How a Critique Group Works

by Mike Van Horn,

I’ve had a critique group for years, and people have asked how it works so they could form one also.

Our group has six members — -about the max. We meet monthly — recently by Zoom, but formerly in person. A week before each meeting, we email our pieces to all the other members. This can be a chapter, a few pages, a short story, an essay, or other short piece. These are either stand-alone pieces, or part of a longer manuscript. No set word count, but the max is about 6,000. They should be edited and proofread before sending them out.

Before the meeting, we read and write or type feedback on the pieces we’ve received. Different people give different kinds of feedback —correcting typos and grammar, suggesting better ways of saying things, giving broad structural feedback. 

During the Zoom meetings, we focus on each piece in turn, giving verbal feedback. Our meetings run about two hours, so each person gets about twenty minutes. I take many notes on what people say to me. Afterward, we mail or email any written feedback we’ve put on the piece. 

Feedback of course needs to be constructive. We’ve never had any problem with negative feedback — as long as it’s weaved in with positives. Even so, it’s up to us whether we accept the feedback or not. It helps a lot if you tell what kind of feedback you’re seeking.

Sometimes after getting lots of feedback, somebody will do a rewrite of their piece and submit it again the next meeting. 

I’ve received excellent feedback. I incorporate the feedback soon after each meeting, when it’s still fresh in my mind. 

The group must have people who are serious about their writing, will submit pieces on time, show up for meetings, and read and give feedback to the others.

We’ve always had a variety of genres represented — fiction (sci fi, fantasy, romance), memoir, social commentary, historical narrative, biography, business.

That’s how we operate, but there are many different ways a crit group can work.