What we’re about
MISSION
We are a group of experienced Science Fiction and Fantasy writers. We’re looking to improve our skills by reading and critiquing other works, and by writing and submitting our own work for critique.
ATTENDING A MEETING
• We meet Sundays 10:00 am to noon at a cafe in Sterling Virginia.
• Each week we’ll take up to 5 submissions of about 3,000 words each.
• Attendees for that week will read all submissions and make written comments either electronic or hand notes.
• It’s not uncommon to spend a couple hours per week reading and commenting.
• Submissions for the week are available to group members on a Google Drive site.
• At the meeting, we spend 20-25 minutes discussing each piece. You’ll share your thoughts with the author, and then provide your written comments after the discussion.
• Critiquing is itself an art. We provide some guidance here.
• It’s great to capture grammar and spelling comments in your written notes, but our discussions focus on craft (character motivations, voice, narrative).
SUBMITTING YOUR WORK
• You must attend two weekly meetings before submitting your own work for critique. In these meetings you’ll read and critique other folks' work and join in the group discussion.
• Your work should be under 3,000 words.
• We recommend using the template provided here. But any reasonable facsimile is fine too.
• You’ll upload your file to our Google Drive site. Submit a Word file or a PDF please.
• Observe how others are tagging their uploads. You’ll want to make sure that there is a slot left for your submission.
• We like to have all submissions in by Thursday at midnight. If you miss the deadline, there's a risk other people won't have had time to read your work. (Late entries may choose to read their piece aloud at the table.)
• During feedback authors listen and takes notes. Ideally, the only thing the author says to any feedback is thank you. In practice, we generally have a lot of great discussion. But authors are encouraged not to argue about feedback. Ultimately, it’s your story and you choose what to do with the comments.
HOW TO JOIN
The group isn’t as intimidating as this strongly worded about page! We have a lot of fun. So if you like the style of the group and are committed to reading, critiquing, and writing in the Science Fiction or Fantasy genres, please submit an application today!