Hillary Clinton received some flack for her book It Takes A Village, however the African proverb upon which it is based, “It takes a village to raise a child,” has a profound truth: we will accomplish a task better with the help of others than we will alone.
This sentiment is especially true when the task at hand is writing a novel. For the most part, writers write alone and the journey, while exhilarating, is treacherous. Even when your draft is finished, the adventure is not over, but merely beginning.
I tried writing in a vacuum last year. I wrote the first draft of my current WIP; went back and “edited” it; tried to get friends or family to read it (no takers). Then I “polished” the sure winner. A colleague read the first five pages and loved it. So in March I queried. Low and behold, three days later, bang—a request for a full. Jubilation!
Fast-forward to August. Still waiting for a response from the agent who requested that full. So I started looking for info on her. And ran across an awesome website: AbsoluteWriteWaterCooler.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
Not only did they have all kinds of information on agents and publishers, they had forums where you could post your work and get critiqued. I bit, and though my first chapter wasn’t “trashed,” my eyes were suddenly opened to things I didn’t know I didn’t know about writing. Things I didn’t know about the business of writing. That site became my lifeline to making my dream come true.
Unfortunately, critiques there were limited. There was not a lot of romance being critiqued (and especially not historical romance); Query Hell was where it was happening. That was a good thing because reading massive amounts of queries and beginning attempts at critiquing helped me focus on how to use language to my best advantage.
Again, I began to believe that the WIP was ready. But this time I was cautious.
Someone suggested I join an online crit group, so I Googled “romance online critique group” and the first thing to pop up was Romance Critters. Sounded like a winner to me. And was I ever right!
Rom Critters became my “village.” Because that poor little WIP was still nowhere near ready. But my Crit Partners took the time and effort to critique it thoroughly and explain what it meant to “show not tell;” clarify what the heck a “character arc” was; enlighten me about “repeated pronoun usage” (my personal downfall). These talented writers helped me “raise” my child from the gangly youth it was in November, to the solid citizen for which I just confidently (well, mostly confidently) sent out queries.
Critique partners are the writer’s lifeblood. They are the people who will tell you the truth you don’t want to hear instead of the lie you do. They are the ones who take time from their own writing to help you make yours better. They are the friends who encourage you when you have a bad day, who commiserate when you get that rejection letter, who celebrate when you get a request, win a contest, publish a book or short story. They are family you grow to love but may never meet.
If you have not joined an online critique group, you might want to consider that step. Not only will the group’s critiques help your writing but, even more valuable, your critiques of their works will strengthen your understanding of how good writing is crafted.
Within the writing community, it really does take a village, with its many helping hands, to make writers’ dreams come true.
The following links have helpful information if you are considering joining an online or face-to-face critique group:
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/critique.shtml
http://www.the-writers-craft.com/writing-critique-groups.html
What has your experience been with critique groups? Share a comment about your “village.”
A BIG “SHOUT OUT” FROM JENNA
TO ALL THE AWESOME ROMANCE CRITTERS:
YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY ROCK!!
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
If it weren’t for Rom-Critters I wouldn’t have found my CP, AJ. And the counteless other critters who helped mold my MS and voice over the past year and a half. I’ve pulled back from some critique groups and focused soley on writing and my local Philly writing group. But I must give credit where credit is due. Rom-critters got me here.
All critique groups are different. At one time I belonged to four. Now I have my steady CP, my local writers, and one small Yahoo group of six women who write love stories, not necessarily traditional romance. Like anything, you grow out of things and they too grow out of you. But without my CP’s I wouldn’t be here, jabbering away.
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So glad you stopped by, Charli! We’ve missed you. But happy that you’re still writing strong. Sometimes we do need a break, need to re-focus our energy and channel it into those things that are best for us, to make our goals and dreams a reality. Four crit groups is a lot! Rom-Critters alone keeps me busier than I should be, but at my stage of development right now it’s the lifeline my for writing. Come back soon!
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Jenna,
You are so right! Romcritters has been an extended family for me, a joyous group to be a part of no matter what genre of romance you write.
AnneN
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One really great thing for me has been the variety of romance that I’ve been priviledged to read over the past months. I had never read sci-fi/fantasy romance, little paranormal, and absolutely no erotica! My education in the genre is growing in leaps and bounds! Thanks for stopping by, Anne. Take care.
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I am really excited for you, JJ. I think you’re pretty close to scoring the big A. I met a really good friend on RC, (waving, Sheri) but they aren’t my primary crit group. But I really love the closeness over there and the friends I’ve made. A good crit group is like gold. A bad one is like tarnished copper.
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That is certainly true, D’Ann. Although RC is my only crit group at present, I have been in other organizations that have not worked out well. Those experiences can leave a bad taste in your mouth and a distrust of other groups you then have to overcome. Thanks for sharing!
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Amen! Once you get past your bruised ego and realize how much there is to learn from critiques it is so worthwhile!
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No pain, no gain, right? Although it is hard sometimes to take criticism–especially about something you care so much about–if you do care about what you write, you learn to accept that you can’t write perfectly and do what’s best for the work.
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I am so glad I joining Rom-Critters…such a great group of scribes, and awesome support…I don’t know what I would do without them. Been a great journey, and I plan on sticking around for a while
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Good deal, Duckie. It is an amazing group. So supportive. Thanks for stopping by.
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Cps rock! I don’t know where I would be without them!
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Cps rock! Without them I don’t know where I’d be!!
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Critique groups are particularly good when you’re new to the process (agents, publishers, queries, synopses, etc.), or when you’re writing into a new genre. Rom-Critters, in particular, is a wonderful forum.
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They have certainly been an answer to my prayers. I hope everyone can benefit as much as I have.
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Invaluable help. Great people. Godsend. Thanks for the post, Jenna.
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Thanks for coming by, Kary. You’ve made a big impact in a short time. Looking forward to great times ahead.
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Critique groups are so necessary. The story may be so clear in my head, but not so clear on paper. But can I tell? No, not when I wrote the thing! The mind has an annoying habit of filling in the blanks–the same blanks that aren’t apparent to everyone else.
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It is so hard to get perspective when you are staring the work right in the face. That’s why you need other pairs of eyes to stand back and help you see. Thanks for stopping by, Lisa.
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“They are family you grow to love but may never meet.”
Love it!
Carrie O.
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Thanks for stopping by, Carrie. Glad you’re part of my “village.”
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Hurray for Rom-Critters! Without this bunch of writing pros (and they all are, each in their own way), my dejected ego would have dried up and blown away. Great to hear about your success story, Jenna Jaxon!! Way to go!
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Thanks, Sheri. Yes, they are a godsend. No two ways about it.
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