Mentors

Critique groups, we’ve all been there (and if you haven’t, you’ve missed a time-honored, initiation ritual).

Go back in time to your first encounter with the “writing pros.” You’ve attended your first chapter meeting or spent a couple months on an email loop and now you’re filled with excitement over joining a group of writers honing their craft.

I need to qualify my opinions before I go any further - there is definitely a place in the life of a writer for critique groups. Many of them are very helpful. Some are not. . ..

Now, as I was saying, the critique group. While attending my very first meeting of my local RWA chapter, I found a group of romance writers who lived relatively close to me and met monthly, rotating meetings at the homes of the members. Each month we brought 10 pages of our best work, distributed copies to each member and then proceeded to read aloud our genius. No one interrupted, no one asked questions. At the end of the reading, the torture began. Journaling furiously, each of my “friends” wrote their opinions of my work and then the discussion began:

“I think your story needs to start here…”

“A bear wound never heal like that…”

“If you want to show luxury, forget the Caddy. Give them a Jag…”

And then, the sets of pages I’d handed out all came back to me scribbled over in various colors of ink that dripped off the pages like blood from a puncture wound. I’d come home devastated, avoiding the computer at all costs for at least a week. My husband grew to hate that time of the month. He hated seeing my enthusiasm crushed. He was ready to go fight for my honor.

To this day, I still love that man.

As I faithfully digested the comments, it only took me two years to realize most of my fellow writers never heard my story. They were too busy trying to show me how they would write it if it were theirs.

And after two more years, I woke up one day and realized I’d lost my voice. Not laryngitis. I’d lost my writing voice…my inner voice…the play of words and ideas that stamped my projects MINE.

Yep, a mere 6 years into my writing career, I was ready to pack it up, convinced none of my ideas were worth the dot matrix they were printed on, and I sure as shootin’ couldn’t express myself believably.

Then along came Connie.

Connie Rinehold is a multi-published author of romance novels. She read my entry in our local chapter’s contest and gave me a perfect score of 100 while the other two scores barely graced the mid-60s. She invited me to meet with her, to discuss my talent.

Yes, she called it talent.

As it turned out, my writing really was worthy of the scores I’d been receiving in contests, but what she saw in my writing only needed tweaking, a little direction and few more words here, a few less words there. We began meeting every couple weeks.

In that little office in her home, we discussed the elements of story, talked of character feelings, we explored “what ifs” with vigor. Through all the blood, sweat and tears of tearing apart my first book, Connie never wrote my book for me. She made me come up with the answers. We discussed my ideas and she made me think the threads through.

She’d asked my opinion of her drafts. We bounced ideas for her characters around the room. She wrote the most incredible books, and I marveled that she could use my ideas in any way, shape or form.

Critique groups are a wonderful concept as long as you keep the multiple opinions of your work in perspective. Don’t allow others to distill the part of you that makes your work unique. Look for fellow writers who have your best interests at heart and who want build you up so you can fix the potholes in your own yellow brick road.

I know I’m blessed. My fellow Seeker sisters watch out for me, as I them. We encourage, we celebrate, and yes, we smack down when appropriate. But we do it out of love. And that just ain’t something you come across every day.

I pray each and every one of you finds the person or persons who love you enough to be honest in their opinions of your work without ulterior motives.

I wish you all mentors with a capital M -- or in my case CR.

I’m a long way from that starry-eyed novice writer of fifteen years ago, but I’ve discovered what I want to be when I grow up. And I pray I do it with all the grace, dignity and generosity Connie Rinehold poured over me.

Now it’s time to share. How do you feel about critique groups? Has anyone looked beyond the surface to reveal the special in you? Have you dug out any diamonds in the rough?

Do tell!!

And make sure you include your email address!!

If one doesn't have a mentor, then while waiting for the real thing to come along, chocolate will have to do. There's a bag of to-die-for Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate with Raspberry Filling squares just waiting to encourage someone on!

Winner will be announced in the Weekend Edition!!!

Blessings!
-audra