Being Brave on Wednesday Night

I've belonged to writers' groups in the past. Once-a- month meetings that consisted of a speaker, news about upcoming events for writers, and maybe a member or two sharing some of their writing. For the most part we were beginners and kind to writers who were brave enough to read aloud.

But last night was something new. This was a two hour Writers Cafe. I was allotted 11 minutes to read my work online for complete strangers (to me at least). This was scary. Thankfully, I was sent some tips before the meeting. Reading 500-750 words takes about five minutes, leaving six minutes for members to offer critiques.

Torn about what to read, I selected two pieces: a flash fiction essay and a scene introducing most of the characters in the novel I was writing. I would decide later.

Then came meeting time. And it was a struggle since the guy who is my pinch hitter when it comes computer problems wasn't home. I managed to get into the meeting and naturally I couldn't get my video or audio to work. Something that mystified me since just four days ago I gave an online presentation complete with audio and video.

So I divided my time between trying to make the black box labelled Jodi "come alive" and listening to the readings (even though no one could hear my comments). First off, intimidation set in immediately. They're screen sharing, so people can follow along with the reading. I just printed out the piece I planned to read. Everyone was prefacing their reading with something like, "As you remember, Jane and June were ignoring each other at the zoo. This is the conversation that happens..."

Jane? June? The zoo?

OMG. These people are reading long pieces, 500 words at a time. And I just plucked 500 words out of nowhere. Well, now I know how readings work. In their critiques, people are referring back to past sections of the piece. And these critiques are serious. No bland positivity. Not harsh, but honest, insightful, pinpointing specifics. 

"Your dialogue feels so authentic..."

"This section seems unfocused. I understand the cartoon reference but why did you use it? How does it tie in with the events at the zoo?"

"What is a packie?"

Even though I was more an eavesdropper than an active participant, I learned a lot last night. I learned how to be an effective critic. Banish good and bad from your vocabulary. Critics should be more specific about what they liked about the piece. Ditto for dislikes. Sometimes it's enough to say, "This is what I took away from that section....is that what you meant to portray? Did you want it to be confusing...tense...secretive...a harbinger of things to come."

I also learned how to be an effective reader. Do a quick "when we last heard from our characters they were..." recap to help listeners jump back into your story. Be open to criticism. Ask probing questions  so you understand what about your reading missed the mark. Don't try to argue people into liking your reading.

And of course, most importantly, ensure that your video and audio are working. Despite, not actually reading last night, I still learned a lot about the value of an outside viewpoint. and I promise that at the

next Writers Cafe, I'll start reading from page 1. I will be brave NEXT Wednesday night.

Do you belong to a writers group (or groups)? Have you found it easy or difficult to join a group to critique your writing? 

Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to tea to butterflies. She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing and a writing tutor at her local university. Get to know her @jodiwebbwrites,  Facebook and blogging at Words by Webb. 

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