The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide

by: Becky Levine

Published by: Writers Digest Books (January 15, 2010)

Reviewed by C. L. Rossman

It’s a curious fact that writers seem to generate more “how-to” books than any other group, possibly excepting gardeners. No other group seems to dote on so many conferences, seminars, and books, magazines and online sites the way writers and would-be writers do. While you can debate the value of all this overkill, some of the many advisory items are actually helpful.

This one is helpful.

In it Ms Levine has taken the dreaded “writing critique” and broken it down into its necessary parts. She starts out with suggestions about what kind of critique group would be best for you as a writer: online or in person; then swings right into doing the critique itself. It’s assumed that once you join a group, you will be writing critiques of others’ work while they read and critique yours. In a friendly way, she goes through the requirements for critiquing fiction. She devotes no fewer than six chapters to it and tells you what to look for in plot, character, point of view and voice, dialogue and finally description, all in separate chapters. Each is filled with information about what to look for in that aspect of the writer’s work.

This is followed by shorter essays—one chapter for each—about how to review nonfiction: travel writing, memoirs and several kinds of children’s books.

At least one common writer’s failing stretches across all categories, Levine says, and that is: don’t bore the reader. Capture your reader’s attention and keep it.

I found most of the instructions quite clear and helpful. The only one I had a little trouble with was the difference between “point of view” and “voice.” Apparently they are different, but I think the author could clarify that difference..

One of the most helpful sections, for me, occurs at the end of the book: “How to Revise and Self-Edit from a Critique”—how to use your critiquers’ comments constructively to change and strengthen your manuscript.

Levine also makes a big point about being polite—the critiquer should be helpful and upbeat rather than doing a hack-and-slash job on the writer’s work. A very good point, I’d say.

All in all a worthwhile work to add to your writer’s bookshelf.

Reviewer gives this book Four Stars