Critique Partners

I’ve gotten to the point with my current manuscript where it just needs fresh eyes. I love/hate the whole thing. It’s like a kid sister ten years my junior, whose decisions I never approved of but who can’t help but make me laugh every time I see her. There are some parts I can’t bear to look at and some that make me think that, maybe, I can hack it as a writer after all.

The problem with fresh eyes is you need to find them. So far, everyone who’s read the whole manuscript is a friend. It’s great to have friends who are willing to take a peek, but I really need a stranger to read it. That’s one of the things I miss about my writing grad program (I’ve been taking a break from my program. I probably won’t go back for various reasons, not the least of which is the baby boy in my belly) — feedback from disinterested persons. Without grad school, I’ve got to find those eyes on my own.

So, I’ve been looking for critique partners. There are so many places to look: in-person writing groups, message boards, writing blogs. I’ve been trying them all, but I only just got around to asking outright. I’m a little shy like that. Hopefully, I’ll find some good eyes soon. Right before the holidays. My timing is fantastic.

If you’re reading this because you read one of my posts somewhere asking whether we can be critique partners, feel free to poke around and learn a little more about me. I’m a nice person, I promise, and probably, maybe, an at-least-decent writer. I think.