Crit Groups

I'm in a crit group through ACFW comprised of 5 other individuals and myself. I'm having to edit between 50-60 pages every other week and around 30-40 pages every other week (on the week I submit). And I'm finding that this takes away from the precious little time I have to work on my own stuff! I feel obligated to edit and crit the other's work, of course. I also want to participate in the spirit of the crit group, as well as get an idea of what it's like to write/edit for a deadline, which is good practice. But in my writer's dreamlife, I'd have all this TIME to write and edit my own stuff and edit everyone else's. It's just not happening! Swamped doesn't begin to describe my thoughts. But I know crit groups are the way to go...so I'll plunge ahead and hope the schedule starts to sink in and become more routine.

On top of that, my new friend and fellow-writer, Katie Ganshert, and I will be swapping material soon to edit each other's work, as we have a lot in common in life - we figure this will transfer to the written page, as well. But we've already decided to be a bit more lax in our time requirements, as she also is in an ACFW crit group. Aren't we two peas in a pod, Katie? =)

Critiques

I've been getting back some fabulous comments from my critique group members! One ran spell check on me and said I was 30% passive voice. 10% is about all you want (even less is preferable). I had NO idea! So thanks, crit buddies!

I've been re-writing some scenes from my chick-lit/romantic suspense novel so that they are from the hero's POV. I'm liking what I'm coming up with so far! So maybe I'll forgo the traditional "chick lit" genre and do more with the hero. But when I write the heroine's POV, I'll use 1st person, so as to really involve my reader and make her identify (hopefully) with my main character (like in a chick lit book). So maybe the best of both worlds? Stay tuned, and we'll see.

Critique Group

I just got my first email today from the leader of my critique group. I joined American Christian Fiction Writers and was hooked up into Critique Group 88! For now we're just introducing ourselves and getting to know one another. Soon, though, I imagine we will be swapping WIPs (work in progress for those who don't know) and getting down to some editing.

Which prompted this post.

I've been using my mother as a sounding board-slash-editor for my WIPs and completed manuscripts. She has given me feedback that I then take to try to rework my story so that it a) reads easier, b) is more feasible, c) has better dialogue or d) makes more sense. I've found that these editing comments have been very helpful, no doubt, but also wounding!

You spend enough time with something, it becomes a part of you. These characters are my friends! What do you mean, they wouldn't say/do something like that? I'm learning that one thing I'm going to have to get better at is taking criticism. Editors in the publishing world aren't really going to spare my feelings, so why should my mother or my critique partners?

So my resolution from this epiphany is that I'm going to work on developing tougher skin. I believe it to be perhaps the biggest necessity when trying to get published. (Lord help me...I haven't even gotten to the rejection letter part of this journey...)