Crit Group Ends with a Whimper

Calla Lily · Feb 21, 2008

It was fun for nearly 2 years. Sure, we had a couple flamers try to derail us, but we came back stronger. Now no one seems to give a crap.

So I'm not setting up meetings, sending out reminders, gathering contest and publisher and agent info only to have one person show. And of course 9 out of 10 people don't bother to email that they're not showing--hey, more cookies for me, right?

Yeah, I'm annoyed and disappointed. Trying to be adult about it. :e2zipped:

So it's solely SYW from now on... (but that's a great place to be)

Soccer Mom · Feb 21, 2008

Well, boogers to that. You would think at least one of them would have the decency to fake death or something to avoid coming. Sheesh. Buncha slackers if you ask me.

Calla Lily · Feb 21, 2008

Maybe I should have Gavin pay them a visit:

(He's my vampire MC: 6'3", green eyes, black hair, owns a great beach house and a Russian wolfhound named Azrael [as in: the angel of death]. Yeah. He should bring the dog, too.

)

Soccer Mom · Feb 21, 2008

I could send them a few of the nasties from my paranormals.

dreamsofnever · Feb 21, 2008

Aww, that's sad! If you're on LJ, you should wander over to my new crit group: www.livejournal.com/community/crit_me

/end self-pimp.

Seriously though, that sucks that it ended. I would be bummed too (if I could find writers in the area for a crit group to start with)

Good luck with your future search for critiques!

David I · Feb 21, 2008

I think most crit groups have a natural lifespan, and trying to maintain them past their natural lifespan results in...well, are you familiar with Stephen King's Pet Semetary.

KTC · Feb 22, 2008

Oh boy. Mine has been going for 3 years now and it is sometimes the only thing that keeps me going. I'm going down kicking and screaming! (It's been full attendance every time so far but for a couple meetings.)

Calla Lily · Feb 22, 2008

Pet Sematary, LOL!

I still think that face-to-face crits are invaluable. I read my frst chapter out loud last night and WHAM! the problems were completely obvious.

Got a couple responses overnight from my group email. I also (talk about timing) got the March meeting into the public service announcement queue on the radio. So I'm thinking that if I get 3 nibbles it's worth one more month. New blood and all that.

Either it's over or it's time for a wash out period (HIV drug-speak for clearing the system to start a new med). Can you tell I'm at work right now?

Maryn · Feb 22, 2008

You're only an hour away from my crit group of 15 years. How are your Wednesday daytimes?

Maryn, more than half serious

Calla Lily · Feb 22, 2008

Maryn said:
You're only an hour away from my crit group of 15 years. How are your Wednesday daytimes?

Maryn, more than half serious

Argh, FT job, 7:30-4, M-F.

But thanks.

Birol · Feb 22, 2008

Have you e-mailed them and let them know that it's looking like the crit group is dissolving? If they realize that they are vital to its continued success, they might return.

Red-Green · Feb 22, 2008

That stinks, but still I'd rather have a crit group go out with a whimper than a bang. I've been in a crit group that went supernova. I wasn't involved in the inciting kerfuffle, so I was able to duck and take cover. Only got a few shrapnel wounds, but my emotional state was a bit fragile after that.

Calla Lily · Feb 22, 2008

Birol said:
Have you e-mailed them and let them know that it's looking like the crit group is dissolving? If they realize that they are vital to its continued success, they might return.

Sent the email last night, after our truncated meeting (myself and the 2 original members only).

It's significant that I got replies only from 2 of the people who'd emailed earlier in the week to say they couldn't make it because of work conflicts.

The group has 2 people seriously working toward publication (myself and one of the core members). The rest were either just writing for the fun of it (which is fine) or very very very new and shy with the whole crit group idea. I've been trying to build membership, and I do think one evening a month isn't onerous. Hey, we all have jobs and kids and laundry and such. And I enjoy encouraging newbies.

Who knows? Perhaps I'll get a half-dozen new members with the PSA on the radio. Perhaps I'll get nothing and have to restart the whole thing again. Wait-and-see mode now.

Pat~ · Feb 22, 2008

callalily61 said:
The group has 2 people seriously working toward publication (myself and one of the core members). The rest were either just writing for the fun of it (which is fine) or very very very new and shy with the whole crit group idea. I've been trying to build membership, and I do think one evening a month isn't onerous. Hey, we all have jobs and kids and laundry and such. And I enjoy encouraging newbies.

Sorry to hear about it fizzling, Lily.

What you said above is probably very significant, though. If only a couple are working toward publication, you really only have a couple people committed to making their writing better. People who are in it for the fun of it will probably always have a take it or leave it attitude; it's no reflection on you or the group.

inkkognito · Feb 22, 2008

I feel your pain! The writers' group I belong to has been dwindling more and more lately. We have a few people working seriously towards publication, but for some reason the focus has drifted more from critiques to really, really basic stuff. It used to be focused solely around critiques, which was perfect for me. Now there is a lot of general discussion and very basic exercises. It makes me feel like my time could be spent more productively by writing rather than doing an exercise like writing a news article based on a headline from the weekend's paper. Sigh!

I'm really glad I found this website because I'm getting more just from hanging around here lately than I've been getting from the group.

Chumplet · Feb 22, 2008

My online crit group has been going for seven years, with approximately 20-30 members. The owner has strict guidelines about participation and minimum crits per month. I've seen some members come and go in the two years I've been with them, and I have made strong and lasting bonds with most of them. We held each other up through spouse deaths, family crises, publication, rejection and the lot.

In July, I'm driving eight hours to Vermont to be with a bunch of them for a weekend - a special writers' retreat. Some chauffeurs - I mean husbands - will be included. It'll be a blast!

Calla Lily · Feb 22, 2008

Enjoy, Chumplet!

NicoleMD · Feb 22, 2008

I feel your pain. A few times recently, I've been the only one to show up, or the only one plus a visitor who's come to check out our "group". Talk about embarrasing! We used to have a solid group of 6 or 8 plus another 10 or so who cycled through when they could make it, but everyone's gone off doing their own things now, I guess. I'm trying to find a new group, but it's scary thinking about having to start relationships over again and being the new person.

Nicole

BlueLucario · Feb 22, 2008

callalily61 said:
Yeah, I'm annoyed and disappointed. Trying to be adult about it.

*pats on the back* Don't fret. Things will get better soon. They always do.

Now, who wants a hug? :Hug2:

Kerr · Feb 26, 2008

callalily61 said:
Sent the email last night, after our truncated meeting (myself and the 2 original members only).

It's significant that I got replies only from 2 of the people who'd emailed earlier in the week to say they couldn't make it because of work conflicts.

The group has 2 people seriously working toward publication (myself and one of the core members). The rest were either just writing for the fun of it (which is fine) or very very very new and shy with the whole crit group idea. I've been trying to build membership, and I do think one evening a month isn't onerous. Hey, we all have jobs and kids and laundry and such. And I enjoy encouraging newbies.

Who knows? Perhaps I'll get a half-dozen new members with the PSA on the radio. Perhaps I'll get nothing and have to restart the whole thing again. Wait-and-see mode now.

Hang in there callalily, groups like everything go through change. If your location is still the same, some of those writers who decided to take a break will return invigorated. In the meantime, go with extra copies of something new, and insist on the same from the others. Sit down and work seriously with the few that are present. Don't show disappointment, but rather that this is an opportunity for more in depth study. I went through the same situation years back when a location was suddenly changed. After a few months, the three of us who held on started peetering-out. I still wish we'd tried a little longer.

TrishD · Feb 26, 2008

If it's any consolation, my crit group started with about eight members, three of whom never came to a single meeting. Then one always had school on the evenings we met, and another moved away. With one more who never really showed us anything, we're now down to two. Which isn't really a group... LOL

dirtsider · Feb 26, 2008

There's a local writer's group near me that I'm going to try again. The one time that I went back recently, they didn't have it. But the next meeting time, I'll have the info on hand so the people at the B&N where it's located won't just go "huh? we have a writer's group?"

Crit Group Ends with a Whimper

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