How many critique groups are too many? I belong to three - at least I did until February when I told my picture book critique group that I planned to take a break to concentrate on a couple of projects of the non-picture book variety. But I miss seeing them on a regular basis, so I invited them up for our 2nd annual gathering for food, chit-chat, and of course shop talk. They arrived with food, enthusiasm, and updates from the latest conference. We'd communicated back and forth on our private Facebook page about possible webinars or brainstorming exercises we might use to fill the day, but we kept it casual with no specific plans. EXCEPT FOR FOOD! (of course.) Isn't this how everyone's critique group works? Well, we did do some shop talk, but more by far, we encouraged each other to keep going, as we each struggle through different levels of disappointment and discouragement. This business is tough on a person's self-esteem. Finally we just sort of gave up and did our best not to go into a food coma. Albert helped with that. So here's to all the critique groups out there that meet, however they meet, and accomplish whatever they do. Sometimes it's just a little summer break and that is fine too.
2 Comments
6/19/2017 05:08:26 pm
Aw, nice review. Sometimes we just need to support each other.
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I remember the excitement of visiting the public library as a child. The magic and suspense of reading favorites like The Velvet Room and The Secret Garden tugged at my imagination. Biographies of George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross allowed me to see the lives of those who came before me and to appreciate their accomplishments. Poetry collections like my favorite The Tall Book of Poems, which I took with me on sleepovers, introduced me to a range of poetry where I could consider how the placement and rhythm of words affected your mood – sometimes bouncy, other times melancholy. Plus, I really loved the way that book felt in my small hands. My goal in writing children’s books, I think, is an attempt to recreate those feelings, those early years of reading books where everything seemed possible.
I received an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and won the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award from SCBWI. I worked as a Children's Librarian for 20 years and still prefer to read books written for young people. I have two Cavapoo dogs named Prince Albert and Daisy Wu, and a black kitten named Mortimer. I am married and split time between homes with my husband Rod in Dayton, OH and in Cadiz, KY where we enjoy our pontoon boat on Lake Barkley.
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