The Power of a Critique Group

The Power of a Critique Group, by Glynnis Whitwer

Shortly after God called me to write a book, I moved 2,000 miles away from my writing support group and to a place where no one understood my call to write. In fact, when I excitedly shared my first book idea with a friend, her only response to me was: “Aren’t there a lot of books out there on that subject?”

I stammered … I didn’t know what to say because she was probably right.

It took me three more years to get up the nerve to try and write that book. When I finally did, I knew I couldn’t go it alone. So I formed a critique group.

I started the group at church by creating a small group and seeing if there were any other women like me with a dream to write. Turns out there were. So we banded together and started encouraging each other and critiquing each other’s work. 

At first, it was kind of clunky. But eventually, we set some ground rules. For example, we had to tell the author what they were doing right. Did they have a lyrical way of writing? Were their sentences tight? Did they hook us in the first paragraph? Those types of affirmations made such a difference!

But we also offered helpful correction. This is where the hard work of critiquing started to make me a better writer. It would be easy to take a red marker and circle a paragraph that seemed awkward. But how would that help the writer? If she knew how to write a stronger paragraph, she would have done it.

So rather than saying “This paragraph needs to be rewritten” — we pushed ourselves to offer a way to rewrite it. What didn’t we like? And how could we make it better?

•     If the lead needed work, we looked for a hook somewhere in the body of the piece.
•     If something was written in passive voice, we rewrote it in active.
•     If the word choice was lackluster, we offered a more descriptive one.

These types of corrections didn’t benefit only the author; they helped the reviewer. In fact, no other practice has helped my writing more than editing someone else’s work. I identified what the writer did that weakened their writing and how they could make it stronger.

Allowing your work to be critiqued is a humbling process. But I’d rather have my work reviewed by people who want me to succeed than an editor who will toss it.

That critique group helped me refine my first book proposal. They combed through every paragraph and every page and challenged me to make it better. And though it took a few years of presenting the proposal to publishers, I eventually got a book contract.

There is no doubt that group helped me get published. But more than that, they made me a better writer. Plus, when I received rejection after rejection, they reminded me why I was writing. And it kept me going.

If you are ready to take your writing to the next level, a critique group might be the right next step. Because sometimes you simply need a friend to help you get unstuck.

Want to join a COMPEL Training Critique Group?

If you are a current member of COMPEL Training ready to take your writing to the next level, a COMPEL Training Critique Group is a great next step! We believe both giving and receiving positive and constructive criticism is one of the best ways to improve your writing, which is why we are excited to launch our online critique groups tomorrow! It is our prayer that these groups will offer you a balance of positive and constructive feedback, all while affirming your call as a writer.