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The Critique Group Manifesto

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After my bitchfest in yesterday’s post, I dusted off my eight-year-old source file for The Critique Group Manifesto.

My goal was to review what I had written, cut a lot of the blabber fat, and add a new chapter about dealing with a new generation of common crit group issues and problem people. (Which is to say my new crit group issues and my new problem people.)

Wow.

Talk about writing a letter to yourself through time! Eight years ago, while managing the critique groups for the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, I wrote this little 80 page chapbook to help other folks avoid problems I learned to overcome.

Wouldn’t you know it? I precisely identified the issues with my current critique group. I didn’t need a new chapter at all. It was all there on the page.

I mean, I nailed it.

And FFFFF-f-f-f-f-f-fuck. The problem turns out to be me. Not them.

I’m the douchebag. It’s on me. I’ve got to eat some crow. I owe an apology. That is going to suck donkeys, but… Pass the Tabasco. Perhaps if I can talk My Beautiful Wife into wearing orange hot-shorts and a white T-shirt it will almost seem as if I’m chowing wings at Hooters.

Probably not. Sigh.

I’m keeping the chapbook in the permalinks section of this site.

 

Anybody who wants it can download it here: The Critique Group Manifesto5


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