Strictly Genre: Ithaca Fiction Critique Group
Acceptance of New Members
Helpful links:
Tips, Tools, & Technologies for working writers
Tips for getting published in genre fiction
We have an online group which serves
both as a waiting list when the
in-person group is full and
a place where local writers
(any kind of writer, anywhere in the region)
can find local or online critique partners or organize their own local or
online writing group.
Join Online Ithaca Fiction Critique at Yahoo
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Admittance is not based on how well you write or your publishing credentials. It's based on your writing experience measured by how much fiction you've written and prior critiquing experience.
We're also looking for writers with the right attitude. Current members of this group want any and all feedback on their work. They've come to understand a somewhat tough-skinned attitude is the key to publishing success. This attitude can be acquired through hard work if it doesn't come naturally and we're willing to help you change, if you're prepared for the challenge.
No young people. Adults only.
Sunday afternoons can't be a scheduling problem for you. You must be able to attend regularly. We're not a drop-in occasionally kinda group.
We’re strictly genre novels. Here's the thinking--genre writers, no matter what the genre, are on the same page. Genre has a somewhat predictable style and formula making it somewhat easier to write and much easier to critique. Genre writers are goal oriented and target their work to specific markets. Genre writers are prolific, even before they're published. Lots of fairly lucrative markets exist for genre fiction. None of the above applies to literary, mainstream, women's fiction, etc.
This critique group is advanced. Our focus is publishable writing--a high bar, higher than would be presented in many writing courses.
Because the group is advanced and very productive, we're looking for members who are not beginners. We realize beginner is a completely subjective term. We're looking for writers who have been writing fiction more than three years and have written at least 75,000 words of fiction. Most members have written at least one novel before they join. Here's the thinking on beginner writers:
--Joining a critique group should not be your first step to becoming a writer. There are other steps you need to take first; you need to write and you need to learn about writing.
--It's best if you learn about yourself as a writer on your own first. You do that through writing. A lot. Every day. (In November, try National Novel Writing Month.) We want you to figure out what you write, gain confidence as a writer, and develop your own style before you start being pelted and possibly overwhelmed with suggestions from us.
--You also need to study fiction writing on your own first. This is not the same as voraciously reading fiction which you should also do. A critique group is not a methodical learning experience of the kind you get through self-study of how to write fiction books or by taking writing courses and workshops. The less you know about fiction writing basics, the less you're going to get from our critiques of your work, and the less you're going to be able to give back to us in your critique.
If you’ve studied our web site, and are prepared for the quiz (just kidding), and you’re interested in joining, answer the questions below in an email to me, the group leader:
1. Tell me about your writing experience. How long have you been writing fiction? What kind(s) of genre fiction do you write? What have you completed? Are you published? etc.
2. Have you been in a writing group before? Tell me about your current interest in a critique group.
3. Do you live in the Ithaca area? (Don't give me your address; just town/city) Will you be able to regularly attend Sunday afternoon meetings?
4. How'd you find out about us?
However, everyone's different. Email me anyway. Whatever your circumstances, I'll try to help. I might be able to suggest another group(s), especially if Sunday afternoons are an issue for you.
Advice for New Members
Before you attend your first meeting, take a moment to honestly examine your needs and expectations. Writing is not easy. Even if you don't expect us to tell you how great your novel is, the first critiques are always unsettling in unexpected ways. Our feedback will never be malicious or destructive, but always expect us to offer substantive suggestions to make even the most polished piece better and publishable.
In the beginning, before everyone gets to know each other, it's dangerously easy for facial expressions, body language, and tone to be misunderstood. New writers need to be especially aware of how critiquing is affecting them. All writers have moments of discouragement and self-doubt, but critiquing should ultimately be empowering through providing tools for self-improvement.
At the first sign that you are becoming more discouraged or overwhelmed by the critiques than empowered, you need to take action. But don't quit! You will, however, need to figure out what works for you. Consider continuing to attend so that you learn by critiquing others, but take a break from being critiqued yourself. Or bring shorter pieces for critique, and/or do some self-study through courses and how-to write books. Also, please speak up and tell us how we can help get you over the hump!
New members may not email us their entire novel, but they can read the entirety a chunk at a time over the course of many meetings. Impatient unpublished writers usually come to realize this approach is best. Typically the critiques of opening chapters, particularly first novels, uncover lots of issues that require extensive rewriting. In most cases, having someone read the entire novel is counterproductive because it generates an overwhelming amount of feedback. However, once novelists make friends in the group, they can seek volunteers for outside-of-the group critiquing of whatever the group as a whole can't accommodate. That could be critiquing an entire novel that's been revised after critiquing by the group, or chapters that can't be re-read at a meeting, or quick turnaround to meet a contest deadline, or a final proofreading before submitting, etc. Negotiate everything--what you need and when and how.