Find Your Tribe by Felice Stevens
When I first started writing I belonged to a critique group. Every week, we'd share a set number of pages, usually several chapters of our WIP and critique them for plot, structure, active vs. passive voice, etc. It was hard sometimes to get the criticism back and to see my colleagues, whose opinions I respected, tell me that something I thought was brilliant....wasn't. LOL.
But seriously, getting honest, critical feedback was so important and I know it made me a better writer. We had rules-never be hurtful, be kind but honest. Telling someone the book is wonderful and it's the best book ever, is not helpful. But ripping work to shreds isn't good either. It takes finesse and a delicate hand to become a good critique partner. Writing isn't stagnant—every book should be better than the last and we are constantly moving forward to get better, do better, be better.
Even more importantly than the critique itself was that in that process, I found a group of authors who became a support system. We formed on-line chat groups and cheered each other on when we submitted our books to agents and editors, commiserated at rejections and broke open the virtual champagne when each of us signed a contract. They were the ones I turned to when I needed a pick me up on a bad writing day, or when I'd see something on the internet that made me want to scream. When I had a breakthrough on a point in my WIP that gave me trouble, they celebrated with me.
But people come and go and some friendships died a natural death, not because of any falling out, but because we'd shifted direction and perspective. Luckily for me, I retained a few special friends and four years later we are still going strong, although we no longer exchange our chapters for critique. And I found new friends within the MM romance community. It took a while to find authors who meshed with my particular brand of silly, but these friendships are like a life line now. We can bitch and moan and be real. We can talk about craft and share the latest publishing news we've read. We can brainstorm and show our covers and ask for opinions and talk about everything under the sun.
Having people as a support system is such a critical part of the creative process, at least for me. Writing is a solitary business, but I love bouncing ideas off of my friends and hearing why they think something will or won't work. Funny enough, sometimes they remember my characters better than I do and will say, "You can't do that because it won't work with X's storyline."
So I guess what this rambling post is about is, find your tribe, no matter what you do. You never know when that tentative outreach could blossom into a life long friendship that extends way beyond simply writing.
I hope you have a great week, and happy reading!!
But seriously, getting honest, critical feedback was so important and I know it made me a better writer. We had rules-never be hurtful, be kind but honest. Telling someone the book is wonderful and it's the best book ever, is not helpful. But ripping work to shreds isn't good either. It takes finesse and a delicate hand to become a good critique partner. Writing isn't stagnant—every book should be better than the last and we are constantly moving forward to get better, do better, be better.
Even more importantly than the critique itself was that in that process, I found a group of authors who became a support system. We formed on-line chat groups and cheered each other on when we submitted our books to agents and editors, commiserated at rejections and broke open the virtual champagne when each of us signed a contract. They were the ones I turned to when I needed a pick me up on a bad writing day, or when I'd see something on the internet that made me want to scream. When I had a breakthrough on a point in my WIP that gave me trouble, they celebrated with me.
But people come and go and some friendships died a natural death, not because of any falling out, but because we'd shifted direction and perspective. Luckily for me, I retained a few special friends and four years later we are still going strong, although we no longer exchange our chapters for critique. And I found new friends within the MM romance community. It took a while to find authors who meshed with my particular brand of silly, but these friendships are like a life line now. We can bitch and moan and be real. We can talk about craft and share the latest publishing news we've read. We can brainstorm and show our covers and ask for opinions and talk about everything under the sun.
Having people as a support system is such a critical part of the creative process, at least for me. Writing is a solitary business, but I love bouncing ideas off of my friends and hearing why they think something will or won't work. Funny enough, sometimes they remember my characters better than I do and will say, "You can't do that because it won't work with X's storyline."
So I guess what this rambling post is about is, find your tribe, no matter what you do. You never know when that tentative outreach could blossom into a life long friendship that extends way beyond simply writing.
I hope you have a great week, and happy reading!!
No comments have been added yet.
