General Group Guidelines
In the Estevan Writers Group, we endeavour to make the atmosphere supportive and fun for everyone who attends. To that end, we have the following guidelines:
- Be respectful of each other and play nice. We can disagree and discuss things with fervour, but always remain respectful of each other.
- Do not ridicule anyone's writing. We are here to help one another become better writers, and ridicule does not inspire one to write.
- We are a group of writers who get together to discuss writing and to support each other. We are not a singles group. If you are looking for a date, please look elsewhere.
- If something is bothering you, don't let it fester. Come and talk to the Chairperson about it.
Critique Guidelines
Critique Submission Guidelines:
- What kind of critique you would like – soft and gentle, medium weight, cut-and-slash, etc.
- Warn the critiquers if there is sex or excessive profanity in the piece. It's just a courtesy to people
who may be sensitive to those issues.
An example of a critique submission is shown below.
- Critiques are to be no more than 3000 words +/- 100 words (finish your paragraph or sentence).
- Double space with 12 point font
- Use margins of at least 1” all the way around
- Use an easily readable font like Times New Roman or Calibri
- Put your name and the page # on each page
- If you are submitting something that is not Chapter 1, include a cover page with a brief summary (1 paragraph) of events up to that point. It will help the critiquer to know what they missed.
- Include a cover page that tells people what you would like to get out of the critique. This should include:
- What kind of critique you would like – soft and gentle, medium weight, cut-and-slash, etc.
- Warn the critiquers if there is sex or excessive profanity in the piece. It's just a courtesy to people
who may be sensitive to those issues.
An example of a critique submission is shown below.
Guidelines for the Critiquer:
1. Be positive!! For every creative criticism you give, try to say one good thing about the work. We are trying to encourage people to keep writing and grow.
2. No rudeness or bashing. This benefits no one and just inspires people to quit writing. If what you say isn’t productive, don’t say it.
3. If something pops out when you read the work, WRITE IT DOWN or you’ll forget it. Don’t be shy. We want to hear creative criticism to improve our work.
4. Try to offer an explanation as to why something in the piece didn’t work for you. If you are too vague, it doesn’t help the writer. Be specific!
5. Be tactful and polite. Critique the story, not the author.
6. Try to critique more than just grammar, spelling and punctuation. This is all good, but the writer wants to know what works in the story and what doesn’t.
7. Do not attempt to rewrite the piece. Suggestions as to how sentences could be changed are welcome, but don’t go overboard with them.
8. Don’t critique behind the writer’s back. It doesn’t do the writer any good and it just makes the person hearing it uncomfortable.
Guidelines for the "Critiquee":
1. Remember that critiques are just opinions. Take what you can use and leave what you can’t.
2. If the work isn’t chapter one, include a short summary at the beginning.
3. If there are any specific questions regarding the work, write them on the critique so we can answer them.
4. Follow the critique submission guidelines when you format.
5. Pay particular attention to points that are brought up by more than one critiquer. Where there’s smoke, there is usually a fire.
6. When receiving a critique in person, listen until the end of the critiquer’s comment before responding. It doesn’t pay to get defensive. Avoid the temptation to critique the critique.
7. Let the other members know what you found particularly helpful, as that will help them get better at critiquing.
8. Feel free to ask questions to clarify what someone has said.
9. Listen to other people’s critiques. You never know what you will pick up and learn from.
10. Don’t send out your baby! If you aren’t ready to hear constructive criticism, it’s best to keep that particular piece at home.
1. Be positive!! For every creative criticism you give, try to say one good thing about the work. We are trying to encourage people to keep writing and grow.
2. No rudeness or bashing. This benefits no one and just inspires people to quit writing. If what you say isn’t productive, don’t say it.
3. If something pops out when you read the work, WRITE IT DOWN or you’ll forget it. Don’t be shy. We want to hear creative criticism to improve our work.
4. Try to offer an explanation as to why something in the piece didn’t work for you. If you are too vague, it doesn’t help the writer. Be specific!
5. Be tactful and polite. Critique the story, not the author.
6. Try to critique more than just grammar, spelling and punctuation. This is all good, but the writer wants to know what works in the story and what doesn’t.
7. Do not attempt to rewrite the piece. Suggestions as to how sentences could be changed are welcome, but don’t go overboard with them.
8. Don’t critique behind the writer’s back. It doesn’t do the writer any good and it just makes the person hearing it uncomfortable.
Guidelines for the "Critiquee":
1. Remember that critiques are just opinions. Take what you can use and leave what you can’t.
2. If the work isn’t chapter one, include a short summary at the beginning.
3. If there are any specific questions regarding the work, write them on the critique so we can answer them.
4. Follow the critique submission guidelines when you format.
5. Pay particular attention to points that are brought up by more than one critiquer. Where there’s smoke, there is usually a fire.
6. When receiving a critique in person, listen until the end of the critiquer’s comment before responding. It doesn’t pay to get defensive. Avoid the temptation to critique the critique.
7. Let the other members know what you found particularly helpful, as that will help them get better at critiquing.
8. Feel free to ask questions to clarify what someone has said.
9. Listen to other people’s critiques. You never know what you will pick up and learn from.
10. Don’t send out your baby! If you aren’t ready to hear constructive criticism, it’s best to keep that particular piece at home.
