Critiques – Page 5 – Joseph Carrabis, Author Blog

Writers Groups – Critiquing Methods – The Month Long Read

You’ve had it a month and all you can offer is “You use the word ‘blue’ a lot”?

This is the third installment of a thread covering critiquing methods I’ve encountered in my writing career. This post discusses a critiquing method wherein participants receive copies of work ahead of time (usually a month), read it, comment in writing, then meet to share their thoughts and suggestions once per month at which time they also provide the author with their written comments.

Review
Finding a critique group that’s good for you is based on one question:

What is your goal/reason for being in a critique group?

My goal is simple and direct; improve my storytelling and storycrafting/increase my skill levels/learn my craft.

Participants have a month to read and comment on a manuscript. No reading during the group (except for example purposes)
Most of my experience comes from groups like this. The majority of the sessions are devoted to critiquing. Socializing occurs after the critiquing session (although people often bring shareable munchies because the sessions are held in private homes or reserved rooms in libraries, et cetera).

The good is that people have had a month to read, comment, review their comments, come up with solutions to what they consider a problem, …, the negative is that people will get used to your style, genre, et cetera (something I mentioned in Writers Groups – Critiquing Methods – Read ’em and Weep).

Let me share an anecdote to demonstrate this.
Continue reading “Writers Groups – Critiquing Methods – The Month Long Read”

Writers Groups – Critiquing Methods – Read ’em and Weep

You want readers familiar with your work, you don’t want critiquers familiar with your work

I previously discussed The 20 Page Whack critiquing method. This time I’ll focus on a critiquing method wherein one person reads a piece and then others, who haven’t read it previously nor read along as it’s being read, critique it.

Review
Finding a critique group that’s good for you is based on one question:

What is your goal/reason for being in a critique’ group?

I answered this question as it pertains to myself in Writers’ Groups – Introduction and The 20 Page Whack; improve my storytelling and storycrafting/increase my skill levels/learn my craft.

As mentioned previously, I’m discussing critiquing groups that meet monthly and of course, I’m discussing methodologies I’ve experienced.

Someone reads a piece and people critique it after it’s read. Nobody sees the material before it’s read.
Strong suggestion up front; Attend a few of these meetings before you read your work to them.
Continue reading “Writers Groups – Critiquing Methods – Read ’em and Weep”

Writers Groups – Critiquing Methods – The 20 Page Whack

A formidable method that’s off-putting at first (to me, anyway)

Long ago and far away I mentioned writing something about my experiences in different writers’ groups.

Okay, I mentioned it as the last line in Writers’ Groups – Critiques. I’ve been a little busy and I’m getting back to it now.

Finding a critique group (different from writers’ group in my mind. A writers’ group has a purely social agenda. A critique group has a work agenda) that’s good for you is based on one question:

What is your goal/reason for being in a critique group?

Continue reading “Writers Groups – Critiquing Methods – The 20 Page Whack”

Joseph Carrabis – It’s Autobiography…I swear!

Quite the Life (and all in Times New Roman 10pt!)

Hello all and welcome to our first February Author Interview Plunge. Today we’ll be talking with…umm…me! I finally get my go at this with Jennifer “The Editress” Day at the helm! Feel free to give me (and Jennifer) a big round of applause for taking part in our exciting adventure.

I’m boring and dull

Continue reading “Joseph Carrabis – It’s Autobiography…I swear!”

Revisiting Jill Nelson’s “Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View”

Where’d that gun come from? And watch where you’re lookin’, lady.

I reviewed Jill Nelson’s “Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View” previously and still give the book high marks.

I highlighted several concepts and dogeared several pages during my first read. The book stayed on my desk and I kept getting closer and closer to a reread.

Rereading is a Josephism. I often reread books that I learn from or enjoy, a dog sucking the last bit of marrow from a bone.

I mentioned in that previous review that Nelson’s examples could be better, that there were some I had to work at to understand and in truth, even after considerable work some didn’t make sense.

Last night, during a reread, my diligence prevailed and I found (what are to me) some logic holes.

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