THE WRITERS' ROOM – DINNER & CRITIQUE FOR WRITERS (NOVEMBER)

NEW: To ensure we have a robust discussion, attendees are required to 1) submit work for discussion and 2) review others' work each meeting. If you RSVP for a discussion, please be prepared to follow these guidelines. Thank you.

Calling all writers and aspiring writers. Are you looking for a safe, supportive space to share your writing for review and critique? After years of living virtually since 2020, do the words “Zoom” and “Online” make you cringe?

We are a group of writers, some published, mostly not, who want to share feedback with other writers. We will meet monthly, in person, at Chapter One in Santa Ana where we will discuss each other’s work, while enjoying dinner and drinks.

Writers will submit their work for review (up to 10 pages) one week before we meet. You can submit something new each month or continue to submit the same piece as you rewrite and work through it. Participants will read each other’s work during the following week and bring their critiques and comments to the roundtable. We will discuss each writer’s work for 10-15 minutes (depending on group size). Writers can bring questions and challenges they are facing for input from the group as well.

We take community seriously. Bashing of another’s work will not be tolerated. Give feedback in a way that can be heard and only for the motive of strengthening a peer’s work. It’s a great rule of thumb to start with the positives, and move into those areas that confused you or pulled you out of the work. Many writers take offense if you tell them how they should change their writing. Instead, highlight what you think are missed opportunities.

For example, instead of telling someone how to change the sentence “It was a cold day,” you could point out the sentence and say, “be careful of telling, not showing.” Or, “this might be a missed opportunity to see the day through the main character’s eyes.”

AGENDA

6:30 – 6:45 Socialize, Drink and Food Orders

6:45 – 8:30 Critique of each writer’s work

8:30 Wrap Up

DINING AT CHAPTER ONE

Chapter One is happy to split checks per person (I also host a monthly book club there with 25+ attendees). They prefer guests use a credit or debit card (instead of cash) for easy tracking of orders. The Red Room (where we will meet) is a private room directly behind the bar.

PARKING IN SANTA ANA

There is a covered parking structure across from Chapter One on 3rd Street. Parking is $5. There are also parking meters in the area.

GIVING CRITICISM*

· Arrive with the appropriate mindset: Please arrive with the attitude that we are all here to help others (and ourselves) get to the next level in our writing.

· Use the sandwich method: start with something you liked, then provide constructive criticism, then end with something you liked.

· Use “I” statements: It’s better to say “I found this part boring” not “This part was boring.”

· Be specific: If you “found this part boring,” explain why you found it boring.

· Use polite phrasing: If you “found this part boring,” it might be nicer to say “I found this part a bit slow,” or “this part pulled me out of the story,” and then explain why.

· Never criticize the writer: Discuss the work, not the writer. If you “found this part boring,” never tell the writer, “you write boring manuscripts.”

· Don’t rewrite in your own voice: do not rewrite paragraphs, entire stanzas, or pages in your own voice.

· Be nice & show respect: Even if you hate a piece of writing, the writer has invested time and effort on the manuscript. Phrase your criticism in a way that wouldn’t offend you if it were your writing.

RECEIVING CRITICISM

· Don’t take it personally: Criticism of your work is not criticism of you as a person. While you have put a lot of effort into the manuscript, try to maintain a separation between you and your writing.

· Refrain from getting defensive in the moment: You don’t need to defend your writing. Nobody is attacking it. Let it go if you don’t agree with someone’s critique.

· Everyone has an opinion: You might think it’s perfect, others think it’s too long, and still others think it’s too short. Learn to classify voices offering criticism so you can decide which trumps which.

· Wait: After hearing criticism, let it sit for a day or a week before going back and revising or thinking about changes. You should only make changes in your writing based on what rings truest to you.

· Remember that ultimately, ownership is yours: As Neil Gaiman said: “When people tell you there’s something wrong with a story, they’re almost always right. When they tell what it is that’s wrong and how it can be fixed, they’re almost always wrong.” Listen to what people think doesn’t work for your story, and then figure out how you want to fix it.

* Borrowed from The Writers Loft