What do you think is the most important criteria for a successful writing group?
A core group of people committed to helping each other achieve their goals.

Can you give us some of the basics of a group – for example, do you have a set number of pieces that you look at every week? Is there a limit to the length of a submitted piece? How often do you meet?
We meet twice a month.  Usually we have time to look at 3 to four pieces.  The lengths of the pieces vary from very short one page stories to a full chapter.  We try to limit the submissions to about 3000 words or 10 pages.

Are there any issues in creating and maintaining a writing group that are particularly difficult?
The constant turn over.  Sometimes we spend as much time introducing ourselves as we do working on critiques.  Also there is a wide range of personalities and sometimes you have to keep the peace.

As someone who is fairly new to the writing group world, I’ve found that one of the more challenging aspects of being a participant is not presenting my work, but the critiquing of other works – in a way that is constructive for both the group and the writer. I’ve learned from listening to some of the more seasoned members, but I could still use some pointers. How would you describe your technique for critiquing a piece – what are some of the ingredients that go into a successful crit?
I think it comes from experience both critiquing and being critiqued.  You learn the weaknesses in your own work that you need to address and with that you start to notice the same issues in other peoples work.

The good thing is that there is a variety of people who are good at different aspects of critiquing, whether it be passive voice, POV shifts, grammar, technical, plot issues or inconsistencies, or just crutch words that we all use.
I like to start off with something positive and end with something positive.  Although I find a good tough critique helpful, I also think some praise is needed to boost confidence.  I look for places in the story where I tripped, or had to re-read and then try to explain to the author where I stalled and why.  I look for my own weaknesses, Grammar, punctuation and passive voice (my personal Achilles’ heal).   Crutch words are a problem almost everyone encounters, (had, that, starting, turning, look) and if there is an overuse of articles (he, she, I, him, her).  Another big thing to look at is POV shifts.  If you’re going to tell someone the character has blues eyes then it needs to be from the point of view of someone who can see those blue eyes.

Inconsistencies or problems with plot and flow are other things you look at when critiquing.  Are your vampires breathing, letting out a breath, gasping, panting?  These are all inconsistencies my editor found in my last book.  We’ve all written something and then after making some changes wrote in problems, for example in one paragraph a character is standing and in the next he’s crossing his legs.   Flow has to do with sentence structure and wording.  Sometimes if the author takes us off on a tangent away from the original plot, it will break the flow.  Or if they add something jarring and unexpected.
The two most important things I look at is how narrative the piece is, are you showing the reader instead of telling them, and character development.  Do we know these characters, what kind of reaction are you having to them and can you relate to them.
Finally, pieces should be judged on their content not on their subject matter.  Censorship has no place in a writer’s group.

After researching writing groups online and, specifically, the critiquing process, I’ve often come across the subject of critiquing a person’s work when it is not in a genre that interests the reader. Let’s face it - everyone has their own reading preferences.  Someone who loves hard core crime fiction, is most likely not a Harlequin Romance reader. However, I think it’s important to look at the piece objectively and make all attempts not to be influenced by this. After all, first and foremost, the group is there to support and aide the writer, not for personal reading enjoyment. Do you think a person can effectively critique a genre or style that they don’t like, or are unfamiliar with?
I do.  Most of the aspects of writing are universal.  Grammar, flow, point of view and continuity problems happen in every genre.  You do however need to develop somewhat of a thick skin and understand that people’s tastes are different.  If you are being critiqued by someone who writes news articles and they tell you that your story is too long and descriptive, you need to take that with a grain of salt.  Same for the person who reads autobiographies and is unable to suspend disbelief for you Sci-Fi story.  The group’s suggestions need to be taken collectively and you pick and choose the bits you think are relevant.  The worst thing an author can do is to let a writing group, and even an editor, talk them into changing their piece so much they lose their own voice.

What would say to the person who has an interest in joining a writing group but has never had their work read by others and is somewhat unsure of the quality of it? For example, a potential member might be wondering – am I good enough to join a writing group?
If you have a passion for writing, then your writing is good enough for the group.  You just need to be prepared for the feedback.  If you have not had your work critiqued before, odds are you are going trip over the same cracks the group already has.  You need to learn from their mistakes and try not to take it personally.

There seems to be a number of online writing groups these days. Have you ever been a participant in this format? If so, would you recommend it?
I have and it didn’t suit my personality.  I like more immediate feedback and I also like some back and forth.  I have a couple of critique partners I work with via email and phone and that works out well for me.

If you could pick five published authors to include in a writing group (and critique your work) – who would they be? And why?
This is a toughie because there are so many great authors I respect.  I guess one would have to be Clive Barker.  He is meticulous at creating his own worlds and creatures.  Elmore Leonard would be another one.  I think he is the one to look to if you ever want to learn about character development.  Jeffrey Archer is simply a great story teller and a wonderful wordsmith.  Mary Janice Davidson, creates great, strong women that make me fall off my chair laughing.  Finally, Gore Vidal because he’s brilliant, witty, pulls no punches and tells it exactly like it is.  He would rip my stuff to shreds but it would definitely be the better for it.

Debbie Cairo lives in Chicago where she is the founding member of the Evanston Writer’s Workshop.  Born and raised in the Second City, she loves comedy and theater.  She is a computer programmer and web developer and works closely with other authors to design their websites. Debbie Cairo's new book “Over My Undead Body” is due out in May from Whispers publishing www.whispershome.com. 

You may contact Debbie at: debbie@debbiecairo.com or visit her website at www.debbiecairo.com

The following are questions that were asked of members of various writing groups

From Ross A. Martinek, Waukegan, IL
As someone who has been an active member in a writing group for a number of years what do you think it takes to keep a group vital?
I think it takes a number of things. The most important is that there be a core of writers who are very serious about their craft—a passionate love of and respect for their language and the written word.

Another is that they must understand criticism, and try to teach that understanding to others of less experience. Perhaps the hardest part of being a writer is to learn how to accept criticism in an objective, dispassionate manner. No one likes negative criticism, everyone likes positive criticism. What a writer has to learn is to view both with both respect and a certain amount of reserve. The members of the group must be honest and direct with each other and with themselves. Political correctness, being fundamentally dishonest, has no place in a writers' group.

That being said, there must also be a structure and an organization. Much of this can grow out of consensus, but there must be rules, and everyone must feel themselves bound by them. This is really nothing more than being considerate of those whose help you are requesting. For example, you don't make your piece physically or mentally difficult to read—the rules of English promote comprehension, and members should follow them within reason.

Finally, a closed group runs considerable risk of going stale. A small turnover in membership over time is not a bad thing.

I believe individual members contribute specific strengths – i.e. grammar, dialogue etc. What do you feel your most important contribution is?
I am fortunate to have had a very good, and prolonged, education in the technical skills of writing. But I think my greatest contribution is to help people add interest to the way they have written. I spent nearly thirty years as a scientist, writing science. While portions of it could not help but be dry and terse, I always tried to make it enjoyable to read, because that makes it easier to understand. This is what the textbooks and teachers call "effective writing." No one ever masters it completely, and it varies from one genre to another. Because I continue to strive for it in my own writing, it is what I most encourage in others.

As an avid writer, are there any resources you would like to suggest to others?
Finding Your Voice, How to Put Personality in Your Writing, by Les Edgerton, published by Writer's Digest Books. This is probably the best book on writing for a beginning writer that I have ever seen. I am by no means a beginner, and I've read it twice, so far.

Characters & Viewpoint, by Orson Scott Card, published by Writer's Digest Books. Card is a brilliant author (one of the most effective I have encountered) and an even better teacher. His website at least used to have a series of lessons on writing: "Uncle Orson's Writing Class." If they are still available, they are worth the time and effort.

Diana Gabaldon's website: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~gatti/gabaldon/writerscorner/wc_index.html. Outstanding, no-nonsense advice and information from a very successful author.

From Jennifer Lee, Chicago, IL
Recently you had a piece of yours critiqued - what was your overall impression of the process? Was it effective in helping you?
The process of submission and critique was relatively simple, in my opinion.  The most difficult thing when writing can be trying to string words together to make effective sentences that turn into effective paragraphs.  Getting critiqued on the results is like checking a map and compass to make sure you are heading in the right direction.  Obviously there will be differences of opinion, but getting feedback on your work, especially initial drafts, help to hone the story down.  Through the critique, I learned which holes needed to be filled, what tweaks needed to be made, and the necessary additions to draw a reader in. 

Overall, I think the critique went well, even those who may have been negative.  I try to look at them as the tough
audience - the one that a writer wants to bridge across to get to the bestseller list.  There are frustrations that come along with that, especially when the reader has trouble crossing the boundaries of their chosen genre to effectively critique outside of it.  It is an older issue I encountered from my writing instructors in college, but I believe that in any group of writers of mixed genre, it is a hurdle that once overcome can help any writer in their own work. 

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