Aug 7, 2013 | For Writers
Critique groups are the backbone of Inspire. Where the magic happens. Where inspiration, perspiration, and determination face the music. Where writers discover their work is brilliant or fit for the compost heap.
It’s like a twice-a-month American Idol audition.
Are you nervous yet? There’s no need to be.
When you bring your writing to an Inspire critique group, you can be sure of three things:
- You’ll get honest feedback.
- The writers giving the feedback care–about you, your work, and your success.
- You’ll be a better writer because you participated.
So, how do our critique groups work?
Each group meets regularly, usually twice a month. Writers submit their manuscripts to the group several days in advance. Then the writers critique each manuscript following our Critique Guidelines.
The writers bring the critiqued items to the group meeting and share their feedback. These are the guidelines we use:
- Always begin and end with something positive or encouraging.
- Offer suggestions for repairing things you think need changed, being sensitive and gentle. (“Speak the truth in love.” Ephesians 4:15)
- Don’t talk about commas, spelling, etc. Mark, but don’t mention.
- Offer constructive criticism on clarity, not style.
- Give both general and specific feedback. Be as constructive as you can.
- Resist the temptation to mention something that has already discussed.
- Feel free to say nothing.
See, it’s nothing to be nervous about.
If you’re not in a critique group, you may find one in your area on our Groups Page. If there’s not one near you, we’d be happy to plug you into an online group. Our currently-forming online critique groups will operate much like our in-person groups.
What questions do you still have about critique groups? Are you in one? If so, how has it helped you develop your writing skills?
Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. She has an active home which she shares with her fabulous husband Mike, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.
Elizabeth is a passionate Bible student, gardener and competitive karaoke singer, though she’s never tried out for any reality TV singing shows.
Jun 25, 2013 | For Writers
Move past self-protective fear to write with honesty, transparency, and vulnerability.
What makes you love great writing?
Have you thought about what your favorite authors have in common? I have. And I discovered that I love books that resonate with me. I know I’ve stumbled onto something wonderful when a book allows me to glimpse inside the writer’s soul.
As a writer, I want to impact my readers that way. I hope that is your goal too. So what can we do to become more transparent in our writing? I’ve come up with a few ideas. Maybe you can add to them.
Forgive past offenses.
When we’ve been hurt, it is easy to construct protective walls around our hearts. Those walls may keep us from getting hurt (probably not, but that’s why we build them), but they create a distance between us and our readers.
Unforgiveness comes across in writing as legalism or know-it-all-ism. It preaches at the readers, talking down to them instead of inviting them into conversation or story.
Focus on Your Readers
If you are writing to someone, you will be more authentic. You’ll move beyond, “Here I am. Let me tell you what I know!” to “There you are. How can I add value to you today?”
Picture your target reader. Imagine her reading your words and reacting to them. What does she feel as she reads them. Has she learned to trust you to teach her or take her on a soul-stirring journey? Are you giving her what she needs in this moment, in a way she can receive ? Do your words resonate with her?
Trust the Lord with Your Reputation
One of the quickest ways to alienate a reader is to try to impress him. Readers don’t care how much you know. They don’t care how witty you are or how you’ve perfected your prose. They want to learn from you or be entertained by you. They want to connect with you on an emotional journey. If you are preening on the paper, you may be admired from afar, but you’ll never touch the heart of your reader.
If you ask yourself, “Will this make me look good?” you’re going to distance your readers. Let God take care of your reputation and how you look. Instead, ask yourself, “How will my readers benefit from this? What will they learn? What will they experience?”
What keeps you from writing with vulnerability? What steps will you take to overcome those things and connect on a deeper level with your reader?
Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. When she’s not writing devotionals or planning the next Write to Inspire conference, she’s learning to write more transparently with her Inspire Elk Grove group. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
She has an active home which she shares with her fabulous husband Mike, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.
Sep 4, 2012 | For Writers
One of the greatest benefits of membership in Inspire Christian Writers is our local critique groups. In these groups our writers present the fruit of their labor to several other writers for the honest truth, the constructive feedback necessary to make the piece the best it can be.
Often we receive positive comments from our fellow writers. We hear, “Wow, great job with the dialogue.” or “I like the way you transitioned your scenes.” or “Now get to work on the next chapter, I can’t wait to read it!”
It’s great when our work is praised and we feel encouraged to keep writing. But what do we do when our writing receives a harsh critique? When the writers in our group just didn’t enjoy the piece and their feedback brings pain and discouragement?
When I first participated in critique groups, my skin was very thin. I took every criticism to heart and on more than one occasion, cried all the way home from our critique session. With each word spoken against my manuscript, my heart heard, “What made you think you could write?” “This is crummy writing.” “You should just give up before you really embarrass yourself.”
Maybe you’ve been there too. That lonely place where you are your writing and your writing is you. Where you can’t separate yourself from your project so you can look at it objectively.
What I’ve learned after years of giving and receiving feedback is this: The wounds of a friend can be trusted. (Proverbs 27:6) Those painful critiques may help me become a better writer if I know what to do with them.
Now when I receive negative feedback on my manuscript, I ask myself these questions:
1. Is it true?
Is there any truth in what was said about my piece? Does my dialogue need work? Is my point of view too distant? Do my words lay on the page so lifeless even CPR won’t bring them back? If there is no truth in the feedback, I simply disregard it.
Almost always, there is truth in the criticism I receive. So, I ask the next question.
2. What can I do to fix it?
How can I fix the problems pointed out to me by my critique partners? Are there stronger verbs I could choose? Do I need to re-write a scene in a more intimate viewpoint? Should I scrap this paragraph all together? Can I improve the dialogue by creating more oblique responses?
After I determine what must be fixed and what I can leave untouched, I ask myself one more question:
3. What does God want me to learn from this?
Often when I’m really struggling with a tough critique (or worse–a rejection) there is something I need to learn that will help me become a better writer. As I open myself to learning and growing I become more objective. I am able to view my writing through the lens of truth, seeing both its merits and its faults.
Once I can see my writing weaknesses I can begin to improve them. That is the beauty of critique groups, we learn to see our areas of weakness so we can improve our craft.
Next time you receive a tough critique, I hope you’ll pause and ask these three questions.
Meanwhile, what do you do when your work receives painful feedback?
Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. When she’s not writing devotionals, she’s studying the art and craft of fiction with her Inspire Elk Grove group. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
She has an active home which she shares with her fabulous husband Mike, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.
Jul 9, 2012 | For Writers
Tomorrow evening (July 10th) I will be hosting Inspire’s first Tweet Chat, an interview with literary agent Chip MacGregor. The chat will begin at 6pm (PDT) and run for an hour. I’ll begin by welcoming Chip and then asking him a few introductory questions.
Next (and this is where you come in) I’ll invite you to ask your questions. Start thinking of what you’d like to know from Chip.
I realize many of our writers are new to Twitter, so I thought I’d post some basics to help you navigate the Tweet Chat.
How to Chat on Twitter:
On twitter I am @InspireWriters and plan to host future chats on all aspects of Christian Writing.
Here are the simple steps.
1. Enter “#WritetoInspire” into the search box at the top of the Twitter page. When you hit search, you will find the tweet stream.
2. To comment and interact you must include #WritetoInspire (our hashtag) with EVERY tweet. If you copy and paste the hashtag, it will be really easy.
3. Try to stay on subject and follow the stream of the conversation. Use times outside chats to ask other important and relevant questions.
4. Be courteous. This is a time for open discussion.
5. Connect: chats provide a great opportunity to follow and develop followers among the writers who participate.
6. Pray for the chat and those who take part in it.
7. Invite others. We are growing and will offer more chats as part of our mission to equip writers to inspire the world.
Here is a schedule for our current chats on #WritetoInspire:
Tuesday, July 10th 6-7pm PDT. Interview Chip MacGregor
Tuesday, July 17th 6-7pm PDT. Interview Susy Flory
Thanks to Cheri Douglas for sharing his wisdom about Tweet Chats. You can find Cheri here: @CheriDouglas
Are you ready to Chat with Chip? Do you have any questions about Tweet Chats or need any help getting on Twitter?
Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. When she’s not writing devotionals or planning the next Write to Inspire conference, she’s learning to write more transparently with her Inspire Elk Grove group. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
She has an active home which she shares with her fabulous husband Mike, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.
May 18, 2012 | For Writers
Last week I was selected as a member of Michael Hyatt’s Platform Launch Team. Along with an incredible group of writers, speakers, bloggers and other leaders, I am helping to launch his new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.
If you are not already following Michael Hyatt’s blog, you really should. He blogs about intentional leadership, productivity, publishing, and social media. He is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishing and served as CEO until he chose to step down to pursue his writing and speaking full-time. He generously shares his experience and expertise on his blog and in his book.
Over the past several years, I have watched as Michael grew his platform to over 400,000 monthly blog readers and 122,000 Twitter followers.
When he asked his readers to apply for a spot on his launch team, over 900 of us did. Imagine having 900 people who want to help you launch your book!
Only 100 were selected. As a part of his team, I received an advance copy of Platform, which I read and reviewed on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and ChristianBook.com.
The launch team members have been sharing notes and reviews with each other while we 
brainstorm ways to improve our own platforms. We are also learning directly from Michael. So far, it has been a powerful experience.
I am getting an education in both building a platform and launching a book. I’m excited about the impact this education will have for Inspire as I implement what I’m learning.
As a writer, you will need to build a platform, too. I highly recommend Michael’s book as the blueprint for creating the platform you need to get your message, your book in front of people where it can minister to them.
Platform will be released the week of May 21st. But don’t buy it yet! Michael is offering seven free bonus gifts valued at $375 when you purchase the book during the release week. I will blogging more about this next week, so stay tuned!
What has been your biggest challenge in building your own platform? What unexpected blessings have come from building your platform?
Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. When she’s not writing devotionals, she’s studying the art and craft of fiction with her Inspire Elk Grove group. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
She has an active home which she shares with her fabulous husband, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.
Apr 15, 2012 | For Writers
As writers we’re encouraged to blog as a way to connect with our readers and build a platform. Blogging is fun and engaging and a great creative outlet. Except when we are giving all our creative energy to writing our books and blogging becomes another task on our to-do list.
So, what can we do when the well of ideas dries up? Here are some pointers from CopyBlogger:
What tips would you add to this list? Which ones will you try?
Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. When she’s not writing devotionals, she’s studying the art and craft of fiction with her Inspire Elk Grove group. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
She has an active home which she shares with a great husband, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.
