You've Got Homework!

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In our last SWG meeting, which met on Tuesday, April 10th, we were given a homework assignment. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with or locate handy examples of Critique Cheat Sheets and email your favorites to Sally Klein at:

 customer (at) coastalnow (dot) net

What is a Critique Cheat Sheet? Just like it sounds, we would be able to print off a few of these and bring them to meetings. When a writer shares his or her work, we'll then have a list of criteria with which to evaluate the piece.

Some items we may want to include on such a tool might be:
  1. Opening
  2. Plot
  3. Setting
  4. Characterization
  5. Dialogue
  6. Point of View
  7. Show versus tell
  8. Imagery
  9. Grammar and spelling
  10. Style
We might also want our writers to know whether or not their piece is "our cup of tea" when it comes to genre and whether we'd keep reading. If you don't write poetry or science fiction, you may have limited knowledge and interest in such pieces. That would be good for the writer to know.

While I'm at it, I may as well tack on an assignment of my own. As you can see, I'm hard at work on the new blog. On the right hand side of the page, you'll notice a place for a list of SWG Member Blogs. Right now the list is pretty empty!

If you are a member of the Savannah Writers Group (meaning you have personally attended at least three meetings), and you would like me to plug your blog or website into the list, please shoot me an email. I'm Sasha McBrayer, and I can be reached at the following addresses:

sashathesilversable (at) yahoo (dot) com
shadowcat (underscore) sm (at) hotmail (dot) com

Now get to work!

Comments

  1. Carol NorthMay 6, 2012 at 6:25 PM

    Sasha:
    The critique list posted above is the only one of those suggested that makes any sense. It

    o Can be used for almost any type, genre, length of writing project.
    o Does not have the potential for shredding a writer's feelings.
    o Encourages the writer to learn technique.

    One of the other lists suggested would be good for self-editing or editing a completed novel. It doesn't translate well to short stories, novel chapters, or six- or seven-page excerpts.

    Thanks,
    Carol North

    ReplyDelete

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