Writing group pulse
For critique circles and writing groups: whether the feedback still helps and the room still feels safe.
The conviction read: the slow slide on 'read the pieces properly before we meet' is the confession nobody makes out loud. If half the room is skimming, the critique is worth half as much, and the writers can tell.
What's in the template
- The feedback I get here makes my writing better. puck
- I can share rough work without dreading it. puck
- Comments are about the page, not the person who wrote it. puck
- Everyone's work gets a fair share of the session. puck
- I read the pieces properly before we meet. puck
- I'd keep coming even if my own piece wasn't up. puck
Questions about this template
What if 'I read the pieces properly before we meet.' slides?
Often the reading load is too heavy for the time people have. Shorten the pieces, share them earlier, or put fewer up per session. Critique from a skimmed read is thinner, and the writers on the receiving end feel it.
Who should send it, the organizer or a member?
Whoever can change the format. The organizer can act on fair share and reading load; if the organizer is also the most active critic, a member sending it may get franker answers on the comments item.