tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post616130204462851419..comments2024-03-10T04:29:20.044-04:00Comments on Mad Genius Club: Critiquing 101Sarah A. Hoythttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478124095732219352noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-49542287185985656382010-07-07T08:39:09.189-04:002010-07-07T08:39:09.189-04:00We'll see! I am certain that the local librar...We'll see! I am certain that the local library has a newsletter - it seems to be quite keen to be as proactive as possible - and we will see who responds. The University I work for also has a Creative Writing society, and I will see if I can get some advice about organising a group from them (they don't seem to cater for genre authors). <br /><br />Ta for the advice! :)Jonathan D. Beerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525346572076892536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-37640612155562115692010-07-07T06:30:51.257-04:002010-07-07T06:30:51.257-04:00It would Jonathan. But you need to find a group th...It would Jonathan. But you need to find a group that specialises in your genre.<br /><br />Does your local library have a newsletter? Do you have a local writers centre? Could you put out a call for writers of SF and fantasy who would like to form a writing group?Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-74148385317420525572010-07-07T05:23:24.028-04:002010-07-07T05:23:24.028-04:00Hi Rowena; no you didn't miss a comment of min...Hi Rowena; no you didn't miss a comment of mine - things went a bit haywire yesterday I think!<br /><br />Thanks, that is what I thought. I am giving serious thought to starting up a Kent/South East England group, having had a scout around on the internet and finding nothing which really fits me (one group seemed good, but you must have published work to be considered for membership). As part of a drive to take writing more seriously - more professionally - I think being a member of a writing group would help enormously.Jonathan D. Beerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525346572076892536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-55845445684217305222010-07-07T05:10:19.597-04:002010-07-07T05:10:19.597-04:00Sorry Chris. Lost track there.
I thought you guys...Sorry Chris. Lost track there.<br /><br />I thought you guys did complete novels as well?<br /><br />Why not suggest it to the group?Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-39504820618094878922010-07-07T02:05:29.344-04:002010-07-07T02:05:29.344-04:00Hi, Rowena. If you are talking about the EDGE retr...Hi, Rowena. If you are talking about the EDGE retreat - I am already a member of that group. But we don't look at the whole manuscript.Chris McMahonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883058490702361466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-44080056063115255142010-07-07T01:50:06.189-04:002010-07-07T01:50:06.189-04:00Chris,
Why don't you do what Jason and the ot...Chris,<br /><br />Why don't you do what Jason and the other guys did? They formed their own group.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-82679264906232351122010-07-07T01:47:36.160-04:002010-07-07T01:47:36.160-04:00Thanks, Amanda.
It's wonderful to have the su...Thanks, Amanda.<br /><br />It's wonderful to have the support of a group of friends who understand the crazy world of publishing.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-78360737682376049102010-07-07T01:46:53.034-04:002010-07-07T01:46:53.034-04:00Matapam, we did know each other. We'd met at c...Matapam, we did know each other. We'd met at conventions. We didn't know each other well. But you know how you meet someone and you just a feeling that they are on your wavelength? <br /><br />We had that feeling.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-70077495026096453492010-07-06T23:37:05.249-04:002010-07-06T23:37:05.249-04:00I've done plenty of shorter critiquing, but it...I've done plenty of shorter critiquing, but it would be great to do something like that at novel length.Chris McMahonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883058490702361466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-40691791313906133622010-07-06T23:26:24.896-04:002010-07-06T23:26:24.896-04:00Great post, Rowena. There's nothing better th...Great post, Rowena. There's nothing better than a critique group that works and it sounds like ROR does that and more. Congrats!Amanda Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927312739323222344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-21813331366975833182010-07-06T17:51:37.672-04:002010-07-06T17:51:37.672-04:00Wow. That's some group, and some critiquing. I...Wow. That's some group, and some critiquing. I'd be afraid to start such a thing from scratch, with strangers. Better to seek out people you know have good judgment and travel once a year or so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-77406751826423526832010-07-06T17:12:55.206-04:002010-07-06T17:12:55.206-04:00Looks like you've seen them all, Rowena. I gu...Looks like you've seen them all, Rowena. I guess it was a bug earlier in the day. Maybe blogger had a cold?C Kelseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-51812348238550762112010-07-06T16:28:49.590-04:002010-07-06T16:28:49.590-04:00Jonathan and Chris, hope I haven't missed a co...Jonathan and Chris, hope I haven't missed a comment of yours.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-78900127108961590792010-07-06T16:27:58.590-04:002010-07-06T16:27:58.590-04:00Synova, you hit the nail ont he head. Knives inthe...Synova, you hit the nail ont he head. Knives inthe nicest possible way -- will lead to publication. <br /><br />Marianne and I based the VISION writing group on the fact that we were serious (in a good way) about writing. We were and still are passionate about the craft. We wanted to learn.<br /><br />And yes, you need people who love the genre you write in, people who have read it for years and are also passionate about writing.<br /><br />The ROR team come from across Australia. We are 3000 miles apart at the greatest distance, but we still manage to meet and crit each other's books.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-29689258080909430972010-07-06T16:25:06.228-04:002010-07-06T16:25:06.228-04:00Chris, it can be done. I know of two other groups ...Chris, it can be done. I know of two other groups in Australia, based on ours. <br /><br />One of them applies for grants and brings in multi published writers to run weekend workshops as well.<br /><br />You just need to find some sympatico writers.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-10360394947321018982010-07-06T16:23:46.828-04:002010-07-06T16:23:46.828-04:00John, tea and biscuits yes.
Even better wine and ...John, tea and biscuits yes.<br /><br />Even better wine and a good meal in front of a fire, while talking excitedly about some obscure point in the craft of writing!Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-4721957414563473702010-07-06T16:22:49.504-04:002010-07-06T16:22:49.504-04:00Jonathan, definitely the 'you are not alone...Jonathan, definitely the 'you are not alone' feeling is very important.<br /><br />And yes, a genre novel needs to be critiqued by another genre writer. They need to love the genre as much as you do, and have years of reading in it and across associated genres to really give useful feedback.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-74980298442199527022010-07-06T15:41:20.663-04:002010-07-06T15:41:20.663-04:00Oops, sorry guys. Seems there's been somethin...Oops, sorry guys. Seems there's been something of a technical hitch with the comments :-/Jonathan D. Beerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525346572076892536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-14079848985175164882010-07-06T11:57:09.323-04:002010-07-06T11:57:09.323-04:00Jonathan,
I posted a comment earlier. The commen...Jonathan,<br /><br />I posted a comment earlier. The comment count on the main page says there are 3 comments. I'm only seeing two currenlty and mine isn't one of them. Weird.C Kelseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-29388733708165024092010-07-06T11:49:48.333-04:002010-07-06T11:49:48.333-04:00I took a peer critique *class* about a year ago an...I took a peer critique *class* about a year ago and I (besides the instructor who writes speculative YA) was the only person writing speculative fiction, or who even read it. I got a lot of "Oooohhh, cool!" responses which were sort of fun but not all that helpful. I think I got quite a bit out of the class and it was great to meet those ladies (there was one guy out of something like 12 people) but when they arranged to keep on meeting without the instructor after the classes ended I decided that my life was just too busy. <br /><br />Just my opinion but various genres are identified by their particular set of conventions. I think that it's a good idea to keep confusion to a minimum in case someone picks up your story as their intro to fantasy or science fiction, but I also think that you get better critique from someone who understands what is going on. <br /><br />If that was right out in the open I think it might work, or at least I hope so, because the other main reason that I didn't make a point to keep up with these ladies was that even more than people who understood my genre, I wanted a group focused on publication. I wanted knives but in the nicest possible way. ;-)<br /><br />And also, it was true that my life was sort of overwhelming and I wasn't likely to get a lot of writing done. But I've been thinking for a while about trying to start a group, to put up a notice or two and see who responds. I don't know that I'd be able to find a good core group locally that is all SF so I'd seriously considered specifying openness to other genre fiction.<br /><br />Haven't done it yet though.Synovahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01311191981918160095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-47566494982360008312010-07-06T10:49:19.540-04:002010-07-06T10:49:19.540-04:00Sounds like an extremely useful group.Sounds like an extremely useful group.C Kelseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-36647209396188447242010-07-06T08:40:25.580-04:002010-07-06T08:40:25.580-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jonathan D. Beerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525346572076892536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-65716677288989365432010-07-06T06:42:01.520-04:002010-07-06T06:42:01.520-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jonathan D. Beerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525346572076892536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-48307379112732692852010-07-06T06:01:57.159-04:002010-07-06T06:01:57.159-04:00And tea and biscuits.And tea and biscuits.John Lambsheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04598696442104566164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-18578563842934902472010-07-06T05:48:24.999-04:002010-07-06T05:48:24.999-04:00I have been giving this some thought in recent day...I have been giving this some thought in recent days, as I have started to bump into other genre writers where I live, and having seen how useful they are (and, frankly, giving a sense of "you are not alone" that can boost so many of us).<br /><br />I do have a question though: is ROR a collection of "genre" writers? Do you think that a genre novel needs to be critiqued by genre authors? (I think so, but I'm not sure why. Probably my in-built snobbery I suspect.)Jonathan D. Beerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525346572076892536noreply@blogger.com