as part of my job; it was secondary. […]
Peter DeHaan and Jerry Barrett have started a writers critique group, Kalamazoo Christian Writers (KCW), based in Kalamazoo Michigan. The first meeting was held on July 11 at The Point, a non-profit community center located on the west side of Kalamazoo. KCW materials passed out at the inaugural meeting state, “Though this is a Christian […]
Categories
Writer’s Critique Group Forming
Earlier this year, my buddy and I started attending a writers’ critique group. It has been beneficial to us, offering encouragement, affirmation, and correction. Unfortunately, it takes us an hour to get there—and even longer when the weather is bad. Though we will remain connected with that group, we are also starting our own writers’ […]