Critique Partner Love

Me and Tara D. (and chocolate hearts)

*Amy Trueblood has posted another fabulous agent interview here: First Five Frenzy with Stephen Fraser 

*Next Friday, I'll be posting an interview with author LINDA URBAN (yay!) and giving away a copy of her new book The Center of Everything

Critique Partners have changed my writing life. When I first started writing novels, the concept of revision didn't mesh well with my style. I was an excitable newbie with lots of ideas, so I would write a novel, edit, get feedback from one beta reader, and enter query land. After a few partial/full requests and more than a few rejections, I would decide I was too excited by my new project to keep querying or consider revision. My new project was always waaaaay better and more deserving of my attention.

Charlie and Tara D. 

I'd scrap the current novel and move to the next. This was my learning process for a year or so. Instead of working painstakingly on one novel for six months or a year and polishing it, I wrote three. All of which got requests, mind you, but none of which got me an agent. I was happy with the process, figuring I was giving myself an education by writing a lot and learning from what I thought failed in each of the previous novels. 

But about two years ago, I started working with the same two people for multiple manuscripts. We traded back and forth, got to know each other's writing, and got to know each other. Last year, I got to know two more writers.

Charlie and Tara D. and Creme Brulee

These ladies provide a support network and craft-related relationship that rivals some of my best friendships. I feel enriched by and invested in my CPs' writing journeys. Their joys and frustrations become my own, and this world has become a better place because of them. 

Tara D. doing a rare tent reading

By the way, the photos are of THE Tara Dairman, the only writing friend I have who lives close enough to visit. She brought candy and books, put up with an aggressive snuggler (my four-year-old, not me), and was even game to hang out in the tent that we put up in the family room. What a gal, eh? And she has a book coming out next year!

So please go visit the following ladies and follow them on Twitter. They are all very wise and funny (which is the best combination possible):

Joy McCullough-Carranza, @JMCwrites
Becky Wallace, @BeckyWallace1
Tara Dairman, @TaraDairman
Ann Bedichek-Braden, @Bedichek

Send a thank-you email to your own CPs and have a wonderful weekend!