On Thursday we had our first meeting of a brand-new critique group. My old critique group dissolved awhile back after about a year and a half of slowly dying, and me and one of the members from that group have been trying to get something put together ever since.
Thursday was the much-anticipated (for me, at least) meeting, and I think it went really well. I volunteered myself for the first critique, and I was so happy with the results. These ladies know what they are talking about, and they were able to point out problem areas in my chapter that I could no longer see. It is always scary when you get in a new critique group. My fear is always that they will be too nice and it will be a waste of time because I won’t get any constructive feedback. I am happy to say that is not the case with my new group. I got lots of feedback, all of it excellent.
I’ve been working hard on revising the first chapter since Thursday, and I am really excited about where it is going. I feel like the world building I’ve been doing combined with the critiques from my online group as well as this new one have given me some great ideas on how to make the story better. The characterization is much more solid in my mind and that makes writing SO much easier.
With these critiques in mind, I am anxious to get back to actually adding to the word count on this WIP. I think the end of the first draft is in sight, and it’s so exciting! I haven’t finished the first draft of a WIP in 5 or 6 years. Awesome.
What always is the most nerve-wracking for you when joining a new critique group?
