PRESIDENT'S CORNER

This Business of Critique

It is horrifyingly easy to locate a writers' group that is more than willing to rip your creative offerings to shreds. For beginners, this can be devastating. For the sensitive natured individual, such critique can leave them withered. Even those of us who are not new to the experience can find some critique difficult to digest.

We at the WFSC pride ourselves for being a group that can offer both accurate and applicable critique while encouraging the author in their efforts. Some may call it constructive, friendly or positive critique. Regardless of the title you use, our goal is to offer critique that helps the author pinpoint line edit issues, general mistakes and content discrepancies in a manner that maintains a spirit of encouragement to further develop their work. 

It has come to my attention that some individuals may feel unqualified to offer anything of value by way of critique. I would suggest that most anyone can offer constructive critique by using the following guidelines.

a) Listen carefully to the work.

b) Make mental  note of anything that causes a 'glitch' in your mind as you read/listen to the
    work.

c) Pay attention to your emotional response to the work.

d) Make your comments specific to your experience of the work. Tell the author what part/line
    caused the greatest emotional response and/or caused a 'glitch'.

e) If you identify an issue with the work, try to make suggestions that may help to correct the
    problem.

Following these few pointers for critique will allow the most novice of writers to provide positive feedback to other authors. Most authors are more than happy to be notified of problems with their work if the correction is provided with respect and consideration. Likewise, authors are happy to know that their work has effectively evoked an emotional response. This often confirms they were successful in their attempts to create said emotion in the reader. 

The bottom line is, you can't be shy when it comes to providing critique to fellow writers. Be respectful. Be considerate. Approach the task with a spirit of consideration. Report honest responses. If  you can manage these simple tasks, your critique will be helpful and genuinely appreciated.

Keep On Writin'

Twilla R. Boyce
2010 WFSC President

When Life Gets In the Way

With the arrival of spring, life is bound to get hectic.  There's the gardening to consider, spring break holidays (for you lucky ducks), final preparations for June weddings and so much more. Sometimes, life can get so busy it becomes difficult to devote ample time to our writing. Our novels, short stories and poetry must be abandoned for a short time.

Before you know it, the weeks fly by and our literary children remain abandoned with a covering of dust. I wish I had a formula that would guarantee the provision of time whereby you could slow time, eliminate demands and focus on your writing. Sadly...I cannot. What I can do is offer you some tried-and-true suggestions that can keep you in touch with your literary creativity.

1) Keep a journal or Blog: You may not have the time to focus on larger, more heady pieces of work but making short entries reflecting poignant moments in your day-to -day life can keep your observation skills sharp.

2) Commit to "Replies":  If you don't have time to journal or blog, follow a friend's blog and commit to creating a response 2-3 times each week. It takes far more mental energy to create a journal/blog entry than it does to respond to someone else's but it keeps you in touch with friends and bloggers LOVE to get responses to their creative efforts.

3) Keep a notebook with you: You may not be able to schedule a specific time to devote to writing but there is always that 5 minutes wait in line at the bank or hour wait in the doctor's lobby that can be used for your writing. These moments are perfect for developing your 'stream of consciousness' writing. Or you could people watch. Write about someone who is also waiting. Create a back-story for them.

In closing, I recommend you determine when you will return to your larger writing projects. Mark it on the calendar! i.e. we move into our new home on May 10th, Susan's wedding is on May 30th, another two weeks to get settled into the new home... I will get back to my novel on June 14th. If we do not set a deadline for our 'too busy to work on the novel' period, we can become distracted by just about anything! Don't let 'too busy to write' become a way of life.  We all know that life doesn't follow a schedule but having no plan to return to your writing will put you on the fast track to literary nothingness.

Reminder: Your writing is important and we are all waiting eagerly to hear what you have produced.

Keep On Writin'

Twilla R. Boyce, WFSC Pres 2010