Joining a Critique Group
Tips for how you can be a good group member.
Last time, we talked about the benefits of joining a critique group, and how to find one that suits your needs. Now it’s time to think about how you can be a good fit by finding out what the expectations and requirements are when submitting your work for critique.
One big way we can be a good group member is to know and understand the group guidelines. The group you are joining should have a document that outlines meeting times, submission requirements, including word counts or page limits, submission dates, formatting, and what content is allowed or not.
Respecting these instructions is the first step to getting started in a good way with the group, and I have found it is often a good idea to attend or sit in on the group for a meeting or two to get a feel for how the group operates.
Being respectful of the group is the single biggest way you can be a good critique group member.
The leader should be able to give you a document or direct you to a file with this information. If not, you asking about these few items will show that you are serious about being a helpful part of the group.
Being respectful of the start and end times of the group honors not just the leaders, but the other members. We’ve all been part of a meeting where that one person keeps asking questions long after the meeting time passed. Don’t be that person.
Most group leaders are leaders because they are eager to share their knowledge and help others, but if you want to discuss your work or ask additional questions, see if the leader or group member you wish to talk to is able to stay after the group dismisses. Or better yet, request a follow up meeting with them away from the normal group time. This honors the set times for the group.
Another thing you can do to ensure you are a good group member is submitting your work on time and within the word or page limits. Some in-person groups may need to limit the number of submissions due to time and resources. Getting your request in on time increases the chance you will be selected for review. Other groups allow as many people to bring work as want to. Either way, be sure to stay within the word count limits as this also respects the time allotted for each person who submits their work.
Sometimes, when I am choosing a section of my story for the group, it is hard to keep it to our group’s limit at 1000 words and still convey the scene or present the issue I am struggling with. But, in order to respect the guidelines, being 100 words shy of the limit is better than being 100 words over. It can also be a good way to learn brevity in your writing.
This is an early lesson I learned when preparing a piece for submission. The length was supposed to be 1000 words, and the section I wanted to bring was just over 1200 words. By tightening my prose and eliminating phrases or descriptions that were unnecessary, I was able to get the section under the limit, and my writing improved before I even got to the meeting!
The next thing to look at are the formatting guidelines. A good place to start is 12pt courier new or times new roman font, double spaced. There is no need to be fancy with headings or the fonts. It should be easy to read and look professional.
If you are submitting a file online as a Google Doc or uploading a word file, you’ll also want title your work the way the guidelines request. This keeps the files organized and easy to find for the group leader and other members, and identifies the piece as yours.
If you are bringing printed copies, having your name, the title of the piece, and a chapter or section number at the top of the page helps the other members know whose work they are reading.
If it is in the middle of a larger work, you can provide a short paragraph or two to orient the group in the story or give them information that might be missing for context. Keep it as short and concise as possible with only the information necessary for this section of your work. They don’t need a list of characters or settings that aren’t relevant to what they are reading.
And finally, be aware of any content rules. Many groups at least ask for a warning on anything that could be considered ‘adult’ content. That covers a wide variety of topics not just sexual or sensual scenes. Abuse of any kind, drug or alcohol usage, violence, horror, foul language, and death are just a few. Some groups may be fine with all of them, other groups may restrict them all. It is better to ask or leave it out if you aren’t sure. And almost always, a trigger warning is requested if your work contains any of these so that any individual group member can opt out of reading it if they wish to.
Rules and guidelines can seem restrictive, but they are for the best interest of the group as a whole, and they vary widely. One group I am in has a 1000 word limit and another allows up to 5000 words. Being respectful of the group is the single biggest way you can be a good critique group member. If you aren’t sure what they are, ask. The leader will appreciate your desire to follow the guidelines.
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