Comments on: Question: How Do I Find People to Give Feedback?

By: denniscass

denniscass — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:15:39 +0000

@Amber:

Me too. I have some cringe-inducing memories of old writing groups.

By: Amber L Argyle

Amber L Argyle — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:40:50 +0000

I’ve made many of these mistakes myself.
Thanks,
Amber

By: Question: How Do I Find an Agent for My “Usual” Book? « Dennis Cass Wants You To Be More Awesome

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:24:20 +0000

[...] happy to help, but I’m no substitute for a group of like-minded peers. We recently discussed ways to find people to give you feedback on your work. Writers who are ready to publish or are starting to get published might not need the feedback, but [...]

By: Kid Brother

Kid Brother — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:45:20 +0000

This is probably the best advice I’ve ever heard about getting/giving advice and so I’m sharing it with you guys. My last creative writing teacher told the class that even if you don’t agree with what someone’s criticism of a piece of your story, it still means that there’s something wrong with it, even if they couldn’t articulate it. Sometimes it takes a few tries for us to really figure out what we don’t like about a piece, and it’s important to keep that in mind.

As for finding readers, I’ve been extremely lucky with that, so I can’t really say much, but I will say that you have to keep an open mind. Sometimes it’s the random guy that you end up talking to at the bar that can give you the best comments. Or it’s the one girl in your creative writing class that you didn’t think could read who will cut to the core of what you’re trying to say. So it’s important to keep an open mind.

- Kid

By: bets

bets — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:22:46 +0000

I’ve been very lucky with my critters and betas. I have everyone from fellow editors to people I rarely agree with (there are gems there, though people!) to a good friend who’s a best selling author.

I’d add Honesty to the list. I tend to over crit–meaning, I put too much down. But no one can accuse me of dishonesty. I temper it by making myself explain why, at least to myself, I think there’s an issue with something.

I also try (!) to point out good stuff. We learn from what we did well as much as seeing the bad.

But mostly, I have learned far more from doing critiques (and editing) than I have from getting them. In this, it truly is better to give than receive.

By: denniscass

denniscass — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:14:39 +0000

Meetup is a fine idea. I had forgotten all about that site.

Meetup + Kindness = Feedback Success

By: Frank Marcopolos

Frank Marcopolos — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:06:56 +0000

I found my writing group through meetup.com, and I’m extremely happy with it. You may want to try that site or any others that may be similar in trying to link up people with similar interests in the same geographic areas.

By: denniscass

denniscass — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:08:25 +0000

I feel for the geographically isolated and the reserved.

Thanks goodness for the internet.

If anyone has any (positive) stories to share about finding crit groups online, I’m all ears.

If I get good stuff that’s easily worth a post.

By: JES

JES — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:59:33 +0000

Very timely for me. Thanks.

I’m not really in a position to take a class. And asking around cafes and such in hopes of finding readers or crit groups feels a little too much like Edward Cullen hanging around the parking lot after dark… in hopes of meeting someone “useful.”

So I’ll probably look to online communities I’m already a part of. An inherent level of mutual trust, y’know?