If you read my blog regularly (sign up for updates here), you probably get the feeling that I believe writing groups are the answer to everything. True, I think writing groups can be very useful and benefit a writer, but there are times to say NO to your writing group.
I'll use myself as an example of one of those times. I was with a critique circle, where the practice was to share the next scene of your work in progress at every meetup. Some members had finished manuscripts from which they doled out chapters week by week to work on.
I was in the midst of discovery writing a book and shared my work in progress as I went along, meaning I'd write the chapter or scene over the weekend, then send the draft doc to the circle members for discussion. Sure, I knew the mystery was going to be solved by the end of the book, but I didn't know how I would reach that ending because I was at the stage of discovery. A lot of things about the story were evolving: characters, plot points, locations, themes, etc.
Each time we met, I got feedback-both positive and negative, and I would listen closely and conclude I needed to move some aspect of my work in a new direction. Often, my new directions affected scenes I'd already written or the timeline I'd already established.
Undaunted, however, I introduced new ideas, characters and scenes, plus I changed the tone from cozy to a kind of noir-ish style, all because of feedback. As the feedback continued, I grew more and more confused about my original story, and lost track of where I was or why I liked my idea in the first place. Ultimately, I was so mixed up, I abandoned my book.
Here's the funny thing. The feedback wasn't to blame for my abandoning my work. Instead, I was to blame because I didn't fully appreciate how early in my process I was. Since I was at the beginning of my work, I wasn't ready for other points of view. So, instead of inviting others' opinions, I really should have kept my nose to the writing grindstone and said 'no' to the critique group.
In fact, later on and under different circumstances, I had a new story idea, and this time I kept my writing to myself. As a result, I finished the novel. Did the novel need work? Indeed! My point is by protecting the early steps in my process, I remained clear in my direction and completed my first draft. That was a big and welcome change compared to my results from before.
Of course, everybody is different. Some authors feel comfortable getting feedback at any point in their creative journeys. But if you're like me, where early in the creative process you need privacy and protection from external influences, then saying 'no' to a critique group is exactly the right thing to do.
If my experience resonated with you, you'll be interested in my ebook, The Write Group, which has many real-life stories that will inspire you and help you keep writing!
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