My thoughts on Critique Partnerships

Lately I have been searching for good critique partners. The search is going well but has had its ups and downs and frustrations. So critiquing has been on my mind lately and of course around the web-verse. (See Brandon Sanderson's thoughts on writing groups and this great post about critiques.

So here are some of my personal thoughts. I phrased them as if I am talking to "you" - the potential, current, or past critique partner.

Please understand that I have drawn this list from personal experiences as well as research and the experiences of others. Also it is my personal requirements for critique partners. Not everyone is looking for the same thing.

8 Reasons I want to be your CP

1. You don't take it personally. You listen to everything I have to say, even the stupid irrelevant stuff, and don't take it personally. You appreciate my honesty.
2. You recognize that my suggestions are just that - suggestions. You discard at least some of what I say because it is not my story - it is yours.
3. Our opinions differ on some things. And I should add that we are okay with it and still get along. Differences of opinion can spark many an idea and highlight areas that need improvement (or clarification).
4. I enjoy reading your work. your voice, your style, or the stories you tell. It makes critiquing less of a chore and looking for the little details easier. When I am in a better mood - my comments are not as snarky.
5. You like what I write. In the basics - not like - ooooo it is so ready to publish right now! But overall you like reading what I write.
6. You realize that you can learn as much from me, as I can from you. Learning from each other is one of my favorite benefits of critique partnerships.
7. Reading through your comments gets me excited to write. After reading your feedback (good and bad) I can't wait to get back to work on my project. I itch to fix that problem, and glow over that prose you found so engrossing.
8. Reading your work gets me excited to write. Reading something that sparks my imagination always gets me thinking about my own writing. No matter if the works are related or not, reading good writing makes me want to produce good writing.

8 Reasons I won't be your Critique Partner

1. You can't handle the truth. In order for me to help you, I have to tell you the truth. Sometimes I won't like something. Or I will get confused. Or my opinion of a certain passage or character will not match yours. I am telling you my honest opinion. I won't sugar coat it for you.
2. You think everything I say is gospel. I am no more qualified to identify what makes great writing then you are. Just because I make a suggestion or a comment - doesn't mean you have to do it. I am just offering ideas and suggestions. I won't be offended if you totally disregard what I say. After all it is your story.
3. You think everything you say is gospel. Basically ditto to number 2 - just in reverse.
4. You feel the need to respond to my comments. This can either be defensively, or in an attempt to explain. If you are getting defensive please read number 2. If you are trying to explain - don't explain it to me. Explain it to the reader. I like the Brandon Sanderson says that the writer can't speak when others are giving feedback.
5. You take more then you give. I don't mean that equal give and take needs to be the case all the time. We all are at different points in our lives. I mean from the perspective of attitude. Are you going into this partnership only looking at what you can get out of it? Or what you can give as well?
6. You are afraid to be brutal. Trust me, I can take it. I want you to be brutal. That is how I learn and grow as a writer. Give it to me straight and I will sort though everything and decide what is best for my story.
7. You don't read my genre. There is some wiggle room on this one. But mostly, I find the most helpful suggestions come from people who read my genre. Especially since I write fantasy. This is because people who read fantasy have certain expectations (or lack there of). We are just kind of like that and it is hard to explain to non-fantasy readers.
8. I don't read your genre. Chances are if I don't read your genre - it is probably because I don't like it. And so I will be slanted that way from the beginning - just because I don't usually read your genre. This can also go for point of view and writing style, but on a lesser degree. It's nothing personal. It's just my preference as a reader.

Some Randomness about Numbers

I have this little quirk. I am weird about numbers. I like certain numbers and hate other numbers.

Numbers I like

• Even Numbers
• 5
• Multiples of 5
• Numbers with 8 in them
• 3
• Multiples of 3

Numbers I don't Like

• Any number that does not fall into the above parameters
• Numbers that have all the same digit. Like 22, 33, 444 and so on
• Numbers that end with 3
• Any other number I decide not to like

So now that you know this totally random and inconsequential (although hopefully interesting) tidbit about myself -

Do you have any little quirks?

What I Have Learned about Writers Block

Writers block, I think is different for everyone. It can have different causes and different remedies. Lately I have been struggling a lot with blockages and attempting to get through them. I thought I would share what I learned about my own personal writers block in case it is of any use to you.

Writers Block Cause #1: Exhaustion

If my brain or body or anything is tired - I can't write. I think it is because it requires energy to perform mental tasks (if only it burnt calories too!)

The Remedy
Sleep. Plain and simple. (However getting that sleep is not always that straight forward.)

Writers Block Cause #2: Stage Fright

This is the only title I could come up with for this cause. By 'stage fright' - I mean that feeling when you are getting ready to write (or revise) a very important scene and you are afraid it is going to fall flat. This what has been plaguing me the most lately.

The Remedy
Skip it and move on to something else. This is actually very difficult for me because I like to write and revise from start to finish. But learning to skip and move on is helping me power through the blocks.

Writers Block Cause #3: Disenchanted Feelings

This can be either losing interest or falling out of love with you WIP. Luckily this has not happened to me with this project (but it has happened in the past).

The Remedy

Shelve it. Forcing yourself to work on something that does not inspire you is going to be painful and will not be your best work. Set it aside and give it time to rest. Maybe all you need is a little distance.

Writers Block Cause #4: Shiny New Idea

When a new idea sparks your imagination it can be hard to continue with your current project. This is another thing that has been blocking me lately. I am still in love with my WIP - but this pesky new idea keeps nagging me.

The Remedy

Indulge yourself. I set a writing goal - and once I have met it I let myself work on my shiny new idea for a set amount of time. That way the shiny new ideas becomes a very tempting carrot and encourages me to make it through the block.

Writers Block Cause #5: Over Thinking

This kind of goes with stage fright. But is more a block because you don't know what to write and can't get the rusty wheels in your head to start turning and give you inspiration.

The Remedy

Distraction. I go onto iWriteNetwork to chat with writerly friends. Check facebook, turn on the TV, or even write a blog post :)

What have you learned about writers block from your own struggles

The Rules of Writing Part 4: Good Writing vs. Great Writing

First let me apologize about the tardiness of this post. It has been weighing on my mind and I was not sure how to proceed.

In Part 1 of this series I talked about three categories that the rules of writing fall under. In Part 2 I talked about best practices and in part 3 I talked about personal preferences.

This final installment I will discuss the final category - good writing versus great writing.

Great Writing

• Avoid using adverbs
• Have a tight POV
• Avoid using passive voice
• Avoid 'be' verbs
• Show don't tell
• Avoid cliches

The above list of 'rules' are some things that you can do to take your writing from good to great. Now, don't get me wrong, adverbs, passive voice, cliches and the like all have their place in our writing. We just need to be sure not to use them in excess.

Part of the reason it took me so long to write this installment of the series is because I kept trying to think of rules that made great writing. The above are some that I came up with. But you know what - they don't necessarily make your writing great.

So what does make writing great?

I thought back to some of my all time favorite books - the ones that I have read over and over again. I also thought of books whose popularity have stood the test of time. And you know what, they had three things in common:

Really Great Writing

• Tell a great story
• Have memorable characters
• Connection with and inspire the reader

Now, I don't think there are any 'rules' of writing that can teach us or help us to do these things. I think it comes with practice and experience. We need to learn the craft of forming words into sentences, sentences into chapters, and chapters into books. But more importantly we need to craft ourselves as story tellers. That is what makes great writing.

What do you think makes great writing?