Author Topic: We have a crit group you can join (Read 65787 times)

Heradel · **on:** July 26, 2010, 08:47:42 PM

There have been threads about this before, but I figured it's worth a perma-stickied topic in the Writing Forum for when new people wander along. We have a crit group for short(ish) fiction that's open to people who have been on the forums and would like to take part.

There aren't really any strict rules for asking to join apart from the fact you should:

A. Be willing to critique and not just read
B. Be willing to post your original works for critique (not at any particular frequency, but the group works best when everyone contributes)
C. Be willing to do so in a constructive, respectful manner.

The Critique group exists in a private subforum nearby that regular members can't see, and preserves the right of first publication should (and hopefully when) a critiqued story is sold somewhere (like, for example, one of our fine podcasts).

The basic procedure is to Private Message eytanz, who is the group's current moderator, asking to join (using the link in this sentence will do the trick). Response is usually pretty quick but it may take a couple of days. If you are a new member to the forums, you may be asked some questions just to confirm that you're not a bot or a spammer (we've had applications to join from those before).

kibitzer · **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2011, 07:21:58 AM

Thank God I'm (A) but not quite (B) and I am (C) in both (A) and (B).

Scattercat · **Reply #2 on:** April 30, 2011, 08:53:01 AM

Okay, so I'm apparently the only person who has posted ANYTHING to the crit group since April 8, comment or story or anything. What gives, y'all? We need a recruitment drive!

iamafish · **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2011, 09:31:00 AM

been off the horse for a while, i need to post some more crits and write some more stories (jeez, my efficiently is terrible)

Listener · **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2011, 11:01:00 AM

It may be that you're just more prolific.

Scattercat · **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2011, 11:35:59 AM

Quote from: Listener on April 30, 2011, 11:01:00 AM

It may be that you're just more prolific.

You take that back! My mother was a saint!

Dem · **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2011, 04:42:21 PM

Normal service nearing resumption as uni course comes to an end. One more piece to pull out of the hat and I can get back to bothering the forums and crit groups. Got a piece through slush here (close, but no cigar) so I have EP in my sights for a return match. I assume those drafts can be posted here. Yes? No? Incognito?

Heradel · **Reply #7 on:** May 11, 2011, 08:02:15 PM

The posting of a story in the crit group will have no impact on the story's consideration once it's submitted, except that the slush readers may already have already read it here and formed an opinion of the story.

Dem · **Reply #8 on:** May 11, 2011, 08:06:27 PM

Quote from: Heradel on May 11, 2011, 08:02:15 PM

The posting of a story in the crit group will have no impact on the story's consideration once it's submitted, except that the slush readers may already have already read it here and formed an opinion of the story.

So you have to judge whether or not that's a help or a hindrance - 'Oh no, not that old tosh again!' v 'This has smartened up no end'. Ok, good to know it's one's own judgement call, thanks.

Spindaddy · **Reply #9 on:** July 08, 2011, 05:51:51 PM

Quote from: Scattercat on April 30, 2011, 11:35:59 AM

Quote from: Listener on April 30, 2011, 11:01:00 AM
It may be that you're just more prolific.

You take that back! My mother was a saint!

Just read this and I laughed out loud.

Well played sir!

Sheps · **Reply #10 on:** September 10, 2012, 08:41:56 PM

How active is it? Long time listener but new to the forums and it isn't as hustle and bustle as I would've expected.

Scattercat · **Reply #11 on:** September 11, 2012, 02:16:26 AM

The crit group is pretty dead, honestly. We got up to three or four active people for a little bit there, but I don't think anyone's posted in it for months. If you can scrounge up like two or three more participants...

Dem · **Reply #12 on:** September 11, 2012, 10:07:46 AM

The problem I found was managing a critique technically. The forum engine doesn't really lend itself to much more than summary comments when in-line is often much more useful. Not sure what to suggest, really

Listener · **Reply #13 on:** September 11, 2012, 12:44:05 PM

Quote from: Dem on September 11, 2012, 10:07:46 AM

The problem I found was managing a critique technically. The forum engine doesn't really lend itself to much more than summary comments when in-line is often much more useful. Not sure what to suggest, really

When I do one-to-one critiques online, I use Google Docs. I share the doc with the critter and s/he makes annotations.

Dem · **Reply #14 on:** September 11, 2012, 02:59:28 PM

Not a bad solution. Takes it out of the forum though, which is where the problem lies. I wonder if EA would consider a closed crit group on Google that was accessed from here - if that would even work!

Umbrageofsnow · **Reply #15 on:** September 12, 2012, 12:29:25 AM

Well for what it's worth, I'll throw in my disappointment at how dead it's been, and after my flash contest submissions are done I'd be happy to participate in the crit group again.

I found the forum set-up to be a bit difficult as well, as I still usually want to do line-by-line, and I can do them with lots of quotes, but I find myself spending hours per post.

That said, I'm willing to spend hours per post, I've done a few crits in the group before, never posted my own work, due to deadness and lack of stories I'm ready to share at non-dead moments. But every time I get ready to post things, or feel I should be responding to critique responses, I find myself moving cross-country or something.

I've had a seriously chaotic last two years, full of death, failure, and constant moving. I admit that it has caused me to be flakier than I'd like, but I shall try to make up for that, assuming my life is going to actually be stable these next few months as I think it will be. I've been writing more regularly at least. Anyway, count me as a not-as-defunct-as-I-appear member of the crit group.

Scattercat · **Reply #16 on:** September 12, 2012, 01:21:38 AM

Does anyone live near Charlotte, NC? Maybe we should just try for a meatspace group. :-D

kibitzer · **Reply #17 on:** September 12, 2012, 03:35:48 AM

Could maybe try something more collaborative like G+ hangouts or Google groups? Could even setup something like Liferay Social Office (includes document sharing and wikis and stuff)

Dem · **Reply #18 on:** September 12, 2012, 10:31:48 AM

I'm on G+ but hangouts don't usually work for me when everyone else is in the US - you're hitting the coffee when I'm hitting the sack! A collaborative docs group might work though.

Max e^{i pi} · **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2013, 04:33:44 PM

Dead crit group is dead?
Fortunately it's only mostly dead. Mostly dead is a little alive.
Lemme just put some chocolate paste on this here horse-pill....

Ivy Wood · **Reply #20 on:** March 03, 2013, 10:15:25 PM

I wish it wasn't dead. I keep asking around my town (not near Charlotte) about any sort of writer's groups. Can't find anything. Sigh.

Umbrageofsnow · **Reply #21 on:** March 03, 2013, 11:02:33 PM

Ivy,

You should send a PM to Eytanz to get group access (or one of the other mods, Heredal isn't around anymore) and post something in the group. I'll volunteer to take a look at it for you, and I've been meaning to revise my story from the EP flash contest into a longer one anyway, so maybe I'll revise and post that if you'll give it a look. I've also done a bit with Google Docs and it works very well for a line-by-line, but maybe we can sum things up with the forum? Let me know how you would like me to look at your story and we'll see if we can get something going. Maybe we can punch some life into this thing.

That is not dead which can eternal lie.

Cutter McKay · **Reply #22 on:** March 04, 2013, 12:37:11 AM

I just recently had Eytan add me to the group. I just haven't posted anything yet because I've been waiting for a little more activity on the forum and polishing up my new story to post. But I check it, if you post something I'll give it a read. Though this may not be the ideal time to to start, what with the 153 flash stories I'm about to read,

Scattercat · **Reply #23 on:** March 04, 2013, 12:46:36 AM

I'll post the final cut of Enginesong when I get that finished. (It's been three months so far!)

The only other recently finished thing I have I've already sent out a couple places (and honestly am pretty happy with it overall), but if it would help people to have something to chew on, I can toss it up.

Umbrageofsnow · **Reply #24 on:** March 04, 2013, 12:57:21 AM

Honestly, between trying to catch up on the slush pile this week, and the Pseudopod contest, and rewriting "Autumn Leaves" into something I'm happier with, I think I've got enough on my plate with just committing to Ivy's story, but I will certainly try to reliably read anything that goes up there. So I don't personally need extra stuff to chew on, but maybe the best way to revive the group is to just...