How to Pick the Right Critique Group or Workshop
A Guide for Speculative Fiction Writers
Jan 29, 2009
You’ve written a stunning dark fantasy, and now you’re ready to have someone else look at it--someone besides your best friend or husband, someone who knows something about the genre. Or maybe you just want to interact with other science fiction and fantasy writers. In either case, joining a critique group or workshop--often these words are used interchangeably--will give you the constructive criticism and added confidence to take your writing to another level. But, how do you pick the right critique group or workshop for you, the budding speculative fiction writer?
First, look at your own writing and ask yourself a few questions. What are your goals as a writer? What genres do write in? Are you working on a novel or short stories primarily? How experienced and skilled do you think you are? How much time can you devote to a group?
Then, look at the workshops. Whether you join an online speculative fiction workshop or an in-person regional critique group, your needs should mesh with the mission, scope, participation requirements, and apparent quality of the group.
Mission
The purpose of any good workshop is for members to help each other improve their writing but some groups have more ambitious goals than others. Look at the mission or history of the critique group. Does it fit with your goals? Is it geared toward beginners or more advanced writers? Or is it more of a social group?
Scope
This might seem obvious. Some workshops are geared toward a particular genre or length of story while others may be open to any kind of fiction. You still may get insightful critiques from one of the latter workshops, but bear in mind, your readers may not be familiar science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Your fellow genre writers will be more versed in the traditions and trends of speculative fiction.
If you have a novel to workshop, check the critique group’s guideline to see if it allows longer works or chapter-by-chapter submission. Getting a novel or even a novella critiqued can be tricky due to the commitment involved.
Membership Requirements
Most workshops have some sort of participation requirement. You may have to critique (and/or submit) a certain number of stories a month. Or you may have to critique a certain number of stories for each one you submit. Are the requirements going to be too much of a burden for you? Or maybe they’re not challenging enough for your goals.
Quality
Look at the quality of both the submissions and the critiques. Some workshops have strict guidelines for critiques to make them more useful to writers. Are the critiques not much more than a pat on the back? Or are they insightful and detailed?
Are the other writers in the group beginners? Published? A mix? Are there professional or near professional level writers participating? If you’re serious about improving your writing, you don’t necessarily want all of the members of your workshop to be at the same level as you. It’s very helpful to have more experienced writers critique your work.
After you’ve mulled over the choices, try one (or more) of the critique groups on for size, so to speak. Most workshops are free to join and let you quit or go inactive at any time. In the end, you may find yourself participating in several workshops, depending on your interests.
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