Q: I'm not finding the critiques in my online writing group very useful. What should I do?

A: First of all, let the critiques sit for a day or two to give yourself time to absorb the information and gain emotional distance. Then read them again. You might see useful points you missed the first time round.

Still unhappy? Ask yourself why the critiques aren't useful. Are they "atta girl" types that flatter but don't offer constructive advice? Are they too general or too detailed? Do they harp on unimportant points? Do they completely miss the point?

Having determined what doesn't work for you, decide what does work and what you need from others in your group. Be very explicit about what you want or don't want critiqued when you submit a piece. People aren't mind-readers.

Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, there are several things you can do to help members in your group give you the kind of critique you want.

For fiction, include background information such as the genre and whether this is a draft or final. For a book chapter, briefly recap the story up to that point. Not all group members read every chapter, so help them out with a synopsis.

At the draft stage, if you only want a general review or discussion because you're still playing with the piece, say that. A too-intense critique at this stage can be daunting and kill your creative spirit. One possibility is to list questions you'd like answered. A woman in my group uses four simple questions to focus the critiques.

The questions are:

1. What do you like?

2. What don't you like?

3. What stays with you?

4. What needs more work?

At final or close-to-final stages, if you'd like an in-depth, line-by-line (LBL) critique, say so. Detail specific points you'd like addressed such pacing, dialogue, characterization, plot, structure, readability, etc.

For nonfiction, describe the publication or website you're writing for and the maximum word count. If you're writing an assigned piece, append any information you received from the editor regarding slant or focus. Ask for specific feedback, e.g., structure, tone of voice, flow, amount of information, use of side bars.

The more specific you are, the less likely you'll get "atta girl" critiques because you're giving the critiquer a roadmap to follow. If that doesn't work, contact the person who critiqued the piece and ask exactly what he or she liked.

If the critiques you receive harp on unimportant points, ask yourself why you think they're not important. Or ask someone in the group whose opinion you value. Many groups develop particular critique styles. The group I'm in red flags overuse of adverbs and passive voice, and words like "was," "it," "there," and "seems" because we feel they weaken writing.

If all the critiques miss the mark, you may need to reevaluate your writing. Often, writers have so much background information that they jump to point H, while readers need to start with point A. If one person says something doesn't work, pay attention. If three people say the same thing, it's probably time to change it.

New members take awhile to adjust to a group's dynamics and style. However, if you're writing on topics or in genres that no one else is familiar with, move on to a group that caters to your area of writing and understands the rules. Yahoo! has specialized groups for mystery, sci-fi, romance, flash fiction, memoir, etc. Check each group's homepage to see how active it is.

With any group, keep in mind that different people have different critique styles. Some people are very good at looking at a piece in total; others are better at the nitpicky details. While you might not always get exactly what you want, if you look hard enough, you'll probably learn something from every critique.

Have questions or comments about online critiques? Forward them to editor@absolutewrite.com so that Harriet Cooper can incorporate some of them into this article series.

Harriet Cooper's work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, ezines, newsletters, websites, and anthologies. She is a member of writersandcritters, an all-women's writing and critique group at Yahoo! Groups. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/writersandcritters)

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