4 Reasons You Need a Critique Group

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For the next month, I’ll periodically blog about the gifts that you can give yourself as a writer. One of the most valuable is a critique group or accountability group.

One – A Critique Group is There for You

Even if your family is supportive, there are going to be things they don’t understand. The same holds true for your non-writing friends.

I know this because my husband is super supportive. Every time I question myself or my work, he is there for me. But every once in a while, he says something that raises my hackles. The worst was when he told me that it would be lot more efficient if I could just focus and get everything done in one draft. No rewrites.

I nearly used my keyboard on him. Not to worry. It’s cordless. I wouldn’t have yanked anything off the desk. But the members of your critique group have been where you are. They get the joys and the pain. You need someone who understands.

Two – When Your Perspective Is Shot

It might be a rejection letter that just sets you off. Or an offer that seems to good to be true, but you can’t see that. Because they want you and your work!

The beauty of a critique group is that they have perspective even when you don’t. They’ve had rejections and they know your work. They can tell you if the comment in the reject has some merit, even if it was poorly worded. They can make the connection between the offer you got and the scam one of them just read about.

Four or five heads really are better than one!

Three – Breadth of Knowledge

Whether you are looking for a publisher or a key piece of research, someone else very likely knows the fact you need. One of the women in my critique group know so many of the available classes and workshops. In my accountability group, one of our members is up on literary journals and a whole host of agents.

There is more out in the publishing world than any one person can keep track of. You can benefit from the breadth of knowledge of those in your group.

Four – Valuable Feedback

I actually know someone who never has anyone read their work before it goes to their editor or agent. I don’t get that. I need that feedback. Sure, sometimes I suspect that there’s a problem but I’m not willing to fully recognize it. I need another set of eyes to assure me that, no, that doesn’t really work.

Worse yet are the times that I’m sure it does work and then someone points out that the theme in my picture book isn’t strong enough. Rita always asks, “What is this story about? Yeah? Make that come through in the writing.”

Again, no matter what you write, other people will have other strengths. One woman in my group is a grammar nerd. Me? Not so much. Then there’s Rita of the big picture. And all of the people who come up with sources that I can use when I tell them I am researching a certain topic.

If you don’t have a writing group, put it on your gift list to yourself. You will be so glad that you did.

–SueBE

Audience: Get Specific

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About three weeks ago, I sent my nonfiction proposal to Kane Press. I have to admit that I was bummed when it bounced back to me in less than 48 hours. But the reason is pretty good, if I do say so myself. They’ve contracted a similar book. That means that I need to get my book back out there.

But before I send my nonfiction series proposal back out, I had to do a bit of work on it. The original publisher gave very detailed specifics on what they wanted in a proposal and these specifics did not include information on your audience.

That doesn’t mean that audience didn’t come into play at all. I included the reading level of the books (3rd grade readers) and the series will appeal to animal lovers, but that really isn’t specific enough when discussing audience.

How specific do you need to get? As specific as you can. Let me show you what I mean. And I’ll use my book as an example.

This book is students who read at a third grade level. I matched it with curriculum guidelines so I know that is a good fit. But does that mean it will appeal to every third grader? Of course not.

This book will appeal to third graders who are interested in animals. That’s good because I’ve matched it with the curriculum guidelines about animals and the environment. But what about the potential for trade sales?

The way to show the potential for trade book sales is to show interest. How to do that? In this case, I plan to show the number of people who visit specific destinations each year. Possibilities include the St. Louis Zoo, Wild Bird Sanctuary, and membership in Forest Park Forever (urban nature).

Numbers like these will help give potential agents a publisher a feel for sales. If there are only 2000 people here and 15,000 people there, it may not be worthwhile.

But the St. Louis Zoo alone gets 3 million visitors each year. And that doesn’t touch on the Shedd Aquarium, the San Diego Zoo and so much more.

–SueBE

A Writer’s Search History

Experimental 1969 cooking. Turkey a la king.

A friend of mine is working on a police procedural. She asked a question on a forum and was answered only after someone vetted her. “She’s a writer, not a maniac.” Between my friends who write mysteries, horror, speculative fiction, and true crime, their search histories are like a museum of the macabre.

In spite of the fact that I’m writing a mystery, my own search history is much less titillating. Yesterday I searched for information on:

• When teething gel was invented?
• Could you buy tortillas in a St. Louis grocery store in 1969?
• When did people start using car seats?
• What are those oddball windows called in car doors? Not the ones that roll down. The other ones.
• What did a police station look like in the 1960s?
• When was chicken a la king invented?
• Was chicken a la king popular in 1969?
• What Credence Clearwater Revival songs came out in 1969?
• melting beeswax
• What is the USDM?
• Time management for writers (my guess is that it involves NOT being online)

Since this is the first draft of my manuscript, if I don’t know something, I don’t necessarily spend much time researching the topic. That said, I did spend about 10 minutes searching for folk remedies for teething and information on the popularity of chicken a la king. The answers that I found for both of these topics are interwoven throughout a single chapter. Getting the info wrong would mean largely having to revise or scrap the chapter.

I’ve already had to write one chapter twice. I’m fairly certain that version two is stronger and I’m just as certain that many other chapters will be rewritten and revised. Still, if I can quickly answer a question that will aid my chapter, I do.

Otherwise I write myself a note and highlight it in yellow. No matter how much information you gather, there is something you still won’t know when you start to write.

–SueBE

Writing a Menu vs a To-Do List

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I get a wide variety of email newsletters. Many are to do with reading and books. Then there are the ones about writing. I also knit, weave, and crochet. And I want to get back into sewing. It is something that I’ve done on and off my whole life. Some time ago, one of the newsletters had a piece about not creating a sewing menu.

The idea was that a menu presents you with choices vs things that you have to do. It is all about shifting your perspective.

I’ve got a tough few weeks ahead. I’m still working on Write Till Christmas. To stay on track, I need to write about 1000 words a day. I’ve got one more contracted book to write and turn in. And I need to get my nonfiction proposal back out there. That is going to require drafting a section that wasn’t part of the original because the publisher didn’t ask for it.

It feels like a lot.

What if I tried looking at this as choosing delectable items off a menu vs a list of things that I have to accomplish (or else!)? How would that change things?

I get to keep adding words onto my novel. As I do this, I’m getting to know my characters better. I’m just getting to the good part where my character steps out into the world to solve a murder.

I get to write another contracted book. This is a project that I will definitely sell and be paid for. It will be published and available for school libraries.

I only have to write one new proposal section. I’ll have to find the statistics to make this section sing but that’s actually going to be pretty easy. It isn’t often you get to say that about a proposal. Then I can get it back out there.

In this version, I feel more like I am facing opportunities and less like I am facing tasks. I might just be on to something! I wonder which I will choose to work on next!

–SueBE

Happy Thanksgiving

For those of you who celebrate, I’d like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Take this time to recharge your creative battery.

Even when not everything goes your way creatively, I think it is vital to acknowledge what you have to be thankful for.

One – I met my deadline yesterday. That means that I’m working if I want to over the next two days. But not because I have to because . . .

Two – I do my best to take weekends off. As a freelancer, I live at home. I feel like this is necessary to keep from burning out.

Three – Instead of doing NaNoWriMo, I’ve been doing Write Till Christmas. As of yesterday, I had written 20,723 words. I want to have 60,000 by the end of the year so I’m a little behind. I just checked. I’m less than 1000 words behind. If this was 12/23, that might worry me but it is still November.

Four – By the end of the year, I will have written 9 contracted books and 2 books I’m trying to sell. Not too shabby.

And most importantly, I have a family who supports my writing.

What do you have to be Thankful for? I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday.  See you on Monday.

–SueBE

Jólabókaflóð: Christmas Book Flood

I know, I know.  For some of you it is just too early to talk about Christmas.  But Thanksgiving weekend is when we draw names in my husband’s family.  It is also the time I start planning my Christmas book buying.

That’s why I love this Icelandic tradition.  The rough translation for Jólabókaflóð is Christmas Book Flood. On Christmas Eve, people in Iceland exchange books.  Then they spend a cozy evening reading.  Wow.  Just wow.

That sounds amazing to me.

I love giving books as Christmas gifts.  Granted, they don’t make good gifts for absolutely everyone.  But for most people?  Oh, yeah.  We’ve got 5 kids in my family who will be receiving quite a collection between my sister and I.  And my son.  And my husband.

Not sure about selecting books?  I generally start with the books I’ve read this year and loved. Then I compile a list for the parents of each child.  It can be a little tricky to make sure that each child gets books that are new to them. To achieve this, if I plan to give one of the kids two books, I ask about four or five.  That way we have alternates if something isn’t available. 

My husband is a lot easier since I’m the only one buying him books.  His gift was my first order for the year. 

If I can’t come up with enough ideas on my own, I look at the New York Times recommendations.  I also look at Betsy Bird’s blog.  If you need suggestions for someone, message me or drop me an e-mail. I have read over 150 books so far this year. Some I loved. Some I did not.

There are so many great books out there.  Help support reading and writing by celebrating it this holiday season. Let’s create a US Jólabókaflóð!

–SueBE

Adding to My Word Count through Bribery

I didn’t plan to buy astronaut earrings, but I didn’t know I would see astronaut earrings. This past weekend I worked a craft fair and was initially disappointed that my favorite vendor wasn’t there. Still, I bopped around and chatted with the people I knew.

And then I spotted them . . .

Actually, I didn’t see the astronauts first. I saw a pair of sunflowers. But then I saw the astronauts.

I’m still adding to my work-in-progress, Countdown to Murder, on a regular basis. But I have to admit that some days I have to practically scold myself. “Put your butt in that chair! This hurts me as much as it hurts you.”

I’m almost done with the first act and the manuscript is two-thirds of the length of most of my teen nonfiction. But this means that I have two acts to go. So I bribed myself with approximately 8 pairs of earrings (not all astronauts) and a set of books.

Then Monday morning it hit me. One character hasn’t been seen since Scene 2. Granted, it is only the cat but the cat plays an important part in showing what kind of people they are. Think Save the Cat. So my second bribe to myself was to add the cat in various places to achieve my Monday word count requirement.

It sounds kind of ridiculous as bribes go but it worked. Why? Because a couple of paragraphs here and a couple of paragraphs there is just a whole lot easier than an entire scene. Bite-sized pieces seem more doable than the vast number of words that make up a whole novel.

My message for you? Do what you need to do to keep yourself moving forward. For you it might mean a day trip to write in your favorite coffee shop. Or a new pen and journal if you like to write by hand. You’ve got to find what works for you!

I’m up to 17,891 words so I’m going to keep plying myself with goofy bribes. Maybe a trip to the Science Center. Or I’ll watch Apollo 13.

–SueBE

Review of Party Like It’s 2044

If you like written collections, then this is one you should definitely check out. A collection is a book by a single author. In this case it is a book of essays although it could also be poetry or short stories. Joni B. Cole is a podcast host of Author, Can I Ask You? and her writing has appeared in The Writer.

Personally? I found a lot of material in her book that I can identify with. I too am directionally challenged and loathe corn mazes. I can assure Cole that she is not the only person who has never been to Guatemala although it seems that all of my friends have visited Ireland. Like me, Cole is someone who has a tendency to overthink things. What did this person think when I waited for 30 minutes for a friend who never showed up?

Even if you can’t identify with all of the specifics, you are sure to understand what she is writing about like trying to pick up a new skill. In her case it was zumba. She also writes about adult friendships and trying to figure out how to respond to an overtly racist comment when you are a guest at this person’s birthday party. Come on! Even if you haven’t had this experience, I think we’ve all sat there wondering, “why did this person think it was okay to say X to me?”

The beauty of a collection like this one is that it is ideal for a busy time of year. You don’t have to read it all at once. These are short, individual pieces. Read one today. Read another Wednesday. Flip the book open and read them out of order. Do whatever works for you.

I think most women will find something in this book with which they identify deeply. Pick it up and spend some time with someone who gets it and gets you.

–SueBE

Put on Your Listening Ears

Know when to use your listening ears.
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On Monday, I got an email through my site and blog. She told me that she really liked my content and would love to subscribe. “So do it,” I thought.

Fortunately I listened to what she was telling me. She wanted to. That meant she couldn’t. I knew that allowing people to subscribe was part of my site design. Did I have too much clutter? Is that why she couldn’t find it?

I popped over to my site and realized that I couldn’t find it either. I signed in and looked around. Eventually I found a section labeled “inactive widgets.” There it was in a site design archive.

I still don’t know why it was there. Maybe this happened when I chose a new site design. Whatever, it is now fixed. And it wouldn’t be if I hadn’t listened.

There are so many times in a writer’s life that it can be tempting not to listen.

• Not long ago, I got a personal rejection letter. This almost never happens when you submit a picture book but there it was. The editor disliked my voice and my writing style and the fact that my manuscript had no tension. There’s nothing I can do about my voice and writing style. They simply weren’t a good match for this editor. But the tension? If I don’t take a look at that, I’m making a big mistake.
• Monday’s rejection on my series proposal. My gut reaction was disappointment. They already had a contract on something similar. I could give up or I could get this out to several agents. Obviously the latter is the wiser plan.
• Do I even need to add critique to this list? It is simply too easy to find a reason to ignore someone’s critique. Maybe they never like your writing or they aren’t your target audience. Or they are looking at the grammar when you want feedback on the plot. Listen to what they are telling you. I always try to look at why they said whatever. Then I look for my own fix, something that fits with my voice and my style.

Writing is a lot of work. In addition to our manuscripts, there is site design, marketing and more. It is difficult when people criticize our efforts. Take the time to listen. You may hear something that fixes a problem you didn’t even know that you had.

–SueBE

Why A Writing Habit Pays Off

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This has not been my best writing week ever. I started the week with a BIG rejection. Sure, I new it was a possibility but I expected even a no to take over two days. Then there were to contractors who have been working here. As they cut and grind and replace plumbing, dust drifts and the walls shake. But they also have questions for me so being resident in absence won’t really work.

Every day this week, I’ve questioned getting my Write Till Christmas word count in. I just don’t have time. I have a pounding headache. The cat needs to be pet. Wait? Isn’t there chocolate in the other room?

I had a pounding headache all day Monday. Yet, I managed to dictate 1020 words.

Tuesday wasn’t as bad over all. I dictated 1069 words.

On Wednesday, I revised almost a few chapter of a contracted job. I wrote 1/3 of the next chapter. And I dictated 1021 words.

For fifteen days, I’ve managed to dictate at least a paragraph a day. Even 200 words is something. And that has helped me build a no excuses writing habit. I’ve been saying that I’ll get to this project for MONTHS. In all that time, I researched and finished part of the outline, but only part. I wrote nothing on this project. In fifteen days, I’ve drafted 13,601 words.

It is far from perfect. It is dialogue heavy. I go pages and pages with almost no description. I’m getting the action in but I’m sure my verbs need honing. But I’m getting it drafted and in five more scenes I’ll have written Act 1.

I’m not going to lie to you. If I’m going to have a draft of the book by the end of the year, I’m going to have to kick it up. But that actually seems possible because I’m getting something done every day even on the hard days.

Who knows? Maybe Jane Yolen was onto something when she said BIC. That’s Butt In Chair — the thing that we all need to do to develop that all important writing habit.

–SueBE