Tuesday, November 6, 2007

How to Start A Critique Group - Part 1 Where do we meet?

I've had some questions on this lately, so I thought I'd do a few posts on how to start your own critique group. I've compiled the musings and methods of my fellow critique groupers into a handy dandy set of instructions.

1. Find a place to meet.

  • Talk to your local book store. Both Borders and Barnes and Noble will usually reserve space for writing groups in their cafes at no cost - hey, we buy books and lattes - it's a no brainer for them. Many independent bookstores will too.

  • If you don't have a bookstore close, try your local library and see if they have a room you can reserve. Those are your tax dollars at work, so use 'em.

  • Check out your church or local community center, if available. They may charge a small fee, but it can't be more expensive than everyone's frappuccino at Barnes and Noble.

  • Maybe you're Martha Stewart and meeting at your house would work. For me, I'd be holding my twitching left eye at the prospect of cleaning before each meeting. Also, I'd get too caught up in making refreshments. We're foodies at my house, so I'd spend too much time coming up with Gorgonzola and honey on sliced baguettes to get my writing ready to go. But, hey, Martha gets off on that stuff, so maybe you do too. Some groups rotate among members' houses, but that can get confusing. But do whatever works for your group.

Next post I'll address how to hook up with fellow writers interested in a critique group.

Links to this post and all previous posts on starting a critique group can be found on the right under FAQ.

1 comment:

Elle Robb said...

The critique group I belong to started at a local donut shop. Very small place. Worked well except for the lack of outlets. Now we use the meeting room at McDonald's every other Saturday morning. It works very well. Several outlets, quiet, private and, best of all - caffeinated drinks are readily available! Oh - and it's free!