Mastering The Art of Self- And Group Critiquing
In this course, you’ll take the first steps into learning the techniques and benefits of the critique process. You will work with the instructor and other students to trade strong, supportive feedback of fiction and nonfiction scenes and chapters. Using the textbook, The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide, you’ll learn the basics of critiquing. The class lessons and interactive sessions will take you further, letting you apply these basics to the specifics of reading and critiquing the opening scenes of your classmates novels and the first chapters of their how-to or self-help books.
Course Level: Beginner / Intermediate
Required Book: The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide: How to Make Revisions, Self-Edit, and Give and Receive Feedback by Becky Levine
Required Submission:
At the start of the class, each student will submit a short, 1,000- to 2,000-word scene or chapter from their current work-in-progress. Fiction writers should submit the opening scene of their novel, and nonfiction writers should submit the first chapter of their how-tor or self-help book after any preface or introduction.
Prepatory Reading:
Students will base their critique structure on the models in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. Each lesson will point the student to specific chapters for that lesson. In addition, some general material from the text will be relevant for all the lessons. To review this material before the first lesson, read Chapter 3 in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide.
Workshop Length: 6 weeks
Tuition: $299.00 ($269.10 for VIP)
Start Date: View Mastering The Art of Self- And Group Critiquing Course Schedule
Course Structure
This workshop will consist of six one-week sessions. In each session, you will review specific material from The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide, as well as read the lessons for the class. Each student will have submitted a single scene or chapter from their current work-in-progress, and you will work with these submissions to practice your critiquing skills.
In the first five sessions, you will learn to critique for a specific element of those scenes and chapters, such as plot, characterization, structure, and voice. You will be given helpful questions to ask yourself as you read each submission, as well as suggestions for topics to focus on in your critique. These lessons will include a required critique assignment, based on the fiction and nonfiction element you are learning to critique. You will prepare and post a critique overview of each student’s submission (no more than 300 words). You will also receive prepared critiques of your work from each of your classmates, as well as from the course instructor. For each lesson, you will participate in an open-forum discussion, with the other students and the course instructor. During this forum, the instructor will present his or her individual critiques and will guide and mediate the discussion.
In the final lesson, you will receive instructions for using critique feedback to make revisions. The assignment for this lesson will be to revise your original submission, and post the revision to the workshop. In the final forum, you will discuss these revisions and the changes students chose to make, based on their critiques. By the end of the course, you will be ready to step into a critique group and start giving and receiving strong feedback.
In this course you will learn:
- Learn to read closely for fiction and nonfiction strengths and weaknesses
- Focus on the specific fiction and nonfiction elements required in an opening scene or first chapter
- Develop thought-out, constructive feedback to present to another author
- Listen to feedback from the students and teacher on your own opening scene or first chapter
- Revise your own submission, based on the critiques you receive in the class
To get the most from this course you should:
- Have a short (1,000 to 2,000 words) opening scene from a novel or a first chapter (after any preface and/or introduction) of the same length, from a how-to or self-help book.
- Be prepared to listen to what other authors have to say about your work. Know that you will hear positive feedback and suggestions for ways you could change/improve your manuscript. Keep an open mind.
- Be ready to contribute respectful, thoughtful suggestions and questions about other writers’ manuscripts.
Who should take this course:
- Beginning writers who want to start writing now
- Writers interested in Fiction (any genre)
- Writers who want to learn numerous time-tested techniques and the key components of successful fiction writing
Workshop Outline
Session One: Critiquing for Plot in a Novel/Critiquing for Structure in a How-To or Self-Help Book
Fiction
- Why a solid plot is so important
- What plot elements you should critique for in the opening scene
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for plot
- How to prepare your critique
Nonfiction
- Why a solid structure is so important
- What structure elements you should critique for in the first chapter
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for structure
- How to preparing your critique
Writing Assignment: Read Chapters 4 and 12 in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. Read each of your classmates submissions, asking and answering the above questions. Prepare a critique overview of the manuscripts, no longer than 300 words, and post the critique to the workshop.
Session Two: Critiquing for Character in a Novel/Critiquing for the Target Audience in a How-To or Self-Help Book
Fiction
- Why establishing the hero early is so important
- What characterization elements you should critique for in the opening scene
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for character
- Preparing your critique
Nonfiction
- Why establishing the target audience is so important
- What elements of the target audience you should critique for in the first chapter
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for audience
- Preparing your critique
Writing Assignment: Read Chapter 5 and, if necessary, review Chapter 12 in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. Read each of your classmates submissions, asking and answering the above questions. Prepare a critique overview of the manuscripts, no longer than 300 words, and post the critique to the workshop.
Section Three: Critiquing for Description in a Novel/Critiquing for Explanation in a How-To or Self-Help Book
Fiction
- Why description is so important
- What you should critique for in the opening scene’s descriptions
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for description
- Preparing your critique
Nonfiction
- Why explanation is so important
- What you should be critiquing for in the first chapter’s explanations
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for explanation
- Preparing your critique
Writing Assignment: Read Chapter 8 and, if necessary, review Chapter 12 in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. Read each of your classmates submissions, asking and answering the above questions. Prepare a critique overview of the manuscripts, no longer than 300 words, and post the critique to the workshop.
Section Four: Critiquing for Point of View in a Novel/Critiquing for Author Voice in a How-To or Self-Help Book
Fiction
- Why point of view and narrative voice are so important
- What you should critique for in the opening scene’s point of view and voice
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for point of view and voice
- Preparing your critique
Nonfiction
- Why the author voice is so important
- What you should critique for in the first chapter’s author voice
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for voice
- Preparing your critique
Writing Assignment: Read Chapter 6 and, if necessary, review Chapter 12 in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. Read each of your classmates submissions, asking and answering the above questions. Prepare a critique overview of the manuscripts, no longer than 300 words, and post the critique to the workshop.
Section Five: Critiquing for Dialogue in a Novel/Critiquing for Tools in a How-To or Self-Help Book
Fiction
- Why dialogue is so important
- What you should critique for in the opening scene’s dialogue
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for dialogue
- Preparing your critique
Nonfiction
- Why it’s so important to provide tools for your reader
- What you should critique for in the first chapter’s tools
- Questions to ask yourself as you critique for tools
- Preparing your critique
Writing Assignment: Read Chapter 7 and, if necessary, review Chapter 12 in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. Read each of your classmates submissions, asking and answering the above questions. Prepare a critique overview of the manuscripts, no longer than 300 words, and post the critique to the workshop.
Section Six: Revising From a Critique
Fiction and Nonfiction
- Why it’s so important to weave critique feedback into your revision
- How to revise an opening scene or chapter
- Which comments should you incorporate into your next draft
- What to do with the comments you don’t use in this revision
Writing Assignment: Read Chapter 18 and 19 in The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. Revise the scene or chapter you originally submitted for the course. Create a short summary or bulleted list of the major revision changes you made, based on the course feedback. Post the revised scene or chapter and the summary or list to the workshop.
