Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Clues Your Writing Critique Group is Going TOXIC

by Edie Melson

I’m a big fan of having a writing support team. I know I’m a much better writer because I have a small group of writers I exchange critiques with. I believe there are very few writers who produce high quality work in a vacuum. These groups may be set up formally, with specific meeting dates and times. Or they may be less structured.

But occasionally the dynamics change, and today I want to share some clues your critique group is going toxic. These are warning signs that not addressed, may destroy valuable relationships forever.

One caveat before I begin, although I have been in situations where these have happened, they haven’t all happened to me personally. And, I’m ashamed to say, I’ve unintentionally been the perpetrator of a couple of these. We need to be as vigilant about our own motives and actions as we are of others.


Symptoms of a Toxic Critique
1. The critique becomes personal. If someone is attacking you, with comments that cross the line, beware. Comments may include, “You really don’t know how to write, do you?”

2. The volume level gets loud. This one gets me occasionally. I’m passionate about writing, and although I try, sometimes I make people uncomfortable with how loud I get. I don’t mind this one (probably because I tend to be confrontational at times) but I’ve learned to respect how it comes across to others.

3. The person who argues with every suggestion. I’m the first person to stand up for an author’s rights. I believe you are the master of your story. But none of us is right one hundred percent of the time. I’m perfectly happy if you decide not to accept my suggestions, but if you’re going to argue with every single one then we’re both wasting valuable time.

4. There’s nothing positive shared. I’m a big fan of the sandwich critique. In this method, I share something positive about the manuscript, then something that may need work, followed by something else positive. Let’s face it, critiques are difficult enough without it always being all about what someone is doing poorly. And this one leads me to number 4.

5. Frequent use of the word WRONG. In the publishing industry there are lots of gray areas, and very few hard and fast rules. Grammar is where you find most of the rules, but even those may be broken, if there’s a compelling reason. When someone tells you something is wrong, it’s a clue that there are deeper issues involved.

6. More talk ABOUT writing than actual words produced. If you find yourself in a group where all you do is encourage each other to overcome life and sit down and write, you’re not in a critique group, you’ve morphed into a support group. There’s nothing wrong with support, we all hit times when life gets the better of us. But be careful if it’s happening every week.

7. The person I like to call the, FOOD CRITIC. This is the one member who has all the answers, but almost never brings anything to be evaluated.
8. A lack of respect. This can show up in 3 main ways.
  • Those who are habitually late and/or don’t let the group know when they can’t make a scheduled meeting (online or off).
  • It can also be seen when the one giving the critique tries to force the writer to make changes. No matter how good I think my advice is, ultimately the manuscript belongs to the one who's writing it. I need to respect that and move on.
  • The final one is a variation of the argumentative person seen in number 3 above. But this disrespectful person has a superior attitude about every suggestion made. The attitude is one of, “I hear you, but I’d never take advice from the likes of you.” Their demeanor drips with the resolve to be nice, but with obvious undertones of I’m better and we both know it.

Our industry is a living and growing entity. It’s changing almost daily, especially with the advent of ebooks and digital publishing. What used to be a rule, now is a viewed as a quaint tradition. To stay relevant, we NEED to band together. It’s a huge advantage to connect with others who are seeking to grow and put out the best possible product we can at a given moment in time. 
So if you've seen some of these symptoms, don't hesitate to address them. A little diligence now can save a valuable relationship. Now, I’m curious. What symptoms would you add to this list of toxic symptoms? 

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

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12 comments:

  1. Great info, Edie. Thankfully, I've been blessed to be a part of amazing critique groups. The only thing I might add is that it's difficult for toxicity to exist when there's solid trust among the group. I can receive any feedback on my work, no matter how harsh, as long as I know the heart of the person sharing is doing so for my good and because they want the best for me.

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    1. Cathy, I'm like you, blessed to have been the part of so many amazing groups. And you're right, trust is the key. Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E

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  2. I love my critique partners. We began together 11 years ago. We are brutally honest but never personal (expect when it comes to the praise). I'm so thankful for them. You know them: Attila the Holmes, Genghis Griep, Hannibal Dotta, and Ludwig von Frankenpen. They call me Ane of Mean Gables. I'm passionate abotu critique partners. :)

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    1. Ane, that's GREAT! I have only have two partners left that I've been with since the very beginning of my career, and I know Vonda Skelton & Mary Denman will always be there for me! Blessings, E

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  3. These are all great warning signs! I've been in a group with the person that aruges every single suggestion and it made me leave quickly because I knew it was a waste of both of our time.

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    1. Jess, unfortunately just one person can change the tone of the group. Thanks for sharing your experience! Blessings, E

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  4. Thanks for this, Edie. Having just recently started a critique group, it's good to know. So far, none of these is true for us. Hopefully that'll continue.

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    1. Ellen, I'm glad you're in a healthy group! Blessings, E

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  5. It always is a pain when writing or reading groups go wrong, especially since they are great to promote your novel. If the leader and whoever else chooses what books they're reading, that can lead to a lot of sales because they spread the word to their friends. And some reading groups and clubs have like 100, 200 members, so if they buy your book because they're reading it in a month, they're going to tell someone else that's not even a member of that group. But it is never good to stay just because they can help promote when the relationship goes toxic. Great job on calling awareness to this issue!

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    1. Anita, you're so right. Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E

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  6. I don't get there every month since it's an hour and a half drive, but when I do, our critique group is positive and productive. It's nice to read over a checklist and know we're on track. Thanks, Edie.

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  7. My writing groups have a rule that the author is not allowed to talk. This eliminates a lot of advice-refusal (obviously) but also makes things a lot less personal. You're more likely to actually talk about the work instead of airing grievances. At the end, the writer may be allowed to ask some QUESTIONS, but then they go home and ignore whatever advice they didn't like. Win-win!

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