Well, I went to bed last night and realized I’d forgotten to write here! I’m sure that might happen now and again.

I decided to join the on-line critique group I used to belong to a few years back.  So I went to the website (I put a link up) and joined their novels list and young adult/children’s list.  I read all the information they sent me on their rules and how to format.  Then their critiques and submissions started pouring into my email.  I read some crits and dove into a submission.  I hit reply in my email account and told them my comments and then line by line I added my comments between // //.

Now keep in mind, I used to belong to this group and I haven’t changed my settings on my computer.  I have my email set for plain text and my word set for plain text with no smart quotes, etc. like they suggested.    So after rereading several times I hit “send”.

In this group you get your critiques back through their list server.  It came back with strange markings like ==A20.

So the next submission, I copy and paste into my word file, do my critiquing and copy and paste into my email account, that says I’m sending in plain text like they want.  It too comes back with the strange markings which  says it’s unformatted.

So I ask for help with the formatting.  They tell me I have to be in plain text.

I look through my email account, which I have never changed, but with a thorough search I find a place that says messages in plain text.  It is unmarked, so I mark it and save it.  Maybe that will make a difference.  The staff also told me to go to a “cleaner site” that will clean my stuff up for me before I send it.  That sounds scary, but not wanting to have all the problems, I’ll give it a try.

I got a thank you from one of the submissions that I’d critiqued, and he said it was unformatted, but he thought he could read it.  I had to apologize to him, but I’m working on the problem.  Never had it before and didn’t change a thing on my computer, but there ya go–always something!

However, this on-line critique site is great.  You get to be teacher and student and will learn so much by reading and giving your comments.  If you give a comment like “I like your writing” that doesn’t count.  You have to do two submissions or critiques per month to stay on the list, failure to do that two consecutive months in a row,  you will be removed from the list.   I have pages of greetings, welcoming and rules for the group and I read every one.  A very helpful and friendly group with good moderators.

Anyway, hopefully today I will figure out how to get everything formatted correctly and have no more problems, so that I can submit one of my chapters.  Looking forward to having people critique my work.  I’ve read some of the critiques and they are very in-depth and helpful.  Some of the people on this site are teachers, professional writers, etc.

I will try not to get caught up in critiquing only and continue to write on my own stuff.  This morning I had 38 emails.  I remember in the past I’d have up to 50 or more, just from the on-line critique group and at that time I was only on the novels list.  It will definitely keep me busy.

But I will remember to write something here too!

Keep on writing and enjoying the process.

Hello,

Well, thank you all for your comments.  I did forget to mention that I also belong to Lake County Writers Group which is a critique group that meets once a month.  The group is growing and we meet from 11-4.

Like I said before, belonging to a group is so important for writers.  They give you inspiration as well as some frustration, but what’s a writer without frustration.  Getting that right word is so important.  Also, the write sentence, paragraph and chapter!

Well critique groups can help with this.  Since most of us won’t make a fortune at our writing, we can’t afford to pay someone just yet to edit.  So that’s where critique groups come in.

They are a way of getting some input into your work, whether it be a first draft or what you think is your final draft (which of course turns out not to be the case).

I started my arson novel back in 1989.  No, it’s not published yet.  I’m still editing it!  It’s my first adult novel and I refuse to give up on it.  I changed it a bit, so this latest “version” is more with a heroine, instead of her arson investigator husband being the hero.

I belonged to an on-line critique group through the Univ. of Penn. while in Baja, and until I lost my internet, was a great group.  However, you must be careful that you don’t start critiquing more than writing, which was happening to me.  I felt the more I critiqued someone’s work, the more they would critique mine.  That turned out not to be totally true.  Therefore I spent more time critiquing others, than actually writing on my own. I did learn a lot through that group and am thinking about joining it again, but will definitely limit my critiquing.

I feel the saying for critiquing is so true:  If one person doesn’t like something of your work, ok, their opinion; if two people don’t like it, take a hard look at it; and if 3 people don’t like it, it’s out of there.

So how do you feel about critique group?

Keep on Writing and above all, Enjoy

Hello.

I’ve decided to start a blog.  What will this blog be about?  I’m a writer, so I write.  I’ll write about writing, sites that are of interest, books, clubs, etc.

I belong to the Redwood Writers branch of the California Writers Club.  Yesterday I attended the meeting in Santa Rosa, California at the Flamingo Hotel in the Courtyard Room.  The meetings are from 3-5 p.m.  The first hour is Redwood Writers announcements and business.  The second hour is a guest speaker.  Yesterday  Hal Zina Bennett who is the author of more than 30 successful books was our guest speaker.  His newest book, Write Starts: Prompts, Quotes & Exercises to Jumpstart Your Creativity will be released by New World Library in 2010.  He was very informative and after the session, signed some of his works.

Writers need to be a part of a writing community.  Joining this club was important to me as I’ve been away from the “writing community” for awhile. I lived in Baja Sur Califiornia, Mexico for the last 25 winters and have only had contact via internet.  Before that, I belonged to the Idaho Writers Group and by joining clubs, find it helpful, informative and inspiring.

I find I write more, when I belong to groups that can help get you motivated and critique.

Besides the Redwood Writers, I also belong to Sisters in Crime  and Mystery Writers of America.

So what groups do you belong too?