Getting the Most From Your Writer’s Group

I love my writer’s group.  Each week we bring our pages and listen as the other writers read them aloud.

After the read, they tell me what they think. They don't try to save my feelings, just give it to me straight (or at least I hope they do).  But what they might not know is that its' watching and listening to them while they read my work that's sometimes even more helpful.    

Listening 

I listen to hear if the readers are: 

• stumbling over dialogue that needs to be smoother or more natural 

• finding it hard to navigate through awkward sentences 

• not laughing during humorous moments (not a good sign) 

• laughing during dramatic scenes (even worse)   

Watching 

I also watch readers to see: 

• when they enjoying the experience 

• when they look confused 

• when they seem to lose interest 

• and lastly, when they are already searching for a way to give me that bad news about my pages.  

Their comments over the years have helped me hone my skills, improve my characters and sharpen plots, but it’s been watching their expressions and initial reaction to my work that’s been truly priceless.  

I highly recommend it!