Find an Online Critique Group

“Criticism is how we get better. Why is it the worst writers seem the least ready to listen?”—Chip MacGregor

Can’t find a local writing critique group? The following online groups include critiquing opportunities. They are listed on the Writer’s Digest - 101 Best Sites for 2008.

Critique Groups for Writers [http://www.critiquegroups.com/]
Members of this site can form private groups to workshop their writing.

Edit Red [http://www.editred.com/]
Head over to Edit Red for peer critiques. The site also offers a free personal webpage.

Fanstory [http://www.fanstory.com/]
This site presents free contests and peer-to-peer reviews. It also includes the ability to create your own contest and challenge other writers.

Mike’s Writing Workshop [www.groups.yahoo.com/group/mikeswritingworkshop] This community includes nearly 9,000 writers willing to share information and critique your work.

My Writers Circle [http://www.mywriterscircle.com/]
This forum boasts nearly 6,000 members and an active critique section.

Romance Writing Tips
[www.groups.msn.com/RomanceWritingTips]
This site doesn’t offer critiques, but it offers links to other groups that do.

The Internet Writing Workshop [http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/]
The Internet Writing Workshop offers discussions and critiques delivered to your e-mail inbox. There’s no fee for this service, but there’s a minimum participation time of 30 minutes a week.

The MuseItUp Club Critique Group
[http://www.museitupclub.tripod.com/]
Critique groups are limited to five people so your work can get more personal attention.

The Writing Bridge [http://www.thewritingbridge.org/]
If you are serious about your craft, members have access to critique forums and creative writing prompts.

Today’s Woman [http://www.todays-woman.net/]
Today’s Woman has nearly 1,000 members who participate in its forum, online critiques and weekly contests. Forty-three percent of the members are men.

Blog Tour: Your Chance To Win a Copy of Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck

**Post a comment for a chance to win a copy of Sweet Caroline**

I've read Sweet Caroline. Rachel Hauck weaves an engaging story about the consequences of choices. The ending left me a bit surprised--but life has a way of doing that, doesn't it? Sometimes I think Hauck ended the book just right. Sometimes I wish she'd written a different ending. Hhhhmm. That's also a bit like real life, isn't it?

Here's a peek at Sweet Caroline's storyline:

Caroline Sweeney has always done the right thing--the responsible, dependable thing--unlike her mother who abandoned her family. But when her best friend challenges her to accept an exciting job adventure in Barcelona, Spain, Caroline says "yes" to destiny.
Then, without warning, ownership of the run-down cafe where she's been waitressing falls right into Caroline's lap. While she's trying to determine the cafe's future, handsome Deputy Sherriff J.D. Rand captures Caroline's heart.
But when her first love, Mitch O'Neal, comes back to town, fresh from the heat of his newly-found fame as a country music singer in Nashville, Caroline must make some hard choices about love and the pursuit of the sweet life.

Visit Hauck's Web site. She's also involved with My Book Therapy, a writing craft blog, which won over the heart of this non-fiction writer.

**Rachel Hauck is sponsoring a contest too!**

Enter to win a Scrumptious Baking Basket from Rachel. The basket contains a super cool apron, a low country cook book signed by Pat Conroy, rolling pin, and a pie plate! All you have to do to enter is sign up for Rachel's newsletter here.

Other stops along the blog tour:

Revka at Our Family Porch
http://ourfamilyporch.blogspot.com/

Lauren at Baseball and Bows
http://baseballsandbows.blogspot.com/

Cindy at Notes in the Key of Life
http://cindyswanslife.blogspot.com

5/28
Joanna at Becoming His
http://joannaweaver.blogspot.com

Patty at Girlfriends in God
http://patty-girlfriendsingod.blogspot.com

Pam at Without Fear
http://withoutfear07.blogspot.com/

5/29
Lynetta at Open Book
http://www.lynetta.blogspot.com/

Tricia at It’s Real Life
http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/

Mindy at Ponderings of the Heart
http://philippians4verse8.blogspot.com/

Memorial Day 2008

Whatever else you do this Memorial Day, take time to remember those who sacrificed their lives in service to America.

Here's an article about the origins of Memorial Day, with a list of 15 Simple Ways to Remember the Day.

Word Lover Alert

“If your work is not in your heart, your heart will never be in your work.”—Dr. Mardy Grothe

I love a great twist of words. A chiasmus (ky-AZ-mus) is a literary device. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines chiasmus as, "A grammatical figure by which the order of words in one of two of parallel clauses is inverted in the other."

Here are some examples related to the writing craft.

Writing

"I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better."— A. J. Liebling

"A good writer turns fact into truth; a bad writer will, more often than not, accomplish the opposite."—Edward Albee

"Is getting well ever an art, or art a way to get well?"—Robert Lowell

"If a dog bites a man, it's a story; if a man bites a dog, it's a good story."—Charles A. Dana

Poetry

"In poetry you have a form looking for a subject and a subject looking for a form. When they come together successfully you have a poem."—W. H. Auden

Publishing

Literature was formerly an art and finance a trade; today it is the reverse."—Joseph Roux

I subscribe to Dr. Mardy Grothe’s weekly newsletter featuring chiasmus sayings. He has a great sense of humor and his website also includes a great list of oxymorons.

Prayer for Unemployed Writers

“It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose your own.” —Harry S. Truman

I filled my gas tank yesterday. When I bought my car, it cost $22. Yesterday? $64. Ouch!

Double Ouch!

For many writers the wheels are coming off their finances because of publishing layoffs.

Even people who are employed, fear lay offs. A poll on beliefnet.com asked, "Are you worried about losing your job because of the current economy?"

Not at all.
23%

A little.
23%

A lot.
55%

As a single parent who did not receive the court-awarded child support, I often felt like a tight-rope walker deprived of a safety net. Unemployment terrified me. When an employer dismantles our financial safety net, the emotional plunge is devastating.

As fellow writers and editors try to re-balance their lives, families and finances on the unemployment high wire, let’s remember them in our prayers.

Editor and Publisher reports that Mike Koehler, a sports editor for The Oklahoman, has launched a blog called Praying for Papers. The blog offers prayers for those in the industry who are losing jobs. There are also prayers to help guide the newspaper industry's leaders.

Author Interview with Sherri Sand: Part 2

** Win a copy of Sherri Sand's book, Leave It To Chance**

Sherri Sand's first novel is Leave It To Chance, a humorous tale of a romance between two stubborn people and the antics of a horse named Chance.

Sherri is a wife and mother of four young children who keep her scrambling to stay ahead of the spilled milk. She is a member of The Writer’s View and American Christian Fiction Writers. Sherri finds the most joy in writing when the characters take on a life of their own and she becomes the recorder of their stories.

On Tuesday, Sherri shared her experience along the Writing Road.

Today, here are Sherri's Top 3 Tips for Submitting a Successful Book Proposal:

1. There are many excellent books on how to write a proposal. Study them. It will ensure that the proposal you send in is polished and professional.

2. Don’t make the mistake of submitting substandard writing assuming that an editor or agent will see your potential and take you on. Make sure it’s your very best work before submitting it.

3. Get feedback from other writer friends or a critique group before submitting it. You’ll be amazed at how an already strong proposal can get stronger.

Visit Sherri's Web site.

**Post a comment to win a copy of Leave It To Chance**

Thanks for stopping by Sherri Sand’s Leave it to Chance blog tour!
Here are the blogs featuring Sherri during our May 19-23 tour.
Amber Miller: http://www.ambermiller.com
Blog Tour Spot: http://blogtourspot.wordpress.com
Camy’s Loft: http://camys-loft.blogspot.com
Chatter Matters: http://jenndoucette.blog-city.com
A Christian Romance Writer’s Journey: http://www.eileenastels.blogspot.com
Cliffy’s Mom’s Blog: http://nancyjbailey.blogspot.com/
Fictionary: http://cballan.wordpress.com
Flying Changes: http://flyingchanges.wordpress.com/
The Friendly Book Nook: http://thefriendlybooknook.com
Horse Book Reviews: http://horsebookreviews.blogspot.com/
I Don’t Wanna Blog: http://elizardbreath8.blogspot.com
In the Dailies: http://www.tanyadennisbooks.com
Leap of Faith: http://marriageleap.com
lighthouse-academy: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com
A Little Bit of Sunshine: http://footprintsinthesand.us/blog
Margaret Daley: http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
Ma Space: http://grammaspace.blogspot.com
Musings on This, That & The Other Thing: http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com
Mystery, Suspense and God, Oh My!: http://writesthoughts.blogspot.com
Net’s Notes: http://www.annetteirby.blogspot.com
Novel Journey: http://noveljourney.blogspot.com
Penning Prose: http://www.audrasilva.com/blog
Portrait of a Writer . . . Interrupted: http://www.ginaconroy.com/ginablog/wordpress
Readin N Writing with Patricia: http://readinnwritin.blogspot.com
Real Women Scrap: http://realwomenscrap.typepad.com/
Relevant Blog: http://relevantblog.blogspot.com
Sharon Hinck: http://www.sharonswriting.blogspot.com/
Sips ‘n Cups Cafeteria: http://peggyblannphifer.blogspot.com
Smells Horsey: http://www.smellshorsey.com/
Toni V Lee: http://www.tonivlee.blogspot.com
Writing by Faith: http://writebyfaith.blogspot.com

"Got Ya Back" or "Got Your Back"?

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”— Red Smith

“I got ya back,” were the words a critique group member said to me.

My blinking eyes tried to mask surprise and hurt. My chest flinched at her tone. I dreaded looking at her critique of my manuscript.

Her critique was incredible! I loved it.

Maybe not the response she expected? I don’t know…and I was clueless.

What had I done to motivate her to feel like she had to “get me back?” My guess? My critique of her work rankled her.

A manuscript critique can hurt, but intentionally offending a critique group member certainly was not my intent. Each person’s unique skills analyze words on paper. Analyzing what hurts ambush a writer’s heart—those hidden hurts that don’t bleed onto paper—is impossible for others to access or assess.

I’ve Got Your Back
Last week, one critique group member dissolved into tears, appreciative of our input, sacrifices and faithfulness to her. Right now, there’s more stacked on her plate than ours. She felt guilty and said no one—not even her family—gave back to her like we did.

I could relate. Too often, I’ve given and given and sacrificed, only to receive a slap in the face. No thanks. No appreciation.

Just used.

Nothing in return—except maybe feathers—angry words strewn to the wind intended to malign. Often, to survive I dam my tears within the walls of a self-erected stony heart.

My writing vein needs a safe place to bleed my shame, hurts and disappointments onto paper. One whiff of condemnation snuffs out healing. The safer I feel, the more I share—and heal. I am grateful to be part of a group that thinks the best of me, draws me out, pushes me to improve my writing, and sacrifices to help me succeed. The motives, actions and words lived out in our critique group heal places wounded by hurting people.

What’s the difference between a “Got ya back,” and an “I’ve got your back,” critique group? Safety, comfort, acceptance, and the courage to write to touch the hearts of those who hurt.

This poem expresses my heart and the spirit of our critique group.

I Got Your Back

I got your back
You got mine,
I'll help you out
Anytime.

To see you hurt
To see you cry,
Makes me weep
And wanna die.

And if you agree
To never fight,
It wouldn't matter
Who's wrong or right.

If a broken heart
Needs a mend,
I'll be right there
To the end.

If your cheeks are wet
From drops of tears,
Don't you worry,
Let go of your fears.

Hand in hand
Love is sent,
We'll be friends
Till the end.