Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly Contributor)
Critique groups are a funky set of monkeys, are they not? They can buoy a writer or bury them, create conflict off the page instead of upon it, and are simultaneously a writer’s worst nightmare and a writer’s best friend all at once.
I’ve been in and out of crit groups for years and have had some partners whose compatibility was lacking, others who outright infuriated me, and still others with whom I’ve formed what are now decades-plus friendships with, and I think, after a long spate of reflecting, (and definitely some maturing as a writer and as a person), I’ve reached a place where I can see how each of the three most dominant writing personalities has a useful, and perhaps even crucial place in a crit circle. Here’s how:
