Don’t skip the process
There is a process of natural progression to writing that
shouldn’t be skipped.
Beginning writers need to learn and spend much time writing
before they are ready for critique of any kind. They need to get those first
(awful) stories written. They need to learn about building story arches in
their work, building characters, and find out where and when backstory is
appropriate. They need to find their voices and be comfortable with them. Is
their tendency to narrate or write in first person? This is a different process
for everyone.
First and foremost, beginners need encouragement, direction, and
much time spent actually writing and learning about writing before they are
ready to move on. Going directly to critique group does no one any favors. I
understand the (general?) thought prevalent – “I’ll write this (story, novel)
one critique at a time.” Uh hu, sure. And after each critique, you go home and
“fix” your work according to general consensus. What is left when you are done
with what’s basically a cut-and-paste editing job is something completely
devoid of your unique voice.
Fact: You can take your story to ten different people, which I
would not advise, one right after the other and when you’re done making all
their suggested changes, you will no longer recognize what you started out
with. Is this what you want? There will
be enough of that if you’re lucky to get your story to an editor/publisher.
Save something of yourself.
