Hello Deemarie,

YES!  Writing critique groups are the way to learn the craft.

For many years I belonged to two weekly groups: one for general fiction, and the other a Romance writers group.  No snickers, please.

The general fiction group met every Monday night 6-9 p.m. all through the year.  Well, except Christmas and New Years.  And this was during the reign of Monday Night Football.

Steve, a large man in his late thirties, served as moderator. He chose who would start the first critique of the evening – that was his sole appointed task.  After the next piece had been read, the next in the circle would start critique, and so on around the table.

The submissions were 2000 words or less, just one copy for the one who read the piece COLD in a clear voice.  Where that reader stumbled, you had best flag it for revision.  Reading your own work was frowned on.  A female voice is often the best (sharper) for choosing the reader

Although the fiction group numbered 15 regulars and semi-regulars, usually 6 to 8 would show of a given Monday.  The pieces were read in the order of arrival, except for those who hadn't submitted for a while were worked in.

One precept ruled: make your critique for improvement of the piece, or pass your turn.  Personal attacks were shown the door.

We were all adults and accepted rough language, rough situations, but drew the line at prurient, gratuitous sex and/or perversions.  Some of the members would be incensed about certain attitudes.  We each were there to learn.

During the critique of your work, you kept quiet, unless asked a direct question – this saved time.  [Not everyone would get read of an evening.]

That critique group was loosely affiliated with the city-wide writers group which met monthly, reported members publication news, up-coming events, and often a guest speaker.

The city-wide group was affiliated with the state-wide organization – which held the BIG writing contest early in the year, and the annual convention in early May.  Agents, editors and publishers would attend the convention: interviews could be scheduled, etc.

The Romance writing group was, except for me, a ladies club.  One published writer (Harlequin published at least two of her works every year) anchored the group.  In the three years I met with them on Wednesday nights, two of the younger writers sold Romances – and then each got pregnant.  When they switched to Monday nights, I left.

Sexist or whatever, but the ladies liked to talk.  We would gather at 8 p.m. and maybe the first offering would get read around 9:30.  The group was rarely more than six, and the critique part was a free-for-all.  However, constructive criticism only.  Those ladies were sharp, and always thought in terms of the story, rather than dwell on grammar.

One of my 40-page wonders hammered in that forge won second place in Historical Romance at the statewide competition.  For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, a 40-page wonder is submit the first two chapters and a three page synopsis (double spaced at about 250 words per page).  And then later you wonder how in blazes to finish it after the creative spark fizzled.

The romance group tolerated me as a loose tie to reality.  When I called attention to an impossibility, they would say, "Oh Dick!  It's a Ro-mance!"  Yes, I was the-long-suffering male, but they did open my eyes to plotting.  They were the ones who got me to read Robert McKee' seminal book "Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting."  A must read for those who write genre fiction.

Of online writing groups, I found www.toasted-cheese.com excellent.  If nothing else, look at their front page categories, and dig through the archived articles in "Absolutely Blank."  You must join to post and make critiques.

Rambled.  Sorry.

Dick