The Scribblers Critique Group Launches

It's official! The new Scribblers Critique Group will begin meeting on September 1 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with regular meetings held on the first and third Tuesday of every month.

Anthony Miller will lead the group, and the first two writers have already submitted their work for review.

We currently have five confirmed members with room for three more. Writers interested in seeing how the group works are invited to attend the September 1 meeting before deciding whether they would like to join.

How the Critique Group Works
The group will meet by Zoom twice each month, with two authors' work reviewed at each meeting on a rotating basis.

Authors scheduled for critique will email their work to the group at least 10 days before the meeting. Each member will read both submissions and prepare a one-page, single-spaced critique.

During the meeting, members will take turns sharing their feedback, with time for discussion along the way. Meetings are expected to last approximately two hours.

Afterward, members will email their written critiques to the authors so they can use the feedback during revision. Members may also use Microsoft Word's Review feature to suggest specific edits within the submitted manuscript.

Constructive Feedback for Writers at Every Level
The purpose of the group is simple: meet each writer where they are and help them advance.

Criticism should always be positive, constructive and useful, with the goal of strengthening both the work being reviewed and the author's writing skills.

That requires a real commitment from members. Writers must submit their own work on time and thoughtfully critique the work of others. In return, each author receives feedback from several fellow writers who understand firsthand the challenges of developing a piece of writing.

What Can You Submit?

• The Critique Group welcomes both fiction and nonfiction across a wide variety of genres and subjects, including:
• Historical fiction, romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy and young adult
• Articles, history, science, devotional literature and other nonfiction
• Short pieces, full-length novels and book-length nonfiction

Individual submissions are limited to 20 double-spaced, letter-size pages in 12-point Times New Roman, or approximately 6,000 words. Longer works can be submitted in excerpts.

Members don't need to personally enjoy or be familiar with every genre. Good writing crosses genres, and participants are expected to offer useful feedback even when a particular subject isn't normally their cup of tea.

What Makes a Good Critique?
Feedback should focus on the craft of writing and storytelling: plot, character development, continuity, pacing, believable characters and events, description, setting and similar elements.

The author's faith, philosophy, choice of genre or basic story premise aren't subjects for criticism.

For example:
A comment that Axel behaving this way seems completely out of character for a faithful husband is a critique of character development and believability.

A comment that stories should not include adultery is a critique of the authors choice of subject matter rather than the writing itself.

The goal is to evaluate how effectively the story is written, not whether members personally agree with the story being told.

The goal isn't to decide what another writer should write. It's to help them write what they've chosen more effectively.

Join Us for the First Meeting
The first two works reviewed will come from Paul McDonald and Marlene Buchanan, both writers of cozy mysteries. Marlene also writes humor.

If you've wondered what participating in a critique group is actually like, register for the September 1 meeting and come see it in action. Afterward, you can decide whether you'd like to become one of the group's remaining three members.

Important Zoom note: The first-Tuesday and third-Tuesday meetings use two different Zoom meetings, so be sure to register for the correct one.

September 1 | 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Come ready to read, discuss, learn and help fellow Scribblers make their writing better!

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