Last week I talked a little about what makes a group critique group. Today, I’m going to address how you go about finding a critique group. Here are five ways to get started.
1. Check with your local writing center or public library. Can you make a flyer and hang an announcement? Is there a class being offered soon that might be populated with the right kind of people?
2. Join SCBWI! If you’re writing for children and young adults that is. After joining, you can contact your region’s critique group coordinator and see what groups might be in your area.
3. Go to a conference. Stalk people around you. The first critique group I was ever in was one I formed after attending the Midsouth regional conference. At one point in the conference, we were divided into groups and passed around copies of picture book manuscripts and then we took turns offering up feedback. I paid attention to which people I thought gave excellent feedback and I emailed them later to see if they wanted to start a group. In addition to the regional SCBWI conferences, there are lots of other great ones. Rutgers has a neat mentoring program. Highlights offers some fabulous retreats. Check out the Writing Barn and see what’s going on when.
4. Look online. Do some googling to see if you find writing groups that are local to you. Go to the blue boards (formerly Verla Kay, now SCBWI) and see if anyone is looking for a critique partner.
5. Join SCBWI. I can’t say that enough.
Finding a critique group is the first step. Maybe you’ll join a group that’s already in existence, and thus you’ll be following along with their rules. But maybe you’ll be forming one from scratch. How do you do that? Where should you start? Next Tuesday I’ll offer up some tips about just that thing.