We squealed.

We hugged.

We laughed.

We took pictures.

We enjoyed the sun and ducked inside a Barnes and Noble.

We ordered the same pasta dish.

We ignored the calories and ate cheesecake.

We geeked out over a new iPad.

We talked so long that the lunch crowd cleared out. (And I could have happily talked through dinner!)

We really wish we could have shared the experience with all the other MiGs.

I had a wonderful time! Thank you, Debbie!

SE Witschorke recently posted:

Hi! I am a YA author and am curious about how your group came together. Do you all live near one another or are you all over the country? I had a critique group but feel that they took me as far as they could and now I am looking for a new one but don’t know exactly how to find one as I’d like the next one to be online instead of face-to-face. I am a member of SCBWI.

I figure that others might be curious as well, so I’m answering in a blog post instead of the comments section.

The members of MiG Writers all live in different locations. I can’t speak for the others (perhaps they’ll post their own answers), but I’ve never met any of them in person.

I discovered MiG Writers through the SCBWI discussion boards; there’s a section specifically for people seeking critique groups and group openings.

I feel pretty lucky to be part of this group. I’ve been trying different critique groups for years now, looking for the right fit. I found some were too praise-heavy (not enough constructive critique) and some too destructive (nasty critique without being constructive, ego-politics). Some focused more on picture books rather than MG/YA novels. Some had critique schedule commitments that were too intense/light for my schedule. Sometimes there was too great a contrast between writing/publication experience of most members and my own. Some were good for a while, but then the membership changed or lost interest.

It’s been really tough finding the right group, and I was overjoyed to find MiG Writers. I’m finding that I learn just as much from critiquing the other members’ work as I do from their critiques of my own work. We also have a great chemistry, and support each other in general, not just our writing.

I drew the cartoon above to illustrate how I feel about the group comraderie. We each work in our own little office spaces, but it’s great to be able to virtually meet online with kindred spirits, discussing our writing and sharing tips as well as non-writing news. There are actually six members in our group, by the way, but the sixth prefers to stay anonymous right now.

I chose an online critique group rather than face-to-face because I lack the time for an in-person critique group in my life right now. Critiquing online also has the advantage of enabling me to get everyone’s comments in written form. I do hope to meet the others in person someday, though!

It takes time to do two critiques a week, but it’s SO been worth it.

For those out there still looking for the right critique group (online or offline), here are some useful resources:

Writing Critique Groups from The-writers-craft.com

Are Critique Groups Right For You? by Su Wright

Writing Tip: Finding the Right Critique Group from HipWriterMama

Critique Groups and Critiquing by Collyn Justus

Join A Critique Group to Get Your Writing Moving by W. Terry Whalin

Finding The Right Critique Group: 12 articles on the topic via Helium

How to Pick the Right Critique Group or Workshop by Angie Smibert

Welcome to Carmella Van Vleet, our newest member.

Carmella is a former Kindergarten teacher who’s been writing full-time for the last eleven years. Her freelance work has appeared in magazines such as Highlights, Parenting and Scholastic Instructor. She’s also the author of ten, non-fiction books for adults and children including Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself (Nomad Press, 2006) and the forthcoming Discover the Seven Wonders of the World.

For more info, please see Carmella’s MiG bio page.