tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post2463445538435742702..comments2024-03-27T02:54:34.141-05:00Comments on debi o'neille, writing against the wind: Guilie Castillo on "Critic or Cheerleader?"debi o'neillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00326849099713939434noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-51825966036941467122012-04-18T22:14:09.578-05:002012-04-18T22:14:09.578-05:00Thanks for joining the conversation, Bob--glad you...Thanks for joining the conversation, Bob--glad you did! I agree--some of my best writing bouts have come after a particularly stimulating critique, one of those that goes in deep and really asks the author to explore motivations and possibilities. Like Edith said above, that first group you mention sounds pretty perfect--great cheerleading mixed in with honest critiques. I think we at IWW have it pretty good, and although everyone has a different approach and style, I for one have gotten mostly strong and helpful critiques.Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-70314303126757333812012-04-18T20:34:36.365-05:002012-04-18T20:34:36.365-05:00Hi Debi and Guilie,
I think critique groups helped...Hi Debi and Guilie,<br />I think critique groups helped me enormously over about twenty years. The one I was with the longest was partly social and quite tightly knit. Yes, there was a good deal of cheer leading mixed in with honest, informed criticism. Sometimes my best work (from the group's point of view) came after a lively discussion of my first reading when I'd go home with great new ideas for developing one part or another of the story.<br /><br />On the other hand, the wrong kind of group can be a problem. I was once an invited guest at a different writers' group, and listened to the group's informal leader tell one of the members, "I thought we told you not to do it that way." I never went back there.Bob Sanchezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08350825385315155962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-3308787236792409392012-04-18T11:03:02.947-05:002012-04-18T11:03:02.947-05:00I second that, Holly! Indeed, it takes maturity to...I second that, Holly! Indeed, it takes maturity to take a tough critique like a... well, like an author instead of a writer, I guess. Thanks for reading, and I'm so glad you liked the article :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-83803997475431584772012-04-18T11:01:32.557-05:002012-04-18T11:01:32.557-05:00Haha--yeah, working on injecting some life into al...Haha--yeah, working on injecting some life into all that coffee in my novel, Francene :D I just finished reading Don Maass's (is that too many S's?) "Writing the Breakout Novel", and at some point he asks, "How many tea breaks does your heroine take? Delete them." I thought, "if I do that, I'll have no novel left--maybe a short story"--haha!<br /><br />Thanks for pitching in, Francene. Yeah, sometimes the "well done" feels good, nothing wrong with that, but if the story is our main priority, that cyber pat on the back isn't doing much for it.Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-10095723981526959572012-04-18T10:57:47.805-05:002012-04-18T10:57:47.805-05:00Rick--so right! A tough critic is a cheerleader fo...Rick--so right! A tough critic is a cheerleader for *the story*, and we, the author, are the team that needs to be "beat". Great point! Hope the adverb- and noun-kicking is going just dandy :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-63496548766290454382012-04-18T10:56:00.897-05:002012-04-18T10:56:00.897-05:00Haha--love it, Edith. You're right--in a perfe...Haha--love it, Edith. You're right--in a perfect world... But, seeing as this ain't perfect, if I have to choose, I'll keep the tough love :DGuilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-62160571384631781512012-04-18T05:10:55.052-05:002012-04-18T05:10:55.052-05:00Great article. It's mature writers who care mo...Great article. It's mature writers who care more about a solid honest critique than a cheerleader critique. SO to all the IWWers who made me and continue to make me a better writer.Holly Michaelhttp://www.writingstraight.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-23515575882902753942012-04-18T02:59:39.330-05:002012-04-18T02:59:39.330-05:00I LOVE your writing, Guilie. You make the act of s...I LOVE your writing, Guilie. You make the act of sipping a cup of coffee come alive. ;-) Just kidding.<br />You're right about people who read chapter by chapter, only to tell you they can't find anything to pick at. 'Well done' from their point of view means: 'I can't be bothered helping you'.Francene Stanleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08298485336064691700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-58864790336706157542012-04-18T02:30:08.648-05:002012-04-18T02:30:08.648-05:00It's ALL about the story is so right. An hones...It's ALL about the story is so right. An honest, tough critic is the best possible cheerleader, getting you to take the story to the edge of your comfort zone, to find just the right phrasing, to make that plot point as sharp as a razor's edge so the reader sucks in a sharp breath at the exact moment of realization about the truth of what they had been reading. Rick--kicking adverbs and nouns later.Rick Bylinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10493557860835710721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-83227918736928564462012-04-18T01:40:19.444-05:002012-04-18T01:40:19.444-05:00Nice article, Guilie. In a perfect scenario, a tou...Nice article, Guilie. In a perfect scenario, a tough critic cheers you on when you do well. A moment of bliss before the next flogging. :-)Edith Parzefallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12861941454295101808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-90661385966665533452012-04-17T14:51:09.424-05:002012-04-17T14:51:09.424-05:00Judith, thanks for reading--glad you agree :)Judith, thanks for reading--glad you agree :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-45949379836402205852012-04-17T14:50:36.910-05:002012-04-17T14:50:36.910-05:00Glad you liked it, Carole :)Glad you liked it, Carole :)Guilie Castillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006999087139126972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-21059812223410734692012-04-17T13:51:06.651-05:002012-04-17T13:51:06.651-05:00Great piece, Guilie - and so true!Great piece, Guilie - and so true!Judithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9137452158315247437.post-19571149248376236252012-04-17T12:53:22.596-05:002012-04-17T12:53:22.596-05:00Rah! Great points Gulie!Rah! Great points Gulie!Carole Lane Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10620293174608172249noreply@blogger.com