Writing is often a solitary activity, well suited to introverts. We thrive in a sort of solitude where we rarely feel alone, thanks to the people or creatures, historical or imagined, who fill our stories and books. But several essential writerly activities require us to interact with contemporary, fellow humans in challenging ways. Three of these happen over and over again at the twice-monthly meetings of a local critique group, Good AF Writers. (AF is for American Fork, Utah. What were you thinking?)
Different critique groups operate in different ways, but most have three nerve-wracking activities in common:
- reading an excerpt of your writing aloud
- hearing others’ feedback on your writing
- giving others your feedback on their writing