The Importance of a Critique Partner

Writing a novel from beginning to end is a long, rewarding journey. As the author, you must create characters, world build and develop a plot. And then you have to put them all together so that they interact well and make sense. But how do you know your characters are true to themselves? Or that your plot isn't flat? Or that your dialogue isn't stilted? Or that the situations you place your characters in are believable? This is where a critique partner comes in. She, or he, reads your work and tells you, honestly and as a neutral party, what is working and what isn't. She will catch your spelling and punctuation mistakes, and she will make you rewrite a scene until she feels it's believable, keeps the plot flowing and is at its absolute best. Sometimes she might change a word to something you don't like or agree with, but that's okay. You don't have to accept a minor change. But the best part about having her in your corner--she's always there when you need her.

I hit a snag in my current work and last night, Stacey came through for me. We brainstormed for an hour about what I could or couldn't do at this point in the story. I have to tell you, not only was this the most fun I've had in a week, it was the most creative. Stacey jump-started my muse and the ideas flowed--hers and mine. We bounced scenarios off each other, dissected the characters and their motives, and the plot and came up with something good, something believable and something that can work for the hero and heroine. I was so excited after we'd logged off for the night that today I sat down and outlined a chapter--something I very rarely do but the momentum and the ideas just wouldn't let go.

So if you've got a critique partner, count her as one of your blessings. She's like an angel sent from above to make your life that much better. And if you don't have a critique partner, find one. Not only will you have someone to catch those pesky little mistakes, you'll have a friend for life. I know I have a friend for life in Stacey.