Critiques

Yesterday, I took a break from my regularly-scheduled writing to pick one of the most enjoyable items on my to-do list: a friend's book to critique. It's science fiction for middle graders-- and it's laugh-out-loud funny. Really! I think soda came out my nose, I was cracking up so much!

When I finished, I gave the manuscript to my ten-year-old son. (Yes, I had permission.) He kept cracking up, too--even ran to find me at one point to read me a particularly great scene.

I love having a circle of writing friends who read and critique each others' work. I know my writing has improved many-fold due to the feedback from these folks.

The unseen benefit of a critique group is that when you start dissectin what does and doesn't work in someone else's novel, you get better at dissecting your own.

Plus you get to read awesome books before the rest of the world. What more could you want?

-- Cheryl :-)