Yesterday’s guest post by Becca from The Bookshelf Muse cited how she’s met co-blogger Angela in an online group called Critique Circle. I’ve started shepherding three new face-to-face “training wheels” crit groups this term. The ingredients for a successful group stay the same.
Writing Tip for Today: As you join, form or change critique groups, the most important thing is that you have a place to read your stuff. Here are some other elements of successful groups:

• High level of Trust. As you get to know the other writers, you form a bond. The best groups are a safe place to gain valuable feedback while leaving the writer’s ego intact. I once belonged to a group that regularly “ate me for lunch.” You don’t have to become friends but you do need to trust other members.
• Rules with Flexibility. Successful groups have rules in place to keep individuals from taking over or to keep order. I’m SO guilty of cross talk, that is, interrupting another critiquer. It’s something I have to work on all the time. The flexibility part comes in where a stray comment now and then doesn’t need to be policed. Most good groups also set rules for page count and put in place a procedure for admitting new members, such as a trial period or audition.
• Constant Production. Good crit groups hear from all the members. If writers always want to crit but never bring anything in, I think it hurts the whole group. Again, I’m oh-so-guilty–my busy schedule means I can barely attend, much less bring in pages. But I’m working on it.
• Strengths and Weaknesses. Often, different writers bring different skills to the group. For instance, I’m known as the “big picture” person, as theme, story and structure are my strengths. Others will be the “grammar person (not police!)” or the story logic person (who says, I never saw her sit down. How could she be getting up?).
• A Gentle Touch. Good groups offer positive suggestions for fixing a manuscript. They don’t try to edit or rewrite your work, or deliver death blows about it in front of others.
• Careful with Word Choice and Delivery. In an online crit group it’s especially important to respect the writer and be sure your style of “online talk” doesn’t come off as bullying or dismissive. You don’t write in all caps, you avoid pronouncing judgment or announcing that you hate someone’s work. Instead, offer solutions to what you view as a problem. In my view, there are only two kinds of writing: Writing that works and writing that needs work.